Powerful, beautiful, astounding, essential

Rating: Null/10 (7 September 2003)

Requiem for a Dream is the best movie I have seen in a long time and one of the best ever. Part of the reason is how beautifully it flows together. The cinematography, the music, the dialogue, they all come together to create a wonderful experience. Even if that experience is not particularly pleasant, it has an effect on your soul unlike most other films.
One big mistake I've read is that this film is about drug use. It is not. The drugs are simply a metaphor for addiction of any kind, and in a broader sense, the things in our lives that control us that we have a very hard time controlling. Instead of drug use, the characters could have been in abusive relationships, dead-end jobs, or any other controlling factor. Requiem describes how these things can change and tear apart your life. It's not about drugs in particular.
In fact, an important element of Requiem is if you notice, you never actually see anybody take drugs. Drug use is simply an addiction that most people can understand.
Requiem for a Dream is an utterly astounding piece of work. What it says about addiction, relationships, poverty, sexuality, morality, and humanity is poignant and provoking. The content of the script is complemented by incredible work by the four main actors who each may have given the performance of their careers in Requiem.
As I said, the camera work and score are brilliant and highlight the despair of the film. The people who made this film refused to yield to the MPAA and accepted the NC-17 rating instead of making edits. That artistic integrity is evident in every aspect of this incredible work.
Love it or hate it, Requiem for a Dream will move you.