Great movie

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2004)

Requiem-Mass for the souls of the dead
Dreams
Requiem For a Dream is not only a movie about drugs, but a movie about dreams and the inherent loss of those dreams. Dreams run rampat throughout each characters life and exclude none. We see Harry's dream of wanting to marry the love of his life and make it to the 'big time'. His love, Marion, has the dream to one day own a clothing line or shop of some sort. This dream is seemingly going to be supplied by the selling of drugs but is in actuallity takin away by this devastating habit. The way the movie painstakingly presents these two dreams makes the audience immediatly relate to the characters on a deep level. These dreams are held by many people and this movie succeeds tremendously on the level of making this movie appeal to the vast majority.
Sara(Ellen Burnstyn) presents the viewer with her dream to be on television. This dream is caused by the intrinsic notion for acceptance by not only herself but from other people. Tyron(Marlon Wayans) dreams are induced by his childhood rollmodel, his mother. Again all dreams that instantly hook the viewer with its glaring reality.
Throughout the movie the dreams are presented as a mirage and only that. In comes the harsh reality of drug use and the murder that insues. Not the murder of a person but of a dream. The way this movie presents the decay is realistic in every way and presents the viewer with the harsh reality that drug ensues on its victims. A killer of dreams.
Form
This flick encorporates many different elements taken out of thin air by the awe-inspiring Darren Aronofsky. With every frame the viewer recieves a new mood ranging from pure utopia to complete chaos. The scene that comes to mind is Marion in the bathroom. She is initially undrugged and normal. Somehow this shot makes the viewer feel normal. Then it cuts to a utopic shot where the viewer is incorporated into the drugged out state of mind.
The film brillantly blends the chaotic form with the unscathed at the beginning and slowly goes to pure pandamonium. At the beggininng Aronofsky sprinkles a little bit of turmoil into an otherwise unchaotic movie. This is how,in reality, the use of drugs begins. This is why so many get hooked and the way that thhis movie uses the frames to elaborate on this is beautiful.
The climax of this story is done to perfection. We go from each story as they get more chaotic. As the commotion builds the movie goes from scene to scene more quickly until they all intertwine into one climax.
(as I am new to the world of movies and know little about form and such, I will not elaborate any further)
Acting
Ellen Burnstyn is the gem in this catagory. You never feel that this is an acting job, but rather a reality especially in her drug-induced speed frenzies. She potrays her character very well at all times, from her beggining as a scared but loving and lonely parent. To her days of desperation as a drug addict with a broken dream. The viewer always feels her loneliness and desperation to be back where she once was.
10/10