On Hallucinations, Highs, and a Haunting Score...

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2005)

Unassumingly titled, "Requiem for a dream" more than justifies its interesting name. Tracing the interconnected lives of four individuals, it tells a dark, tragic story of their down slide, as they fall prey to their addiction to drugs, trading in their dreams for a dirge instead.
In a seemingly benign summer, Harry, Marion and Tyrone, all recreational drug users, weave dreams of a better, and legitimate life, attempting to make a fast buck by pushing drugs. But their habit slowly but surely takes control of their lives, inexorably pushing them to the brink. In parallel, the story also focuses on Sara, Harry's mother, rendered to devastating perfection by Ellen Burstyn. Sara, a widow, in her utter loneliness, begins to take weight reduction pills in preparation for a supposed guest appearance on a TV show. As her dependence on the drugs in the pills increases, so do her insecurity-induced delusions, stemming from a fear of societal rejection. Eventually, in the climatic winter of their despair, the characters, each in their own way, tumble to irreparable depths of self-destruction. The beautiful, yet eerie background score that permeates the movie adds to its sheer visual intensity, leaving the viewer inwardly hoping for an unrealistic, yet better turn of events. Ending on a black note, Requiem For A Dream sends an ominous message about the power of addiction.