Film "Requiem for a Dream": audience reviews, plot, actors and music

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Reviews of the film "Requiem for a Dream" are very, very diverse. So before we go directly to them, let's discuss the film itself. Everything is interesting in it: description, plot, actors and even music. So let's get started. Let's start with the plot of the movie, because it's so interesting.

What is the movie about?

The tape begins the scene on the outskirts of the city. There is an abandoned pier, which offers a wonderful view of the new buildings. Three friends have fun on this very pier, as they can: jump from the embankment into the water, frolic. The first few minutes are filled with happiness and carelessness, which is understandable, because on this summer day they still do not know what will happen next.

From the following minutes, as evidenced by the reviews of the film "Requiem for a Dream", something not entirely pleasant begins to happen. And here's the thing: these three friends are addicted to drugs. They try everything - powder, smoking mixtures, injections. From thishaunting images appear throughout the film. The once carefree and happy guys begin to degrade at an alarming rate. The camera pans neurasthenic throughout the tape, and epileptic montage is a traditional device of films about drug addicts.

In the reviews of Requiem for a Dream, people admire the skillful parallel story. It is the story of the mother of one of the characters that tells the viewer that everything is predetermined in the life of these guys. Actually, thanks to the actress who played the mother, the depressive-heroin film was filled with such strong emotions and feelings. By the way, reviews of the film "Requiem for a Dream" in the moments relating to the hero's mother are always positive.

What is so special about her role? In the story, Sarah (the same mother) receives a call from her favorite TV show. She is told on the phone that she has been selected from thousands of other applicants for the new season. Sarah wants to tell the whole country that her son is better than her, she dreams of giving her speech in her favorite red dress, which, alas, is no longer enough. A woman begins to use diet pills like those that stars constantly advertise on TV. This is where the trouble lies: the tablets contain amphetamine, which is addictive. Sarah slowly but surely goes crazy and ends up in a solitary ward of a psychiatric hospital.

The scenes of madness in the film "Requiem for a Dream" even cause nervous tremors among especially impressionable viewers: there is a moment in the tape when a refrigerator runs after a woman distraught from amphetamines and malnutrition, which tries tobite with a mouth instead of a freezer.

The picture is primarily a drama about unfulfilled motherly dreams and a world full of drugs and other filth. Whether rich or poor, good or bad, everyone has their own dreams.

Creators

Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Arofonsky. This man became not only a film director, but also a screenwriter. By the way, the film is not a figment of the director's imagination. It is based on the novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr.

Darren has his own interpretation of the film, which is largely at odds with how the audience sees the tape. Once Arofonsky gave an interview on this topic, in which he said that he did not want to make a film only about drugs. The idea of the tape was to show the audience how any addiction adversely affects life. The director wanted to convey to people that addiction is not limited to drugs, alcohol and smoking. A person can depend on everything: TV, coffee, and even their own fantasies.

Arofonsky wanted to show not the story of one person, but the life of several heroes with different dreams, but almost the same result. It was this moment that became the most difficult to implement. The chief director needed to build the plot so that the film was watched in one breath and he succeeded.

Hip-hop editing technology was used, which made it possible to mount the film on the basis of a music video.

Darren shared in this interview not only the secrets of editing, but also the nuances of musical accompaniment. Yes, music forRequiem for a Dream directed by Brian Emyric. The sound engineer spent a long time choosing unusual sounds that could emphasize the picture itself. After editing, Arofonsky was pleased with the effect, but still decided to look for something else that would add tension to the picture. That something was the sound of an airplane that Darren remembered from childhood.

There are a lot of such finds in the tape, maybe it is thanks to them that the film became exactly the way a drama should be. But critics had a different opinion, so there were a lot of unflattering reviews about the film. Some connoisseurs called the tape "emtivishny", which made Darren very angry.

Music

The music from the film "Requiem for a Dream" deserves a separate description. The soundtrack in this tape has become more popular than the film itself, and this is quite justified. The song itself was written by composer Clint Mansell, but for some reason the authorship is attributed to Mozart.

It's not so important who wrote this track, it's much more important that it began to be used not only in the film, but also in various video games, TV shows, advertising.

The composition was performed by the Kronos Quartet string quartet, produced by Judita Sherman. The rest of the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack was produced by Mansell. String quartet arranged by Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lang.

The tracks Bugs Got a Devilish Grin Conga and Bialy & Lox Conga were written by Theodore Birkey and Brian Emrich. These tracks were performed by The Moonrats.

It is noteworthy that Requiem for a Dream is considered the best soundtrack formovie Requiem for a Dream. By the way, in an interview, the director said that it was this melody that inspired him during editing. The film shows three seasons: autumn, summer and winter. The composition is divided in much the same way. It is also interesting that stringed instruments are usually used to convey warmth and softness, but not in this tape. As conceived by the composer and director, string instruments should produce cold sounds and immerse the audience in discomfort, which, in fairness, is worth noting, and they managed to do it with brilliance.

There are a lot of films similar to "Requiem for a Dream", but there are only a few for the viewer to be so hooked by the musical accompaniment. The music for the film has become a cult, it is used in the media, interest in it has not subsided so far.

Of course, films like "Requiem for a Dream" were, are and will be, but it is unlikely that such a successful cast will be anywhere else.

Jared Leto

The film became so popular thanks in large part to the actors. The actors of the film "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) made the picture extraordinary, and some of them even received prestigious awards for the game. Let's learn more about each, but let's start with Jared Leto.

To get the role of Harry Goldfarb, Leto not only lost thirteen kilograms, but also began to communicate with drug addicts from Brooklyn. The actor of the film "Requiem for a Dream" in 2000 began to be recognized. Although Jared did not wake up famous after the tape, the film certainly influenced the young actor's career.

Leto got the role of a thoughtful light guy wholives only here and now and wants empty and short-term pleasures. It is worth noting that Jared coped with it perfectly, although he himself said in many interviews that these traits are not in his character.

By the way, the real popularity of the actor brought a role in the movie "Dallas Buyers Club". His partner on the site was the famous Matthew McConaughey. For his role in this film, Leto received an Oscar, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe.

From his latest works - "Suicide Squad" and "Blade Runner 2049". In addition, Jared is also a musician, he successfully solos in the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.

Ellen Burstyn

This woman got the role of Sarah Goldfarb. Ellen approached the role very responsibly and tried with might and main to get used to the character. So, for a long time she wore twenty-kilogram suits for several hours a day. The reception helped the actress feel natural in the frame, despite the fact that Ellen herself was much smaller.

It was Burstyn who won the Oscar for Best Actress. The woman was popular in the seventies, and maybe that's why she played so well. The fact is that the old acting school taught to play outside, that is, the actor had to convey all his feelings to the viewer.

By the way, and at a later time, the actress was awarded prizes. So, in 2009, she received an Emmy for her role in the popular TV series Law & Order. Special corps. Ellen is still working, for example, in 2018 she starred in the films Nostalgia and The Story.

JenneferConnelly

Above we already mentioned the song from the film "Requiem for a Dream", now about the actors. Jennefer played the role of Marion Silver. Critics called her the epitome of the film's beauty. After the tape was released, many publications called Connelly one of the most beautiful women in the world. We can say that the film also became a landmark for this actress, although it did not bring her an Oscar.

After filming, Jennefer's career skyrocketed - a year after the release of Requiem for a Dream, she played the wife of an extraordinary mathematician in A Beautiful Mind, after which she received the coveted Oscar.

The titled actress got married, but not to anyone, but to her partner on the set - Paul Bettany.

Jennefer is known from the films "Blood Diamond", "Hulk", "To promise is not to marry." At the end of 2018, a film with the participation of the actress "Alita: Battle Angel" was released.

Marlon Wayans

We have already talked about the author of the music for the film "Requiem for a Dream", but we have not fully analyzed the cast. That's what we'll do and move on to Marlon Wayans. The actor has been playing comedic roles all his life, but in "Requiem" he first starred as a dramatic character. More Marlon did not want to move away from the image loved by the audience.

He continues to play in comedies, and in 2016 he also became a screenwriter for the film Fifty Shades of Black. The tape is a parody of the cult film "Fifty Shades of Grey" starring Dakota Johnson.

By the way, if you can't remember the actor yet,then we recall that he starred in such comedies as "Cobra Throw", "Scary Movie", "House of the Paranormal", "Without Feelings".

Christopher McDonald

The controversy over the fact that Mozart and no one else is the author of the music for the film "Requiem for a Dream" has not ceased for a long time. However, this is not the only reason for discussion. Sometimes some supporting actors are so open in the film that they cause sincere admiration of the director. So it was with Christopher MacDonald. He played, or rather, improvised, the role of the TV show host Tappy Tibbons. Surprisingly, all the scenes of the TV show were filmed in just a day, which once again proves the professionalism of Christopher.

Glory to the actor came after such films as Flubber and Lucky Gilmore. After working with Darren, the actor appeared in several parts of American Pie and Spy Kids. In 2012, the last two films with the participation of Christopher were released - "The Collector 2" and "Lemonade Mouth". Since then, McDonald has stopped acting, deciding to devote himself to his family and children.

Darren Aronofsky

Yes, you heard right, the director played a cameo role in his film.

The full movie "Requiem for a Dream" is replete with scenes in various entertainment venues, and Darren didn't fail to take advantage of it.

The director is still working, but his most successful picture is not "Requiem for a Dream", but "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke in the title role. She brought Darren the Golden Lion. Aranofsky hasthe most profitable picture, it was "The Black Swan" - the story of a ballerina going crazy, with Natalie Portman in the title role.

Interesting facts

Trailer in Russian for the film "Requiem for a Dream" was probably seen by everyone, even if the film itself could not be seen. But if you still decide to watch the film, then you should know about some interesting points.

There is a scene in the film where the girl is underwater in the bathroom and screams. Many viewers still argue about the originality of the moment. In fact, Aronofsky borrowed a scene from the Japanese cartoon True Sadness. He even had to buy the rights to the entire cartoon just so he could use the scene in the movie.

To achieve the authenticity of an irresistible desire, the director demanded that Marlon Ufyans and Jared Leto exclude sugar from food and sex for a month. This was necessary in order for the actors to feel what an irresistible desire is.

When Ellen Burstyn was singing a monologue about how it feels to be an old woman, Matthew Libatik (cameraman) accidentally turned the camera away from the actress. The director, when he saw this, was furious, but later understood why he did it. The fact is that Ellen's game touched and impressed Matthew so much that he burst into tears during the shooting. Tears fell on the lens of the equipment, so the operator decided not to wait for Aronofsky's wrath, but simply to merge the take. In the end, everything ended well: Darren included in the film exactly the shots with the allotted camera.

Any description of the movie "Requiem for a Dream" says that Jared Letofor the sake of the role, he lost thirteen kilograms, and this is true. And he did it in order to understand the state and character of the character.

The film contains a large number of hallucinations of different characters. One of them belongs to Harry - there he falls from a very high height. How was it filmed? the film crew came up with the idea of hanging the camera from a bungee. Prior to this, such a trick had not been used, and all operators were waiting with fading to see if the device hit the ground or not. Fortunately, everything worked out - no cameras were damaged during the shooting.

Reviews of the film "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) mostly relate to the musical accompaniment of the picture is no coincidence, because the soundtrack is truly brilliant. As soon as the film begins, the viewer hears how the quartet is preparing to perform the main melody of the film. But just before the credits, many hear the voice of the conductor, who gives the command to start the introduction.

At the end of the movie, the main characters have something in their mouths. Marrion has a cash check from one of the party members, Harry is wearing an oxygen mask, Sarah is squeezing a rubber stick during an electric shock. Only Tyler doesn't hold anything in his mouth as his stomach churns.

It is noteworthy that the film does not say what kind of drug the characters use. Viewers can only guess what they do with rapture. There were people who compared the effects with narcotic substances and decided that it was heroin. It is possible that the director did not plan to show the effect of any one drug. It is possible that this was a collective image frompoisoning people with all kinds of dope to show the harm and dependence of people on it. This explanation justifies a pupil dilation that doesn't fit anywhere.

Russian film "Requiem for a Dream" was perceived ambiguously. Some people liked it, some didn't, but many viewers unanimously noted that the scene with a truck full of oranges reminded me of something. It's actually a reference to The Godfather. In the cult film, it is the oranges that are the warning of the tragedy.

In addition to the fact that Darren himself starred in an episodic scene, he also attracted his father to the film. The latter can be seen in the subway scene where the man tells Harold's mother that she is too emaciated.

What did the author want to convey?

We have told almost everything about the famous film, but some still do not understand what is the meaning of the film "Requiem for a Dream". Aronofsky wanted to raise the following issues in the feed:

1. Passivity.
2. Fight.
3. Escape.

The three seasons in the film show how the characters react to life's challenges every time. All four heroes have a very modest life baggage and a pronounced lack of spirituality, which does not prevent them from dreaming. For example, Tyrone since childhood wanted to have everything. What does this mean for a not very smart black boy? Naturally, this is money. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with age.

As for the couple Marion and Harold, they have dreams of their own designer boutique. And all because Marion likes to model clothes, and Harold likes Marion.

Harry's mother spends her whole life relaxing near the TV, eating chocolate while watching talk shows. It is quite logical that her dream is to get on such a show and tell the whole world about her own magnificent son.

What does it mean to fight for a dream? Already in the trailer for the film "Requiem for a Dream" you can see how teenagers not only use, but also sell drugs. In fact, this is their way of fighting for a dream, because the latter requires a lot of money, and the guys don’t know how to make money in another way. And everything seems to be fine, except that the guys themselves are addicted to dope. They do not shun anything, they use everything that is at hand at a particular moment. This business exists until Tyrone goes to jail. This is where the guys lay out everything they earn, just to free a friend. The trouble is over, but another has come in its place - the source of the dope supply is drying up.

Marion is also trying to fight for her dream, however, she chooses not the best way. She starts selling herself. First sold to a not very pleasant acquaintance, and then it comes to orgies with very dubious characters.

At the same time, Tyrone and Harry travel to Miami in order to find a new source of the potion. They no longer think about selling the product. Drugs are needed for oneself, because withdrawal is constant, there is no strength to endure it anymore.

How does Sarah fight? Requiem for a Dream is the best movie, if only because it shows the problem of addiction from different angles, but back to the cute pensioner. So Sarah receives an invitation to a TV show and begins her fight.- overweight. She has an obsessive dream in which she wears a red dress while participating in the program, but the problem is that it is not enough for her. Why this particular dress? The late husband was very fond of Sarah in a red dress, and there is no money for another outfit. The pensioner is poor, she watches talk shows on an old TV, which she periodically loses because her son constantly drags him out of the house as the only value. Pretty tormented, Sarah turns to a nutritionist. He prescribes a strong remedy for weight loss, although a woman needs to get rid of only eight kilograms.

The pensioner starts drinking them and does not notice how every day she is more and more dependent on blue and pink pills. As soon as the son comes home with a gift (he earned money from the drug trade), he immediately sees why the mother has lost so much weight and feels bad. Harry tries his best to convince his mother to stop taking the pills, but at the same time he does not refuse to take drugs himself.

Passivity is also clearly broadcast throughout the film. If you read the reviews of critics about the film "Requiem for a Dream", then even without watching it you can understand what passivity means. And above all, it manifests itself in the fact that Sarah only buys out the mortgaged TV, not trying to influence her son in any way. Even the seller does not stand up and makes a remark to the woman. But Sarah categorically does not want to go to the police, because, according to her, she loves her son. Despite all the words of love, she does not think about why her son does not work and constantly needs money. How passive are teenagers? In some ways, no less than Harry's mother, because they just waste the money that Marion's parents give them and are not going to learn anything. But none of these characters can be accused of passivity when the money runs out, but the breakdown remains.

The third part of the film symbolizes rather an escape, and not for a dream, but for another dose. As soon as the character receives a dose, he runs away from reality. Moreover, in the description of the film and reviews of "Requiem for a Dream" it is rarely possible to see such an explanation of the plot. But nevertheless it is and does not disappear anywhere. The characters in the film decided to use chemical escape. Some might think it's just drugs, but it's not. This includes various antidepressants, alcohol and sweets. The chemical escape reorients the metabolism, and after a while, a person can no longer live a day without his dose. On the example of the same Sarah, you can see how sweets are replaced by another addiction, namely diet pills.

And what about the end?

In the last frames of the tape, we see how each character curls up into a ball, and this is no coincidence. Psychologists have long found out that the fetal position helps people to go into the comfort zone and cope with all the stresses. But the heroes no longer smell of comfort, they want to escape from it all. Aronofsky used a great reception, but, unfortunately, not everyone understood him.

The director planned that the film would be broadcast in schools around the world. Teenagers need to watch and understandhow pretty good people cripple the fates not only of themselves, but also of those close to them. And all this because of drugs and unwillingness to change something.

Catch phrases

The best movies are often quoted and "Requiem for a Dream" is no exception. A lot of popular expressions were taken by teenagers, less by adults, but nevertheless the film is recognizable precisely by specific phrases. So, what are the quotes from the movie "Requiem for a Dream"?

1. Is your weight okay? - With weight, yes, but with me, no.
2. Dreams are different. And the ways to implement them too. By choosing the wrong path, you can say goodbye to a dream without touching it.
3. With you the world becomes bearable.

And that's not all that the audience took apart. Some quotes prove how acute the problem of addiction is in modern society.

Awards and prizes

Requiem for a Dream was meant to be a very deep film. But unfortunately, critics did not appreciate the tape very well, so the picture received few awards. By the way, most of the regalia the film has found thanks to Ellen Burstyn. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress and a Golden Globe (also for Best Actress in a Drama). Ellen won the Saturn Award for Best Actress. In addition, the film itself was also awarded this award, but already as the best horror film.

Of course, the picture is underestimated, but, on the other hand, it is much more important that the audience liked it. After all, in the end, it is people who decide what to watch and what not to watch. It is people's love that shows how successfulthe film turned out.

Conclusion

Aronofsky raised in the distant noughties such an important problem of society, which not only has not lost its relevance, but has also worsened. Now all the media are trumpeting that drug addiction is the scourge of modern society, and this is true. Maybe Darren was not so wrong and it is worth introducing the film to the compulsory viewing of schoolchildren? You see, the children would look at the torment of the heroes, at what addiction of any kind leads to, and change their minds about taking drugs. These are all dreams, of course, but everyone can learn their own lesson from the film.

Take the same passivity. Do parents really let their child drive themselves to the grave? Can it really be so indifferent to one's own child that a person does not even make an attempt to talk with his son? A parent should be, if not a friend, then a person you can always count on. Of course, the hero's mother has many problems of her own, but this is no reason to abandon her son.

The film teaches not only teenagers, but also their parents a lot, in particular, that one cannot sit back if a loved one is in trouble. Often we are so busy with our problems that we do not notice anything around. Such is the nature of man, but still you need to make an effort and at least a little surface of their own problems.

About teenagers, we can say that they lack parental attention to some extent and their own intellect, spirituality. If they had been a little more developed, then most likely they would not have become so dependent. If they could see an example of whatcan and should strive, it is unlikely that they became drug addicts. There are a lot of different "ifs", but they all do not justify any of the characters.

First of all, you should think with your head, and not only about your own well-being and dreams, but also about the well-being of loved ones. Every person dreams of something, but not everyone is able to choose the right path to achieve a dream, and that's the whole point.