Requiem for a Dream

Drugs are bad, mmmkay? It's an old message but, as evidenced in Traffic, it's still relevant in an increasingly drugs-soaked culture. Requiem for a Dream complements a film like Traffic perfectly... whereas Traffic showed how people on different levels of society attempt to deal with the 'war on drugs', Requiem for a Dream shows the effect of drugs in a more personal and familial way.

The story focuses on four related characters, tracing their lives from summer through to winter, and the way their chosen drug messes with them throughout this time period. It's not just about the physical affects that drugs can have on a body, but it also shows (rather graphically) the way drugs can alter perception.

The performances are all first rate. One that particularly stands out is Ellen Burstyn as the diet-pill addicted Sara. Never have I seen a more vivid and realistic transformation, and her performance helped me understand what would drive someone to such a fate. What also makes this film so indelible is the relation of the direction to it's subject matter - no less than 100 digital shots were created for this film, some of which are the most stunning ever to be committed to celluloid. One that sticks in my head is a scene showing someone's actions over a long amount of time sped-up, and then the camera slowing panning away...

This is a tour-de-force of a small and pathetic environment, the director (Darren Aranofsky, who had previously directed the acclaimed Pi) utilises a whole host of innovative flourishes that don't let up. And despite the hyper-real treatment of a realistic subject it never seems unnatural. There is a sense of grandeur involved here that hammers home the scars inflicted on these lives and the journey will leave you anything but flippant to the subject matter.

TRIVIA: Burstyn was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance here but was beaten by Julia Roberts (for Erin Brockavich). A robbery if ever I saw one.