Review of Requiem for a Dream (2000) by Ian W — 03 Jan 2014

This is a dark, graphic movie but hits your heart throughout its 101 minute runtime. Portraying the effects of drug abuse, the lives of four individuals are changed as the story progresses. Most of what makes this movie so harrowing are not just in the performances but in the editing and pacing of the film as well.

Rather than portraying the act of abusing drugs through the normal twenty-four frames a second, Aronofsky opts for a series of rapid cuts which represent the quick "high" of heroin. The length of the scenes change and grow shorter throughout the film as the addiction grows and consumes their lives and distancing the audience from empathy.

And the music. The music is one of the elements that drive the film just as much as the actors. The sharp harping of the string instruments, usually used for warmth and softness, produce a cold and discomforting sound that continues during the length of the movie.

All these elements together make a masterful film that will leave you chilled to the bone afterwards. I'm glad I watched this film, but it is one I don't know if I can watch again.