Requiem for a Dream
An excellent film that I will NEVER be watching again.
The movie goes on a journey into decline for four characters: Harry Goldfarb (played by Jared Leto), his mother Sara (played by Ellen Burstyn), his girlfriend Marion (played by Jennifer Connelly), and his friend Tyrone (played by Marlon Wayans).
To me, Ellen Burstyn gives the performance of a lifetime as Sara. Everything about her is so upsetting- her being widowed, largely neglected by her only child, lonely, just watching in front of the TV a show that regurgitates that she needs to lose weight. After (seemingly) being selected to appear on the TV show, in preparation she dreams of being able to once again fit into the red dress that her late husband Seymour liked. After struggling to diet, she is referred by a friend to a doctor who gives her multiple pills she needs to take each day, essentially speed. The film follows her mental and physical decline, losing weight but also her autonomy, as she tries telling doctors what is happening but they ignore her, just refilling her prescription that keeps her ill, mirroring the pharma industry. Even as she declines, she continues to aspire to be on everyone’s television, as she will finally be appreciated and loved. It’s heartbreaking.
Harry and Tyrone are wrapped up in gang violence as they try to jumpstart their distribution business, getting deep into the product. Harry is injecting himself so much with heroin that his arm ends up producing probably one of the most disgusting pictures I’ve ever seen of just decay. It results in Harry having to lose his entire arm in surgery, up to his shoulder. Tyrone is arrested and suffers through withdrawal while in jail.
Also connected to the drug business through Harry, Marion also becomes addicted to substances. She loses herself over time in the film, selling her body for money so she can continue getting product to the point that she looks numb, just wanting everything to be over. Probably my second favorite performance behind Ellen Burstyn.
The scene towards the end with Sara stumbling into the television studio and delivering the line "I just wanted to be on the show" before bawling is so incredibly heartbreaking and just incredible acting.
The most disturbing scene is the rapid back and forth between the four characters: Sara has to be force fed to gain back weight, Harry is screaming in unimaginable pain from his arm, Tyrone is being abused and receiving racist remarks by the prison guards while going through withdrawal, and Marion is “ass to ass” as men throw money at her while she continues to have sex with them and (essentially) other prostitutes. The shots of her covered in sweat and just barely an expression are so disturbing to look at.
The editing and score are both incredible, they should’ve at least gotten nominated at the Oscars. It’s a very moving story and so sad, yet probably the most effective anti-drug piece of media I have ever seen.