Film Requiem For a Dream

[Dtergent]

I never liked this film... I thought it was super overhyped and overrated, and always credited its entertaining factor mostly to being overstyled.

I did go to see a talk by Aronofsky a few years ago, right before Pi came out, and he said some things that explained to me why the film sucked.

But I was very intoxicated and I can't remember what they were exactly right now

 

[tribal girl]

^LOL, good argument

 

[eon_blue]

Also, is the mother's psycosis from Diet pills realistic? I guess I don't know shit about this, but simple diet pilsl in this day and age are not some strong methamphetamine-like drug. Or is she scoring something illegally? I can't remember exactly. Sorry for putting this movie down, I just didn't buy it when I saw it.

Although this user's comment is 4 years old, I still feel the need to correct this:

Now, while it's never VERIFIED, I'd bet everything I own that she wasn't being prescribed "diet pills". The doctor she saw was a complete quack and was prescribing her amphetamines (adderall, dexedrine, ect.) for her to lose weight.

In fact, amphetamines ARE commonly prescribed as off-label prescriptions for weight loss. Not so much anymore though, now that the DEA has been on their asses.

Anyway, that would explain why Harry's mother went crazy as quickly as she did. They weren't just your run-of-the-mill "diet pills".

 

[threelibras99]

I haven't read any of the responses except for this last page and all I can say is that it's just a movie guys! I liked it, and I like the soundtrack too. The music is really amazing, and Jared Leto is a hottie

 

[Jamshyd]

For some reason, I was never a big fan of this film, and always thought it overrated.

However, now that I see AR's suggestions of symbolism, perhaps I should give it another shot .

 

[frasierdog]

Seen it twice, don't want to see it again. But still one of my favorite movies of all time.

If you expect that you should "enjoy" every movie you watch then i'd say you've already got the point of RFaD wrong. I don't think you're really supposed to enjoy it at all, it was actually slightly physically painful for me during the ending (which was very well done.)

 

['medicine cabinet']

its not so much the movie, but the story that i could relate to. getting hooked and finding things crashing around you, and not getting better till one day you just kinda crash. and in some weird way, even tho heroin caused a lot of problems, it was still always there for me. like i think of the part at the end when the chick gets back from that crazy ass to ass sex party, and shes just hugging that big ass bag of dope or wahtever it was. it sucks loving stuff that is bad for you. fuckin toxic.

but i thought it was a good movie, it was def over hyped and i think there was a good amount of BS thrown in, but it was good.

 

[SonOF]

As far as Aronofsky is concerned, I think Pi is far better than Requiem for a Dream. RFAD came across as far too preachy for me, and as if those involved with the creation of the film had very little actual knowledge of drug users/ the drug scene. I thought it was a decent film (definitely worth seeing at least once) with some interesting cinematography, but the story line didn't stray far from the typical "downward spiral of drug users" idea.

 

[ego_loss]

I never liked this film... I thought it was super overhyped and overrated, and always credited its entertaining factor mostly to being overstyled.

I did go to see a talk by Aronofsky a few years ago, right before Pi came out, and he said some things that explained to me why the film sucked.

But I was very intoxicated and I can't remember what they were exactly right now

You saw Aronofsky speak right before Pi came out, and he explained some things about why Requiem for a Dream sucked?

I am a little confused by the timeline.

Pi came out before Requiem.

 

[AmorRoark]

^ I laughed.

 

[Dtergent]

You saw Aronofsky speak right before Pi came out, and he explained some things about why Requiem for a Dream sucked?

I am a little confused by the timeline.

Pi came out before Requiem.

Ah yes thanks for pointing this out. I didn't know this

The only thing I am sure of is that I saw him speak circa 2003 in Berkeley.

 

[uNhoLeee]

As far as Aronofsky is concerned, I think Pi is far better than Requiem for a Dream. RFAD came across as far too preachy for me, and as if those involved with the creation of the film had very little actual knowledge of drug users/ the drug scene. I thought it was a decent film (definitely worth seeing at least once) with some interesting cinematography, but the story line didn't stray far from the typical "downward spiral of drug users" idea.

grats for getting your morals from a movie. really applauding you.

 

[Rated E]

I saw this for the first time yesterday. Something that stood out to me was the the negligent and uncaring doctors.

The doctor prescribed diet pills to the mother without ever even looking at her. Then when she came back in, looking for help in her paranoid state, speaking of fridges coming to life, I think I felt a tear come to my eye when the doctor simply prescribed her more pills.

The scene where Harry started to show some concern for his Mother's diet pill use also stood out. He begins to question her as to what was in the pills and receives a reply akin to 'I don't know, the doctor just told me to take them'. He then warns her about amphetamines and becoming "strung out". To which she replies "how do you know so much about this stuff anyway?" This seemed to show a lack of awareness leading to her demise. The same with Harry. He kept shooting up in the same arm, he wasn't aware that he should have at least used a different arm, better yet gone to a doctor earlier.

Which leads to another case of doctors negligence. Instead of treating Harry's arm when he visits the hospital, he is arrested, and not given treatment until much later. He gets caught up in the bureaucracy of a system. Had he gone in under slightly different circumstances, he might have received different treatment. Had he waited until he had come down he might have received treatment on the first visit (to the hospital), it was very much a matter of appearances. Had he not been in a strung out sweaty state in the doctors room, he might have been ok.

I think that the scene at the end where Harry runs towards Marion as she is standing on the edge of the wharf. When she disappears and he turns around and walks backwards, falling through a missing plank of wood in the wharf. I think this symbolised him falling through the cracks.

 

[Grinders Kiefers]

I haven't read any of the responses except for this last page and all I can say is that it's just a movie guys! I liked it, and I like the soundtrack too. The music is really amazing, and Jared Leto is a hottie

Seriously, no need to analyze and dissect the movie to the bone. Sure, there are some obvious inaccuracies and discrepancies, but overall I thought it was a pretty entertaining film.

 

[Rated E]

Seriously, no need to analyze and dissect the movie to the bone. Sure, there are some obvious inaccuracies and discrepancies, but overall I thought it was a pretty entertaining film.

It's a good movie to dissect because of all the symbolism that seems to have been used. I don't think much of the movie was intended to be taken at face value.

 

[DigitalDuality]

everytime i see this thread bumped, i like this movie less.

 

[L2R]

what does one have to do with the other?

 

[Rated E]

Alright I'm going through for my second viewing. I'm enjoying it more this time, perhaps because I find it easier to detach myself from the depressing mood conveyed in the film. I think it's because this time I'm trying to analyse it.

Another thing I noticed to do with the doctors. In the scene I spoke of before in which the doctor prescribes diet pills to the mother without ever looking at her. As the doctor walks out into the dimly lit hallway and closes the door, the next scene immediately transfers to Tryone leaning against the closed window of a shop, against a dimly lit wall, hustling. The contrast from legal drug dealer to illegal drug dealer is brilliant. Neither seems to be at all concerned with the consumer. Indicated by the uncaring nature of the doctor, and also indicated by the fact that none of Tryone or Harry's customers are shown. All that is shown is them waiting for customers and then the close up shots of them handing over drugs.

 

[Rated E]

A funny observation about the film technique featured heavily in the film.

The "MTV thing" where scenes are sped up and cut down to their bare minimals to signify things. Like each time a character shoots up, it shows a close up of a saddy being opened, a spoon being cooked, a needle, a strap being put over an arm then a pupil dilating.

I found myself acting out that kind of thing in my head after I watched the movie. Like, I walked into the kitchen to make some raisin toast. Before I make the raisin toast I play out in my head:

raisin toast packaging opening - bread going into toaster then instantaneously popping out - condiments suddenly appearing to be spread - then a close up of raisin toast crunching between my teeth.

Yes, I have too much time on my hands.

 

[ego_loss]

Aronofsky calls that "hip-hop editing".