Film Requiem For a Dream

[AmorRoark]

After watching Requiem for maybe the 6th time tonight I thought I'd be a fabulous movie to pop up on BL!
First time I saw the movie I was inthralled with the cinematography, I didn't really pay much attention to any symbolism or character development.
However, after the 3rd and 4th times, I began to develop opinions on themes and symbolisms.
Throughout the movie there are bunches of mind-boggling, clever symbols.

• the red dress (Sara's)- reaching self-appreciation; reaching a time when she lover herself, and her place in the world (her husband was alive/her son wasn't an addict).
• Harry losing his arm- his 'arm' symbolizes losing a part of him, Marion.
• The visions or lacking visions of the people the main characters wish to please- both Harry and Ty still feel a need to please their mothers (Ty by his dream, and the gift of the tv by Harry). However, both leading women do not have visions of the ones they want to please (Marion's parents and Sara's dead husband) for they have succombed to the bitter realization that they will alway sfeel the absense of those people in their lives.
• Tabby Tibbon's show was entitled "Month of Fury"- I estimate the duration of the film would be about a month.
• The televison- Sara's only resort for comfort was a difficulty to obtain (Harry pawned/ the fuzziness) until life became decievingly easier. Then, her resort of comfort began to become clear. Literally, she got a new clear television. Figuratively, her obsession with television began to take control.
• Moving fridge- Sara's spiraling emotional and physical health
• Fetal position of all leading character to end the movie- demonstates how everyone became similiar in their lonliness and now vulnerability to their fixes.
• Marion selling herself for drugs- shows her instability when abandoned by her only other fix, Harry.
• Traveling "down" to Flordia- when Harry and Ty go down to Flordia EVERTYHING else goes down too.
• The red dress Marion wears in Harry's vision of them on the pier- anyone got any ideas?

Getting the fix was a common theme throughout the movie as well.

• Sara- food/pills/television
• Harry- Marion
• Marion- drugs/Harry
• Tyrone- sex/making his dead mother proud

Another theme I found interesting was the fear of lonlienss shared by Sara and Marion. They both cover for their lonliness with their fixes.
Alright that's all for now! Now comment! There's gotta be some Requiem lovers out there
[ 24 August 2002: Message edited by: AmorRoark ]

 

[justsomeguy]

you didn't mention the double ended 'ass to ass' dildo scene!! how could you NOT mention that specificaly!!

 

[Lady Chaos]

I'm beginning to think that I am the only person in the world that did not like this movie.

 

[evsid]

One of the many great things about the film is that it isn't like most drug films. I resisted this one for a long time because I am really sick of "junkie chic" movies (ie "Jesus' Son"). I only watched it because my boyfriend rented it out on DVD--am MAN am I glad I did!
The films title says it all: ultimatley it is about how addiction kills your dreams & your humanity.

 

[Physix Media]

See.. i think it's about selfishness.
The drugs are inconsequential.
it could have been about anything.
For instance, the son's selfishness in dealing with his mother... he feels guilty with how he treated her... in order to APPEASE that guilt (a selfish act) he fakes the call to her about being on the show... which begins her downward spiral into her own addiction. She could have just as easily jumped up and down for joy and had aheart attack... or ran outside in the eXcitement and got hit by a car..... just as equally effective in relating to how one's selfish acts affects those we love.
The TV represents her relationship with her son... he constantly pawns the old one... then buys her a new system when he starts getting paid. Another selfish act that feeds her INITIAL addiction -- watching TV. Since the new TV is a result of his SELFISH act, it acts violently towards her.
The fridge, at most, is probably the result of the fact that he only came to her originally when he needed to eat (or to pawn the TV). Food is her only other real connection to her son. When he's getting paid, he comes by only for dinner occassionally. It, too, then begins to react violently to her.
I don't think there is much symbolism in anything else in the movie... i'll have to watch it again, tho.
The movie disturbs me ONLY because of the mother... she is the result of years of her son fuckin' with her.. and one final selfish act sends her over the age... the others deserved what they got... In fact, I think their fate was just penance for what they collectively did to her, altho' indirectly...
the more directly their actions affected the mom, the more severe the 'punishment'... which is why the son lost an arm (most of it was his fault) and the friend only threw up on a chain gang... hello? who HASN'T thrown up in jail?!?!
At any rate, I agree that the movie isn't about drugs...... it's about selfish reactions, how it affects others, and the punishment that fate with bring down upon you.
-physix

 

[Lingo]

^^ While there ARE certain elements of a movie left to interpretation, yours are still WAY off.
I'll post more in response later.
Adios,
Steve

 

[Brainrape]

A little while ago I attended a screening of Requiem with the director (Darren Aronofsky), and he sat down after the film and talked with everyone...
In his own words the film is primarily about the idea of addicition, and the destruction that surrounds it. Personally, I asked him if he had ever actually done drugs, turns out, he's never done a single one, not even a hit out of a joint...
Which would explain why Requiem is absolute fucking tripe, hiding behind a flashy rock video exterior, it's cineamatogrophy is beyond par (For that thank Matthew Libatique, the real talent behind the film).
Basically it's a 2 hr anti-drug commercial designed to appeal to the easily distracted MTV generation. Put in some cool quick cut scenes, trendy editing, a hip techno soundtrack, a nice moralistic message and your done...
It really fucking bothers me that a film that portrays the drug world in such a false and hyper-exaggerated sense, and that is so factually flawed in regards to drug use, actually finds support here on Bluelight, a board designed to educate people about drugs, and dispell drug myths...
I fucking hate this film...
Pi was cool though.

 

[Furnace]

^
read the book, then re-read your statement.

 

[Brainrape]

Originally posted by Furnace:
^
read the book, then re-read your statement.
Um, I think you're a bit confused...
Why the fuck should I read the book? We aren't talking about the book, we are discussing the film. The book and the film are two entirely different things...
While one may be inspired by the other, the medium in which they are presented clearly makes for drastic differences between the two. After all, you can't fit a whole books worth of information in 2 hours...
When you are discussing a film, alluding to the book version is absolutley useless as the filmmaker takes artistic license with the work and thus creates his own vision...
Perhaps you need an example, so a good one would be The Shining. A wonderful movie by Stanley Kubrick that is drastically different than the shitty novel by Steven King that inspired it...

 

[Curious Yellow]

Well I've read the book, and I think that the movie is a pretty faithful translation. Even the majority of the dialogue is exactly the same, though there are some scenes left out or altered in the movie (probably to "contemporize" some of the setting).
Becuase of the close similarities between the book and the movie, I think that you might enjoy the story more if you read the book. It might help you see that there's a lot more to the story than an anti-drug message.
Selby, Jr. is a brilliant author, btw.
[ 26 August 2002: Message edited by: Curious Yellow ]

 

[justsomeguy]

i didn't walk away with an anti drug message for myself. i left the theater with and anti drug message for Hary, Sara, Grandma, and that other dude. the message wasn't directed to me. it was simply a story about their drug problems, not mine.

 

[NESSxix]

brainrape, you are saying the shining movie is better than the book? i wanna take a poll to see how many people like the movie better, cause i strongly disagree with you.

 

[Willie]

Personaly i think this movie was a great cinematic achevement.
1.The last 20 mins of the movie is one of the most intense part of any movie i have ever seen.
2.this movie whould be the one they should give to kids about what will happen if they use drugs.
3.Another thing, watching the movie, you hope that something good will come out in the end, that maybe they will turn there lives around. But what do you get instead. A big cock of reality slapping you in your face because happy endings are only for the movies.
[ 28 August 2002: Message edited by: Willie ]

 

[Brainrape]

Originally posted by NESSxix:
brainrape, you are saying the shining movie is better than the book? i wanna take a poll to see how many people like the movie better, cause i strongly disagree with you.
Actually, I was saying to compare a book to the film adaption of the book is to compare apples to oranges and thus, not relevant to the current discussion at hand...
But personally, having read both the book and seen the film, the book was a boring piece of claptrap that dragged on far to long and had a silly ending that seem tacked on. The film is one of the most uniquely affecting horror movies ever made. In my humble, judgemental, opinion...

 

[NESSxix]

alright brainrape, I respect your opinion........

 

[Finder]

Originally posted by Physix Media:
For instance, the son's selfishness in dealing with his mother... he feels guilty with how he treated her... in order to APPEASE that guilt (a selfish act) he fakes the call to her about being on the show... which begins her downward spiral into her own addiction. She could have just as easily jumped up and down for joy and had aheart attack... or ran outside in the eXcitement and got hit by a car..... just as equally effective in relating to how one's selfish acts affects those we love.

Um...where did you pull this from the movie? At no point in time does Harry "fake" a call from TV executives to his mother.
Did anyone else notice that the third rule in the JUICE infomercial spot is no orgasm?
1. No red meat.
2. No sugar.
3. No orgasm.
If you have a DVD player with zoom you can see it pretty clearly. This aspect, IMO, kinda adds a sexual aspect to the movie. Notice how when the nurse asks if Harry has anyone to call and he mentions that Marion "won't come" almost as if he's being haunted by the fact that she won't orgasm during intercourse. This is speculation, of course, but I thought it was an interesting thing to point out.

 

[pr0ficient]

How much more does the Un-Edited DVD have that the regular one doesn't have? I rented the edited one at blockbuster since it was the only one they had.

 

[Pander Bear]

^^
the unedited is worth a viewing, if only for the "ass to ass" scene in it's entirety.

 

[Physix Media]

Originally posted by Finder:

Um...where did you pull this from the movie? At no point in time does Harry "fake" a call from TV executives to his mother.

he tells his girl that he called his mom to give her something to look forward to... i DISTINCTLY remember that because it was a turning point for ME in this film... that's when I started to feel for the mom the most....
good solid eye'ing on teh orgasm thing tho... that does put a slightly differnt slant on the entire movie....
i love the infomercial style of the DVD's beginning and "idle' mode.... it's wonderful.
-physix

 

[AmorRoark]

he tells his girl that he called his mom to give her something to look forward to... i DISTINCTLY remember that because it was a turning point for ME in this film... that's when I started to feel for the mom the most....
I'm totally confused where exactly is this? Like how late? what's the scene?