Lionsgate Films | 2000 | 101 mins | Rated R
As television pitchman Tappy Tibbons (Christopher McDonald) chants with his audience, Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) locks herself in the closet while her son Harry (Jared Leto) steals her TV. Behind them, a string quartet tunes up for its requiem.
It’s summer in Coney Island. Harry and Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) push the television through the streets. This is all part of the cycle: they steal Sara’s television, sell it for drug money, then Sara buys it back and the cycle begins again. Widowed and lonely, Sara needs the television to get through endless days. She’s addicted to it…
Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr. (The Last Exit to Brooklyn), who co-wrote the screenplay with director Darren Aronofsky, Requiem for a Dream is an unflinching look at four people’s descent into madness. Sarah watches nothing but a repeating infomercial; one day she receives a call saying that she’s been selected to appear on television. On what show, on which date, and at what time doesn’t matter; for the first time in years she’s ecstatic. She immediately pulls out her favorite red dress, her fondest memory of better times with her dead husband and estranged son. Unfortunately, the dress doesn’t quite fit, and when she fails at a grapefruit-and-eggs diet, she turns to prescription pills to make the fat disappear.
Meanwhile, Harry, Tyrone, and Harry’s girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) enter the drug trade in an effort to realize their dreams. With the money they make over the summer, Harry and Marion hope to open a fashion store for Marion’s designs, while Tyrone dreams of escaping the street and making his mother proud. As fall arrives, those hopes are dashed when Tyrone is caught in the middle of a drug assassination and Harry and Marion are forced to use most of the money they earned to bail him out of jail. After that, it’s harder to find product and they start using it all, rather than selling it.
Harry, Tyrone, Marion and Sara all have different addictions but they all share one basic need: the need for an escape from the real world, a connection to something other than themselves. The story of junkies on the road to nowhere isn’t new. However, Aronofsky is so unflinching in his examination of it—showing the pleasures of getting high and the lows of looking for those twenty bucks for the next buy. Requiem captures the headiness of the ritual (cooking, shooting and inhaling).
Requiem for a Dream becomes increasingly more difficult to watch as these four people go deeper and deeper into the hole of addiction. Sara Goldfarb is the most sympathetic character, as she seems at least partially aware of her deteriorating situation. Her character’s story is the most tragic in the film; it begins with the best of intentions and goes terribly awry; due in part to her own actions but also her doctor’s failure to intervene. While Ellen Burstyn turns in an award worthy performance and Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly do some incredible work, Marlon Wayans emerges as a surprise. Well known for his comedic talents, Wayans delivers a deep and reflective performance. His character seems to realize the trap he’s in but cannot find an effective means of escape. However, Tyrone’s situation at film’s end may be the most promising despite the harsh conditions he faces.
Requiem for a Dream delivers a quality 1080p transfer framed inside a 1.85:1 window. Detail appears as above average but not particularly striking. The most impressive details emerge in the many extreme close-up shots in the film. Aronofsky often zooms in tight on skin, eyes, and lips, and the fine details — particularly in chapped, dehydrated lips as seen later in the film — offer startling clarity. Colors are finely rendered but don’t pop off the screen, appearing slightly washed out from time to time but never looking too dull. There’s minimal visible grain but there’s little in the way of distracting artifacts. This Blu-ray release of Requiem for a Dream offers up a solid transfer but not one that could be considered visually stunning.
Requiem for a Dream arrives on Blu-ray with a very solid DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The music heard over the opening credits plays through every one of the speakers in the 7.1 configuration and continues to do so throughout the film. There are plenty of unnerving sound effects throughout, for instance those that accompany the drug preparation scenes or several hallucinations, including one revolving around a refrigerator with a mind of its own as heard in chapter 13. Bass isn’t prevalent throughout, but when it arrives, it makes its presence felt. Dialogue delivery is superb throughout. Requiem for a Dream relies heavily on its soundtrack to compliment the tone of the film and this DTS-HD MA 7.1 setup serves it well.
Requiem for a Dream has a nice slate of special features:
• Two Audio Commentaries
o Darren Aronofsky: Recorded almost nine years ago, the director speaks on the difficulty of making the film, recounts his fascination with the book, stylistic choices that shaped the tone of the picture, the score, the acting, setting up different shots and much more.
o Director of Photography Matthew Libatique: This one focuses primarily on the creation of the film’s look and shooting style. Film students and cinematographers will likely get a lot out of this one.
• The Making of Requiem for a Dream (480p, 35:23) is a solid behind-the-scenes offering that includes raw footage from the set and covers a wide range of topics, including shooting techniques, makeup application, and more, all complimented by commentary from the director recorded after filming completed.
• Memories, Dreams, & Addictions: Ellen Burstyn Interviews Hubert Selby, Jr. (480p, 19:56) The Oscar-winning actress asks questions of the author of the novel Requiem for a Dream.
• Deleted Scenes (480p) There are nine with optional director’s commentary.
• The film’s teaser (480p, 1:36) and theatrical (480p, 1:37) trailers.
• Two TV spots (480p, 0:17 & 0:32).
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