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From Amazon.co.uk
Fantasy mixes with the harsh reality of addiction and the desire for hope in Requiem for a Dream. Beginning at the dawn of a new summer in Coney Island, the film charts the relationship of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) and her son Harry (Jared Leto)--two characters who are lost with in a world of the self-absorbed desire to feed their addictions at the cost of hope and love. With a sublime score (performed by the Kronos Quartet) accompanying some intense visual imagery, the film sets up an almost fairy-tale wash over the characters' lives, with every hit of their chosen drug turning them into beautiful people surrounded by a haze which enhances all their features. However, unlike films such as Trainspotting which turn the dream into a nightmare then end with a huge dose of hope, Requiem for a Dream forces the viewer through all loss of hope and the descending madness of reality, as winter begins.
Darren Aronofsky's follow-up to the critically acclaimed Pi is a movie which exposes not only the terror caused by addiction of any kind--be it TV or Heroin--but also offers a powerful insight into the destruction caused by the desire to achieve "the American Dream". Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr, the film sacrifices dialogue in favour of imagery and movement: the editing and cinematography are reminiscent of MTV, however the movie takes this very aggressive style and moulds it to its own needs, adding a beautifully haunting narrative and powerful performances by its four main characters (Burstyn just missing out on an Oscar for Best female lead to Julia Roberts). Ultimately the viewer is left with a sense of desperation and despair: Requiem for a Dream exposes drugs and addiction in the most powerful and truthful way a film has ever managed, leaving no stone unturned.
On the DVD: This disc is bursting with excellent special features. The anamorphic widescreen picture makes the most of the film's stylish visuals, and the soundtrack offers choice of either Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0. As well as offering the obligatory theatrical trailer, scene selection and a fantastic director's commentary, there's also a "making-of" featurette, TV trailers charting the reviews and success of the film, an "Anatomy of a scene", and a wide range of deleted scenes. By far the best feature is Hubert Selby Jr's interview with Ellen Burstyn, which offers the writer a chance to put across not just his opinions on his work but also on life as a whole. All these features are placed within an impressively formatted menu. --Nikki Disney
Product Description
Darren Aronofsky follows up his acclaimed debut Pi with this gritty, emotionally charged film set amidst the abandoned beaches and faded glory of Coney Island, Brooklyn. Based upon the novel by celebrated author Hubert Selby Jr., the story intricately links the lives of a lonely widowed mother (Academy Award Winner Ellen Burstyn), her son Harry (Jared Leto), his beautiful girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). Requiem for a Dream is a hypnotic tale of four human beings each pursuing their vision of happiness. Even as everything begins to fall apart, they refuse to let go, plummeting with their dreams into a nightmarish, gut-wrenching freefall.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I was lent this movie by a friend who had watched it and recently bought it. As soon as I put it on I was absolutely at the mercy of this unflinching onslaught of a movie. It is brilliantly written, directed and acted. It wishes to hit home the dangers of drugs, both hard and even more socially acceptable ones. It did its job with visceral zeal and after the credits rolled, I felt completely wrung out emotionally. I think it is a fantastic film and one I never wish to see again. I don't need to, I got the message! Incidentally, my friend and I were talking about a list, published by some film institute, of great movies that you would only want to see once, and I said immediately that I bet Requiem was on it. He laughed and said it was around number 3 and actually come to mention it, he hadn't watched it once after buying it. Here endeth the lesson.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
I can honestly say this is the only film i have seen that had the power to change my thinking and outlook on life. Ever since i first saw it the characters, imagery and emotion of the piece have remained with me. Every aspect of this film is a triumph. Each of the four leading actors are stupendous and in my view both Connelly and especially Burstyn were robbed of oscars that were rightfully theirs.
There are many great films, but what separates the great from the truly great are those that are completely unique, as is this one. I purchased this dvd on a limb and unsure what to expect, but from the outset the picture showed me a new cinematic language in its montage imagery, pacing, editing and what is surely one of the most brutally moving scores ever composed.
Aside from these, the film is unique in its honesty. Yes it is supremely dark in its subject matter and climax and thank god for it. For too long Hollywood has felt the need to produce pleasant, hopeful comfort film and neglected from portraying what is in many cases the unpleasant reality of life for so many people. In the real world lives get messed up and they dont always get better, sometimes they stay messed up, and finally we have a director, writer and studio prepared to admit this. The result is a film that many will reject and despise, because it challenges the shell that protects us and our enclosed existence from the reality of what is all around us, but a film that ought to be experienced, and treasured by those who appreciate what makes a great film.
To see 'requiem for a dream' is draining, exhausting and exhilarating, but it is not depressing. Several times i have watched this picture and found myself strangely uplifted, a downbeat emotion that very few films have ever aroused in me. You will not so much 'watch' this film as experience it and its power. It is a brief but heightened assault on the senses, and with brilliant acting, scripting, characterisation, imagery, poetic narrative and musical force, modern films come no better than this.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I found this DVD as a recommendation whilst searching for others and liked the sound of the reviews so I thought I would give it a go. I like a film to leave me with something and Requiem for a Dream certainly did this. Its fantastic, shocking, compelling, exicting and drepressing all at the same time. Its very well acted, espeically Ellen Burstyn's performance as a mother neglected by her drug addicted son with an addiction to television and eventually her own drug, dodgy diet pills. The visuals are amazing, they draw you in like a bad dream and the ending left me with a lump in my throat which I kept pondering for days. I would recommend this film to anyone however, would warn that if you are easily distrubed proceed with caution. Amazing!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful
Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream is one film I've wanted to see for ages. The feedback I'd heard was very positive though strangely my knowledge of the film's plot was basic... Read more
Published 4 days ago by D Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful acting
Such a wonderful film, shows why you shouldn't take class A drugs, brilliant acting by the cast (especially Jared l<3)
Published 1 month ago by MS L NOBLE
5.0 out of 5 stars
A crazy sad but funny drug film
This movie is not for everyone but I loved the cinematography and the black humour. It portrays various forms of drug abuse and the terrible effects on the user. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Susan Bultitude
1.0 out of 5 stars
Just couldn't get into it
To slow and borrrrrrrrrrrrring, wasn't realistic does not dipicts the truth about additions as to how it really is seen better like basketball diaries one star.
Published 2 months ago by Ap
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!
A friend recommended this one too me and WOW what a recommendation.
The movies is about addictions and how they effect peoples lives. The black humour was well received. Read more
The movies is about addictions and how they effect peoples lives. The black humour was well received. Read more
Published 2 months ago by TopRock
4.0 out of 5 stars
Controversial and gripping
Didnt really expect his to be such a good film, I picked this due to the cast and the director and was pleasently suprised, its a rather dark story with no happy ending but the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Aron
3.0 out of 5 stars
I've Heard Its A Depressing Film..
"I'd said we'd got a winner!"
"Why you always got to play games with my head?!"
Initially, yes this does seem like it will be a depressing film! Read more
"Why you always got to play games with my head?!"
Initially, yes this does seem like it will be a depressing film! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richie77777
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not arty, not a masterpiece.... just kind of pointless
I bought this film based mainly on the gushing reviews on it and am now utterly bewildered as to why it is so acclaimed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by matt19981
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Trippy.
All high school kids should be made to watch this to enlighen them on the dangers of subsistance abuse.
All high school kids should be made to watch this to enlighen them on the dangers of subsistance abuse.
Published 5 months ago by Alan Rennie
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my all time favourite films
Requiem for a dream is, what i believe to be, Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece. The film captures the story of four drug addicts as they progress down the path of self-destruction... Read more
Published 9 months ago by MrBlue93
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