Requiem for a Dream: An Analysis
A film based on the novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., and directed by Darren Aronofsky, Requiem for a Dream depicts an extremely realistic account of the gruesome horrors of drug addiction. This is done through a combination of a solid story and performances, and a unique visual language and editing style. It follows the lives of four people in their drug induced utopias, and their mental and emotional descent, once their addictions take a toll on them. While Harry, his girlfriend Marion, and his friend Tyrone casually indulge in heroin, the two men also sell them on the streets to earn enough money for Harry and Marion’s business venture. On the other hand, in order to lose weight in time for her prospective appearance on the Tabby Tibbons show, Harry’s mother, Sara Goldfarb gradually develops addiction to diet pills; a drug nevertheless. Hence, it is through these four characters’ story arcs, that the film parallels two different types of drug addictions and the similar effects produced by them.
The film opens on the Tappy Tibbons show where Sara appears as a participant in a red dress. Radiant and glowing, she appears overjoyed by the enthusiastic applause and attention of the audience. Suddenly, the sharp static of the television and the pull of the plug as the device is disconnected teleports the audience to Sara’s living room, where she resides, looking much older and plumper. Thus, implying the television segment to be nothing more than a fantasy/dream. By abruptly, and cruelly lunging Sara and the audience back to reality the film sets in motion the core of the story and the characters’ motivations. That being, their desperate, and unattainable hopes, aspirations and dreams that they believe shall provide them fulfillment. Thus, it is this that drives them towards their particular courses of action through the film.
Following a three act tier, the film studies the characters’ deterioration through the periods of summer (act 1), Fall, (act 2), and Winter (act 3). The hopeful, and energetic atmosphere of the summer gives way to a bleak and depressing winter, as the characters hit rock bottom. This gradual change in mood and tone is hinted through the cinematography and color palette of the film. The use of warm colors (clothing) and natural sunlight for most of the scenes during the summer act evoke a sliver of hope for a positive resolution to the characters’ journeys. These warm tones are replaced by dark and cool blues and greens come fall and winter, to reflect the darker and addicted state of their mind and bodies (Vykydalova 2015). This is best reflected through Sara’s apartment, whose naturally sunlit rooms are transformed to dull and claustrophobic grey blue spaces as her addiction grows.
As mentioned earlier, a distinctive aspect of the film is its unique editing style. This is portrayed in the use of a fast paced “hip-hop montage” to illustrate the repetitive process of drug use. This consists of a rapid series of simple actions filmed in extreme close ups and accompanied by exaggerated sound effects. Some of the images/clips in the first “hip-hop montage” include “teeth ripping open a package/a particle of substance being viewed under a microscope/syringe filling/iris expanding/ internal view of flowing blood cells.” These closely filmed clips bring the viewer visually and psychologically closer to the process, while also disorienting them through its sudden appearance at multiple points. Moreover, its repetitive nature alludes to the routine like use of heroin by the characters. In order to compare the similar effects of two different types of addiction, the repetitive use of heroin is paralleled with Sara’s repetitive habits as her addiction grows. This is seen in a similarly fast paced montage consisting of grabbing a remote control, pushing a power button, and switching the television on (Vykydalova 2015).
An interesting camera technique used at certain instances in the film is the split screen frame. Used for significant scenes, it adds further weight and context to the narrative. For instance, it is used in a scene where Harry and Marion lay in bed facing each other and discussing their future dreams and love for one another. Although appearing to touch and caress each other, the split in the screen keeps them divided, while also serving as a visual barrier between the two for the viewer. This symbolizes the concrete material and psychological (addiction) barriers standing in the way of their dreams, i.e the boutique (Eisenstein 2007), while also foreshadowing their gradual disconnect over the course of the film, culminating in their separation as a result of their addiction.
The film employs various camera tricks and sound effects to disorient the viewer, both visually and aurally. An example of this occurs in a scene during the 2nd act, as the effects of Sara’s addiction become evident. As per routine, the viewers are made to watch the Tabby Tibbons show — this time through Sara’s eyes — where she appears in her red dress. Therefore, implying the situation to be a hallucination. Hence, when the camera abruptly switches back to Sara, a fish eye lens is used, which makes her head appear unnaturally bulged in the middle of the screen (Vykydalova 2015). This visually bizarre scene leaves the viewer discomforted, thus, effectively translating Sara’s disoriented and deranged mind state. Sharp sounds such as the exaggerated ticking of the clock and the disturbing gurgle of the refrigerator in Sara’s apartment further emphasize the drug soaked mind’s hypersensitivity.
The editing of most films aim to create an unobtrusive visual and narrative flow through smooth transition of shots and scenes. However, Requiem for a Dream makes deliberate use of fast and jumpy cuts from one shot to the other, and disjointed editing, resulting in little visual flow. Rather, the quick and abrupt switches create a rather edgy and discomforting viewing experience, thus, effectively translating the characters’ drug induced and helpless states. This style is fully exercised at one of the highest points of the film. That being, Sara’s final, most devastating hallucination. As her refrigerator comes alive in a dance, and all the characters from her favorite show come out to prance around her, the fast paced editing and the mind numbing rapid switches from one shot to the other perfectly capture Sara’s breakdown and fall into insanity. This is further supplemented by the overlapping and chaotic sounds of the clock, the people and the refrigerator. However, this editing style truly shines in all glory in the climactic end of the film, where the final decline of each character is simultaneously portrayed through extremely rapid editing and short cuts/shots (Vykydalova 2015). This rapid pace causes the overlapping of different clips/shots, to the point where one shot becomes almost indiscernible from the other. This style of editing perfectly captures the maddening internal chaos of the characters, as their powerless selves are shattered by uncontrollable circumstances. A semblance of this chaos is transferred to the audience, in the form of nauseating panic and disorientation caused by the editing.
According to various interviews/articles, Darren Aronofsky made sure that any stylistic (visual/technical) element chosen in the film had a narrative element. The discussion above of various technical aspects prove the fulfillment of this aim and mark the extent of depth added to the story and characters arcs as a result. Its significance to the story’s essence culminates in the final overhead shots of the four characters lying defeated and powerless in fetal positions. Thus, marking the death of their dreams, and a quiet mourn for their loss.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Eisenstein, Paul. “Devouring Holes: Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream and the Tectonics of Psychoanalysis.” International Journal of Zizek Studies 1.3, 2007.
Vykydalova, Katerina. “Requiem for a Dream: A Comparative Analysis of the Novel and the Film Adaptation.” Masaryk University Faculty of Arts, 2015.
