My Problems with Requiem for a Dream

So many ideas, but today I chose this blog because I want to get it on paper. A storm is coming, and for some time soon I will not be able to type.

I was in my very early 20's when I saw the NC-17 version of Requiem for a Dream in Washington D.C. I've loved the director, Darren Aronofsky, since I saw his first movie, the symbol Pi. This film was highly anticipated by me.

First, the film is true to Hubert Selby, Jr's book of the same name. Aronofsky is a highly talented artist who uses original ideas (the "Hip Hop Splice for drug intact, for example). But in many ways this movie has little to do with the real World of a heroin addict. Also, I remember being banned from recommending anymore movies as my friends (one a film student) were leaving the theater. So yes, the movie did highly impact all of us. But accurate? No...

If you are going to make a movie so many authorities dub "The greatest drug movie of all time" you need it to be a realistic movie on drugs. As stated Aronofsky tried to cast actors who physically resembled the description of Selby's book. One of the most beautiful actress, Jennifer Connelly, plays a wealthy addict with a therapist who only needs sex to give her thousands when her parents do not return her calls. That is a clique. Her partner is Jared Leto, who actually looks like a friend of mine in jail now for heroin use. Both of these actors are very attractive people. I've seen junkies with such bad staff infections on their face, you only see sores and malnutrition marks. Not purple make-up under their vibrantly colored eyes.

Addiction is a disease, not a moral failing (I sound like a broken record). But to go that deep into such strong addiction, I believe the person is burying something. Bravo for the subtle line from Leto's character on Marion's father (Connelly's character) being, "big into women's panties". Who knows the motivations for Leto, other then selfishness.

Another major flaw is that the movie takes place in New York City. I'm sorry but it's not so hard to find heroin there that anyone has to flee to Florida to, "sniff out dope." No way. Heroin makes their users extremely constipated. If you want to take the wind out of a glamorous idea of drugs being 'cool' just say these words: How often do you have to do an anal probe? I missed that scene in the movie. The beautiful Connelly, on the toilet, straining and yelling with her neck veins bulging out. Lesser movies have had the courage to tell that side effect. She goes 'ass to ass' at the end and some people on YouTube find that sexy, yet no one added a toilet straining scene.

Also, when Connelly's character goes to Big Tim (one of my favorite actor's from The Thing, although he was so infected at the movie's end!), she is going to a New York City Penthouse, drinking (I assume) nice liquor, and she has to give a blow job for her fix. Yes, although I have never sunk to that level, there are exploitative people like him in reality. But in Penthouses? Get a better shrink and get over it.

Finally the score. Drugs are so ugly. Anal probes, nose dripping, losing fake friends as well as real friend who can not stomach your pain. Don't set this ugly struggle to such a beautifully orchestrated soundtrack. I have terrible insomnia, and when I listen to that music and see these actor's faces on YouTube lit up in neon colors as I sit in pain watching the morning light fill the room, it makes me furious. Gorgeous actors with purple make-up under the eyes, sublime visions of colorful frames and tears dabbed away on professional make-up jobs. Addicts who feen that much do not shower! That can't shower because their joints hurt so badly and air feels Arctic to them. They should be drenched in ugly sweat. Sweat that makes them look like they stink. They should look like leapers. Not the end scene where she looks like a supermodel heading for a photo shoot.

I will not dispute the ass to ass scene, although it is not in the book, because Aronofsky himself has been to such an event. I would not try to dispute that scene anyway. He did a good job showing how a person will sell their soul for pain to go away. At this point, for Marion, it's not about a 'high'. She is 'getting well'. That's heroin speak for feeling normal.

Briefly, I'll say that I believed Ellen Burstyn's story the most. Loneliness like that is an epidemic which parallels the woe's of a heroin addict. But I'm confused as to how she never got better after extensive treatment. What happened to her to make her psychosis permanent? As a side note to the film maker, I know that he did not use red (Marion never has red lipstick) in the film except for Burstyn's red dress, because he wanted to emphasis the importance of the dress.

Aronofsky is following the book, but he is too good of a film maker for this subject matter. Addiction is not epic in any way. People end up dying. I've always said that Gollum is a junkie. The reality is that you wake up alone in pain and terrified. You won't lose your arm because you only know how to shoot into one vein. It's not a subtle decline, but it is a bottoming out. Not many people have the option to look so good while withdrawing from the strongest drug and selling their soul. Film a white room with a person dialing every number they have manically in sweat pants and a dirty blanket around them. I just captured the life of a heroin addict going through withdraws. Addiction is a tragic struggle. I've seen movies like this, where people do self destructive acts to feel good, but I've never seen pain captured even close to what withdraw feels like to a person.

My favorite (and 'favorite' is not the right word) movie for this subject is A Scanner Darkly (a Bible reference), where he simply says: Let them play, and let them be happy. This is followed by a list of Philip K. Dick's friend's who have died literally or figuratively from drug use. When I see that list, I'm brought to my knees in grief.