Requiem for a Dream - your opinion?

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 05 Apr 2007, 03:39

Poll speaks for itself. A lot of people are divided on this film. Personally I think it's excellent.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Apr 2007, 10:53

I absolutely HATE it. It's just anti-drugs/addiction propaganda, done in the most obvious way possible. Each and every person in the movie who gets addicted, ends up in the worst possible way...

Now I'm not pro-drug or pro-addiction or whatever (I dont smoke, drink, do drugs or gamble), so I dont mind when a movie has an anti-drugs/addiction theme... but this one was just way over the top and too unrealistic.

Also, I didnt like the acting (especially the mother who was horrible), and I didnt like the directing with the quick cuts and other 'tricks' to appeal to the young MTV crowd.

I have no clue why so many people think this movie is great. Were they too ignorant about addiction going in to the movie, and did the 'shocking' ending open their eyes wide open or whatever, thus changing their (view on) life and the subject matter?

I dont know. I think it has something to do with me realizing very very early on in the movie that this was just preachy propaganda shit, and using 'tricks' to aim at the young adult mtv generation.

If you DONT realize that, maybe people were still actually surprised by the time the ending came around. Depressing endings are new to people who are only used to just watching the blockbusters. Maybe that was new and refreshing to them.

Personally, I just take it for the manipulative piece of shit it is.
I think The Basketball Diaries for example is a better and more realistic movie about drugs and addiction...

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 05 Apr 2007, 11:26

Yi-Long wrote:Now I'm not pro-drug or pro-addiction or whatever (I dont smoke, drink, do drugs or gamble), so I dont mind when a movie has an anti-drugs/addiction theme... but this one was just way over the top and too unrealistic.

Oh don't lie. Of course you're pro-drug/pro-addiction by default, you're Dutch.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Apr 2007, 11:34

Didnt you know? Dutch babies are shot up with crystal meth and other crap before their first birthday, in order to kill any potential addiction habbits...
Tough love, they call it.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 05 Apr 2007, 14:42

I absolutely HATE it. It's just anti-drugs/addiction propaganda

Is that a bad thing?

I'd like to see more anti-drugs movies made.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Apr 2007, 15:59

Markgway wrote:
I absolutely HATE it. It's just anti-drugs/addiction propaganda
Is that a bad thing?

I'd like to see more anti-drugs movies made.

No, that isnt a bad thing, IF they do it right. This was wayyy over the top and just propaganda, which bothered me. Drugsaddictions are bad enough already when you just portray it as it is. You dont need to lay on some extra layers of drama and disaster and horrible crap to make your point.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 05 Apr 2007, 20:59

I can't answer that poll. I do think it's an outstanding film but it's not really about the effects of drugs use. It's about addiction, which is completely different to anti-drugs propaganda.

I wasn't a huge fan of Pi... so had low expectations. But Requiem is a masterpiece. Loved the visuals, music, performances... everything.

I should really give Pi another go.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 06 Apr 2007, 08:43

I think that the film is very well made, but doesn't offer any new 'advice', if you want to call it that. It just shows various facets of addiction, notably in Ellen Burstyn's performance; everyone else's story you could say has been done before, but I don't recall seeing anything like her experience. But, it's Keith David and Clint Mansell's scoring that make this film for me (especially the piece of music that gets used in so many trailers and the like.)

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 06 Apr 2007, 11:16

Kurgan wrote:I think that the film is very well made, but doesn't offer any new 'advice', if you want to call it that. It just shows various facets of addiction, notably in Ellen Burstyn's performance; everyone else's story you could say has been done before, but I don't recall seeing anything like her experience. But, it's Keith David and Clint Mansell's scoring that make this film for me (especially the piece of music that gets used in so many trailers and the like.)

Ellen Burstyn is the old woman, right? The mother? I thought she was awfull. Horribly melodramatic overacting.

About the music. Is it the music that was also used in this fan-vid of Fist of Legend? http://youtube.com/watch?v=b09xOo2Hsdc
That was pretty cool yeah. But isnt this a kind of 'remix' to that themesong in requiem?

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 06 Apr 2007, 16:37

Kurgan wrote:I think that the film is very well made, but doesn't offer any new 'advice', if you want to call it that. It just shows various facets of addiction, notably in Ellen Burstyn's performance; everyone else's story you could say has been done before, but I don't recall seeing anything like her experience. But, it's Keith David and Clint Mansell's scoring that make this film for me (especially the piece of music that gets used in so many trailers and the like.)

Agreed, the only thing about Requiem for a Dream that's worthy of the high praise is the superb score. The film clearly wants to be a shocking and eye-opening protrayal of addiction and America's "drug culture" but it's over-directed and as subtle as a sledgehammer, which completely obliterates this message.

Yi-Long wrote:About the music. Is it the music that was also used in this fan-vid of Fist of Legend? http://youtube.com/watch?v=b09xOo2Hsdc
That was pretty cool yeah. But isnt this a kind of 'remix' to that themesong in requiem?

Yeah that's the one.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Apr 2007, 19:59

I haven't seen it

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Apr 2007, 16:54

Do you always find it funny when you've not seen a film?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 09 Apr 2007, 18:40

No