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Darren Aronofsky’s cult-classic Requiem For A Dream is considered to be his magnum opus, and rightfully so. The film captures powerful and engaging performances by the film’s leads (Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn (who should have taken home the Academy Award that night), Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans). Requiem For A Dream is a dismal, enigmatic, and at times, despairing look into the dark corridors and vestibules of addiction. However, setting aside the bleak and depressing diegeses, it’s a brilliant look into excellent film-making and cinematography.
Aronofsky coined the term “hip-hop montages,” better known as fast-cutting (editing), which is present throughout the film. These fast-cut edits are used to suggest chaos and mayhem, and in the context of Requiem For A Dream, represents the repetitive nature caused by the effects of addiction.
Aronofsky also made use of long tracking shots (or in layman’s terms, long takes), and at times, combined this with other stylistic cinematography techniques, such as time-lapse, as seen in this clip. Another eclectic use of stylistic photography is the scene in which Wayans’ character (Tyrone Love) is seen running through dark alleyways, trying to evade the assassin who gunned down the drug dealers he was attempting to buy from. For this shot, Wayans used a body-camera, technically known as a snorricam, which is rigged to his body. The intent of these shots is to give the viewer a first-person point-of-view, from the actor’s perspective, albeit a delusional one.
However, the most genius use of creating slow-building tension with clever editing comes during the dénouement of the film (video up top). This scene represents the downward spiral of each of the addict’s lives, giving the viewer a sense of paranoia. The realism is so genuine that you almost feel that you embody each character’s agony as their lives come to a complete standstill. There were times when I watched this film and had to literally pinch my arm to remind myself that it’s just a movie. That gives you a sense of the authenticity of how gripping and engrossing Requiem For A Dream, and real-life addictions are.
Lastly, on the melodic side of things, Requiem For A Dream could not be what it is without Clint Mansell’s incredible orchestral compositions, mainly the beautiful main thematic song, “Summer Overture” “Lux Aeterna” topped off with strings courtesy of the Kronos Quartet. To say that the cinematic soundtrack did not play to the tone of the film would be sacrilegious.
Tags: Cinematography, Clint Mansell, Darren Aronofsky, Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Requiem For A Dream
