'Requiem for a Dream': a stark reality

A friend told me that I had to see "Requiem for a Dream." I didn't know what to expect, only that "it will disturb you." So, I was naturally intrigued last fall when I saw that it was playing at Showplace 11 in Bloomington. I saw it, and without a doubt, it was the most disturbing experience I have ever had at a movie. \nThe film in question is an adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978-acclaimed novel. Using unprecedented visual and audio techniques in a never-ending sensory battle, the movie expresses the loss of hope and the utter feelings of despair inherent in drug addiction. \nDirector Darren Aronofsky, following the huge success of his first film "PI," pushed the perceptions of drug addiction to another level, one never attempted in previous cinematic efforts. Amazon.com has gone as far as to call this movie a "guided tour through hell," which couldn't be further from the truth; in the eyes of a college student who has seen countless friends succumb to drug addiction, this movie is a guided tour through real life. With a new school year starting, this movie takes on added significance for the thousands of entering freshmen who might have never seen the devastating effects of drug addiction, and for the thousands of students who don't know the significance of their own drug abuse. \nThe most horrific story in "Requiem" follows the downfall of Sarah Goldfarb, a widow played by Ellen Burstyn. Conned into believing she is going to appear on her favorite game show, Sarah elicits the use of diet pills to help her fit into the red dress she wore to her only son Harry's (Jared Leto) high school graduation. While Sarah fills her body with endless amounts of diet pills and pot after pot of coffee, she fails to realize the state of her addiction. Even after her son, Harry, a heroin addict, tells her of the dangers of her pill use, she dismisses his claims. Too wrapped up in the notion of fitting into her red dress, Sarah falls more and more into the cavern of speed addiction. Her fate is sealed with a lifetime of electroshock therapy, which Aronofsky depicts in a horrifying scene that is the climax of the story.\nWhile the story of Sarah Goldfarb might be the most interesting, it is the story of her son, Harry, which most college students can relate to. Harry is about the same age as many of us, and his drug addiction develops more naturally. He starts with less addictive drugs like pot and eventually develops a serious heroin habit. While neither I, nor anyone I know, have a heroin addiction, his method of drug development is what I relate to most. He experiments first with pot, and then moves onto harder drugs -- the same transition I have seen with some of my closest friends, who are now strung out on coke or abusing far worse substances.\nBut Harry isn't alone in his addiction. His best friend Tyrone (played brilliantly by Marlon Wayans), and his affluent girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) join Harry in his journey through drug use. But when the city's drug supply runs dry, the true meaning of friendship collides with the friends' need to get their fix. Harry and Tyrone, once small-time dealers, scour the city day and night trying to find a little something to ease their pain, while Marion finds her fix through prostitution. \nThrough his graphic imagery and sound techniques, Aronofsky is the first director to tackle drug addiction in such a graphic and violent way. This is a story every college-age person should sit through. If I were convinced it would work better, I would call for the required reading for Selby's book, which is far more graphic in its imagery. When the movie was over, I sat motionless in my chair, too disturbed by the film's dramatic finale to leave. With the exception of "Schindler's List," I have never had a similar reaction to a movie before. It made me rethink my life, and the devastating track I was potentially following. Before your next ecstasy pill, line of cocaine or hit of marijuana, you should watch this movie. Even though you might think the occasional e-pill you take, or bong-rip you inhale is not a problem, the lasting consequences of your decisions might not be worth it. Even though harder drug use might not be in your future, your life will definitely be altered for the worse.\nIn this movie, the stark reality of drug addiction is presented in an appropriate forum, and unfortunately it was forced to back-end theaters because of its non-rated status. The more times I've seen it, the more chilling the end result becomes. Each time I watch it, I see a little more of my own life being played out. And it scares me. \nThis isn't just a movie about drug addiction, it is about a society with its traditions and expectations that enable these people to become addicts. As a college community, this film is a great eye-opener to the dangerous possibilities of drug addiction.