Starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans, the film is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay.
The film shows four characters affected by drug addiction and the way in which these alter their physical and emotional state, to the rhythm of the dramatic scores created by Clint Mansell, the person in charge of composing a soundtrack that surpassed the fame of the film. to become a success on its own.
More than a moral discourse on drug use, Aronofsky was in charge of presenting the obsession, paranoia, desperation and events that can push a person to the limit, reaching the point of stealing, killing and even selling their bodies with to have just a little more.
Two decades after its release on the big screen, Requiem for a Dream remains one of the most disturbing films in the history of cinema. Visually and aesthetically, the film stood out for the rhythm of its narration, its soundtrack and a montage that defied all the trends of its time.
In this film, society's condemnation is clear: the individual is alone, without references, unable to discern what is right from what is wrong. Our world, according to Aronofsky, is challenging and alienating. We present ten curiosities about the film.
The premiere of Requiem for a Dream in Mexico.
The film was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2000, out of competition. In Mexico it was released until September 1, 2001, as part of the International Forum of the National Cinematheque. That is, a year and four months later.
One of the most emblematic scenes of the film.
In the scene in which a shipment of heroin is distributed behind a supermarket, the men who receive it are real addicts who worked as extras for the feature film. Jared Leto relied on them to play his role and had to lose about eleven kilos to play Harry Goldfarb.
The performances of Wayans and Leto.
Director Darren Aronofsky asked Jared Leto and Marlon Wayans not to consume any food or drink with sugar for a month, in addition to not having any type of sexual activity in order to more clearly reflect the state of desire and desperation for abstinence. .
An unintentional blur.
During Sara Goldfarb's (Ellen Burstyn) monologue about old age, the camera operator stopped focusing on the character. When Aronofsky asked the cameraman about the mistake, he confessed that the monologue had moved him so much that it made him cry and he lost control of the camera. This scene was used in the final version of the film.
The cleaning scene lasts 40 minutes.
In one scene in the film we see Burstyn frantically cleaning her apartment, in a fast-paced shot that lasts 20 seconds. This moment was created from a continuous 40-minute take, during which the actress had to clean the entire place. The scene was repeated three times before achieving the final version.
Premonitory oranges.
Oranges are usually used to announce that something bad is about to happen, and this film was no exception, since the oranges that appear before the shooting took on the warning function.
The assembly of the tape.
Aronofsky and his editor, Jay Rabinowitz, edited the film using very short takes, to accelerate the narrative pace and evoke feelings of addiction and loss of control. An average 100-minute long movie has between 600 and 700 cuts. Requiem for a Dream has more than 2,000.
Special effects.
There are nearly 150 digital effects in the film. Darren along with his film school classmates formed Amoeba Proetus, a digital company for smaller scale, almost imperceptible special effects, which were used in the feature film.
Nobody wanted to finance the film.
Darren Aronofsky's first film was a success and grossed nearly $3.2 million at the box office. However, no one wanted to produce the director's next project because it did not have a commercial profile.
