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| Special Features: |
Director's Cut
Audio commentary by director Darren Aronofsky
Audio commentary by cinematographer Mathew Lebattique
Making-of documentary
Deleted scenes
Interviews with Ellen Burstyn and Hubert Selby Jr.
Trailer, TV Spots
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| Video Format: |
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
English (Dolby Surround 2.0)
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| Captions: |
none
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Keep Case
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Based on the novel by Hubert Selby, “Requiem for a Dream” covers two
storylines, telling the tale of four desperate people, linked both by their dehumanizing addictions and
their pursuit of a better life. On the one hand, there’s the story of Sara (Ellen Burstyn); a lonely
widowed mother whose only motivating force in life has become the possibility of appearing on a television show.
She’s unwittingly become addicted to the uppers that were supposed to help her lose weight. Then there’s the story
of her junky son Harry (Jared Leto) who, along with his heroine-addicted friends Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and
Tyrone (Marlon Wayans), are trying to get into the business of selling drugs to feed their own habits. Each
of them finds peace and solace in their dreams, a hiding place from their own hopeless reality. But as their
addictions start to take control, the world around them begins to fall apart, eventually leading to a nightmarish
free-fall that none of them is able to avoid.
One of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen, the “Requiem for a Dream” Director's cut received an NC-17 rating
from the MPAA (I’m guessing for sexual content in the final scene). What a shame, as director Darren Aronofsky (“Pi: Faith in Chaos”) has created one of the most brutal and horrifying looks at addiction I’ve ever
seen in a movie. He has quickly become one of the most daring and innovative directors of the new generation of filmmakers,
and I believe people will look back at “Requiem” years from now and realize just how revolutionary the film is.
Visually, the film is an absolute wonder. Ellen Burstyn turned in an absolutely incredible performance as Sara,
and the rest of the cast was likewise brilliant. But be warned, the film is not for the faint of heart, and the
chaotic final sequence of the film, where all worlds collide, left me devastated.
One of the finest examples of what a DVD should be. I would rank the quality work done by Artisan
Entertainment to what Warner Bros. did with The Matrix. Picture and sound quality are
incredible, the menu is one of the most creative I've ever come across, and the extra features are fantastic.
Picture Quality: 10/10
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique ("Tigerland", "Pi: Faith in Chaos") has
created a visually stunning masterpiece, and the transfer to DVD is splendid. I saw no artifacts or
compression problems, and the colors are vibrant and crisp. Excellent work.
Sound Quality: 10/10
Clint Mansell's score still rings in my head as I write this review.
Aggressive and violent at times, beautiful and haunting at others, the score is stunning and original,
truly setting the tone for the film. Excellent transfer to 5.1 Dolby Digital.
Menu: 10/10
The menu plays off of the Tappy Tibbons infomercial motif, which plays an integral
role as the glue of the film. Extremely creative, and so realistic looking that when
it first started up, I thought I had accidentally switched modes from DVD to TV.
Extra Features: 10/10
While Libatique's commentary track is a bit dry at times, Aronofsky's commentary is fantastic.
The level of detail the filmmaker keeps attention to in every scene is absolutely remarkable.
For those who don't know, he's slated to direct the next Batman, "Batman: Year One". I can't wait.
The interviews with Ellen Burstyn and author Hubert Selby Jr. are very interesting, and also
included is a neat little "behind the scenes" from Bravo, dissecting the brilliant "Sara on speed"
time-lapse sequence.
The Final Word:
If you couldn't tell, I can't stop raving about this film. Fuck the Michael Mann-ripoff "Traffic",
"Requiem" is one of the most stunning and original works I've seen in recent memory. I've only ever
seen the NC-17 version of the film, though Blockbuster and their Nazi ratings campaign probably only
carries the R-rated version. Rent it from cafeDVD.com, or if you can stomach it, add it to your DVD
library. You won't be disappointed.
Stephen Wong
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American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina’s destruction, supplying hundreds of
thousands victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, the Red
Cross can provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.
