Task 2: My Filmic Tastes

Last five films I’ve seen:
- Alien
- The Happening
- Pocahontas
- Brokeback Mountain
- Aladdin

Last film I saw at the cinema:
- Avatar

Favourite two genres:
- Cult
- Socio-realist
- (…or maybe horror)

Favourite all time films:
- Requiem For A Dream
- Edward Scissorhands
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- The Lion King
- This Is England
- (…or Donnie Darko)

Favourite film of all time:
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
(2000)



Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Ellyn Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

Plot: The hopes and dreams of four ambitious people are shattered when their drug addictions begin spiralling out of control.

Why?: It’s the type film that you can’t stop thinking about for a while after you’ve seen it. It tells a tragic story about the misuse of drugs, and it’s done so well that you keep thinking about the ending over and over again. Since watching the film I’ve also read the original book it’s based on by Hubert Selby Jnr. And watched the film many times after. The film is very creative in the strange angled shots, cuts and scenes it uses, and the soundtrack song by Clint Mansell called Lux Aeterna is so well fitted to the film, and has been used on countless programmes now such as Sky Sports News, Top Gear and Lost, as well as the Lord of the Rings II trailer. The quick montage cuts that are used during the drug scenes are now iconic of the film and have even been replicated on The Simpsons (when Homer has a bite of the new Krusty Burger – the Ribwich).
The camera work in the film is so original and really emphasises the confusion and distress of the film. Aronofsky constantly changes from extreme close-ups to extreme long shots showing the personal emotions of each scene.
Many people find the film distressing and upsetting and Aronofsky claims that any changing of the outcome to dilute it’s content would destroy the message that is shown. I think it’s this that makes you really think about the film even after it’s ended and what it tries to tell us.

It’s also likened to Trainspotting, Spun and Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas.



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