Sunday, October 18, 2009

Requiem for a Dream

The film Requiem for a Dream displays a form of intensity that continues to build up though out this entire depressing film about addiction. The editor of this film, Jay Rabinowitz edited this piece to create the films overall terrifying vibe. The power of editing conveyed how fast all of these addict’s lives decayed over a period of time. The film uses many bold editing technique, such as split screen and continuous fast cuts, to switch the focus to each of the main character’s different, yet intertwining reality.
Requiem for a Dream has those recognizable 10-second edits that are a trademark for the film. It is the series of the extremely fast cuts with the close ups shots that show some kind of drug being used. After these transitional drug cuts follows a little spectacle for the viewer to get the feeling of exactly how the characters feel. These transitional drug cuts are just one part of how the editing in this film causes the viewer to follow each of the character’s addiction as if we are in their world.
All of the characters have a dream in this film, whether it is to be starring on a TV show or even just simply having the hopes to live the high life. In the film, the importance of each character’s dreaming state of mind is also seen through editing. The main character Harry, played by Jared Leto, has dream that was showed in the beginning of the film and also at the end of the film. It portrays Harry running to his girlfriend, Jennifer Connolly, on a beautiful sight at the end of a dock. However at the end of the film, his dream turns into a nightmare and everything falls apart, as t does in the reality of the film.

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