The doctor realizes that Harry is a drug addict and calls the police, resulting in Harry and Tyrone being arrested.īack in New York City, a desperate Marion begins to work for a pimp, Big Tim, and participates in group sex for drugs. However, Harry's arm has become gangrenous from heroin use, so the two stop at a hospital. After the heroin shipment descends into a melee, Harry and Tyrone travel to Miami to buy heroin directly from the wholesaler. She undergoes electroconvulsive therapy instead. Sara's disturbed state causes her to be admitted to a psychiatric ward, where she fails to respond to various medications. Sara flees her apartment and goes to the casting agency office in Manhattan to confirm when she will be on television. Sara's increased dosage of amphetamines distorts her sense of reality, and she begins to hallucinate that she is mocked by the host and crowd from the television show, and attacked by her refrigerator. This request, along with their mounting withdrawal symptoms, strains their relationship. Harry encourages Marion to engage in sex work, particularly with her psychiatrist, Arnold, as a client. Eventually, Tyrone hears of a large shipment coming to New York from Florida, but the price has doubled and the minimum purchase risk is high.

As a result of the gang warfare, the local supply of heroin becomes restricted, and they are unable to find any to buy. Harry has to use most of their saved money to post bail. Tyrone is caught in a shootout between drug traffickers and the Sicilian Mafia and is arrested despite his innocence. As time passes, Sara becomes frantic waiting for the invitation and increases her dosage, which causes her to develop amphetamine psychosis. When Harry recognizes the signs of her drug abuse and implores her to stop taking the amphetamines, Sara insists that the chance to appear on television and the increased admiration from her friends Ada and Rae are her remaining reasons to live. She begins losing weight rapidly and is excited by how much energy she has. When Sara receives a call that she has been invited to appear on her favorite game show, she begins a restrictive crash diet in an attempt to fit into a red dress that she wore at Harry's graduation.Īt the advice of her friend Rae, Sara visits a physician who prescribes her amphetamines to control her appetite. The three deal heroin in a bid to realize their dreams Harry and Marion plan to open a clothing store for Marion's designs, while Tyrone seeks the approval of his mother and an escape from the ghetto.

Her son Harry is a heroin addict, along with his girlfriend Marion and his friend Tyrone. Sara Goldfarb, a widow who lives alone in a Brighton Beach apartment, spends her time watching television. The film's visual style, direction, screenplay, editing, musical score, cast, emotional depth, and themes were all praised, with Burstyn receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. It received a positive response from critics despite being a box office disappointment. The film premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, selected as an out-of-competition entry, followed by the United States theatrical release on October 6, 2000, by Artisan Entertainment. During the post-production process, the music was composed by Clint Mansell while Jay Rabinowitz worked for editing. Principal photography took place in Brooklyn, New York, from April to June 1999. He and the cast speak of the film being about addictions in general, and not just drugs, and how one’s attempts to fulfill their dreams can fuel an addiction with a theme of loneliness and avoidance of reality in different ways. Aronofsky was enthusiastic about the story and developed the script with Selby, despite initial struggles to obtain funding for the film's production. Selby had always intended to adapt the novel into a film, as he had written a script years prior to Aronofsky approaching him. Selby's novel was optioned by Aronofsky and producer Eric Watson. As the film progresses, each character deteriorates, and their delusions are shattered by the harsh reality of their situations, resulting in catastrophe. Their addictions cause them to become imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. The film depicts four characters affected by drug addiction and how it alters their physical and emotional states. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald, and Marlon Wayans.

Requiem for a damaged coda