Topic > Analysis of the techniques used in the film Requiem for a Dream

"Requiem for a dream" is a film released in 2000, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The film is about four characters who are drug addicts. Each of them is imprisoned in their own delusional world due to drug use. The film is divided into three parts: “Summer”, “Autumn” and “Winter”. The start of each part is announced by dropping the part title from the top of the screen filled in white onto a black background. Each season marks changes in the lives of the four main characters. Starting from the first part "Summer", which as a season represents the period of success and productivity. This is also demonstrated by the film's color palette changing throughout the film to create a contrast between the seasons. We go from hot to cold in the “Autumn” part where the characters' dependence becomes deeper. It goes from cold to dark in the “Winter” part where the pace of the editing becomes faster and the soundtrack intensifies. It is the final stage for each character. Split screen is used a lot in this film, be it vertical or horizontal, although there is no need for it. The director used this to represent the differences between each character and their world. It represents the point of view of each character, the viewer can easily grasp it when in each screen we can see through the eyes of the character. The overhead shot of Harry and Marion is also depicted on a split screen, each character in one. Many ellipses are used and many shots are taken using the fisheye lens, especially when the characters are under the influence of drugs. To represent the drug consumption process, the viewer is taken into a sequence of rapid shots, extreme close-ups, exaggerated sound effects. This same sequence is used to represent drug use throughout the entire film. This sequence is really fast and invites the viewer to keep an eye on the construction of story fragments. And after every drug use there is a time interval, or slow motion, the cross dissolves, fades to white... and these elements are used to indicate the passage of time, because drug use makes time move differently. Jump cuts are also used to indicate the passage of time. Many shots were used more than once: the drug use sequence, the shot of Sara sipping coffee was looped with some sound effects, the shots of Harry and Ty doing business were repeated in loop with the audio, a clip on the remote TV screen when Sara turns it off, even a shot of the sun and a shot of Sara closing a wardrobe. When Harry was high he hallucinated that he was somewhere with Marion, we could see him talking but no sound was added. We also have a split screen of the same drug use footage, each representing a character. There were two spinning overhead shots. The first ceiling fan camera was used during the sex scene between Ty and Alice and the second was for a drunk Harry and Marion before their first fight. A scene representing the passage of time and Sara losing weight, repeating the same sequence each introducing a new day. The 180 degree rule was broken when Sara and Harry had a conversation and he realized she was taking pills. Some shots were simply the hallucination of the characters that make the viewer believe.