Notes

Thesis: “The true reasoning behind these characters’ drug use and eventual addictions results from their untreated psychological issues.”

“Addiction is never just Addiction; Requiem For a Dream showcases the reality that most Addiction is often the result of an internal psychological need that needs to be filled.”

Brooklyn NY, Spring, 2000. Over one year, four people have their minds, bodies, and ultimately lives ruined by drugs. Specifically, the schedule one drug, Heroin, and the schedule two drugs, Cocaine and Amphetamines.

Drug Addiction can be a truly terrifying and deeply traumatic experience, and no psychological drama portrays that better than the movie “Requiem for a Dream.” Originally a novel released in 1973 by Hubert Selby Jr., Requiem for a Dream’s late 2000s movie adaptation was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who worked with Hubert to create an accurate and gripping screenplay. Co-produced by Eric Watson and Palmer West, this film consists of great talent with such household names as Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly performing as Harry Goldfarb and Marion Silver, respectively. As well as Ellen Burstyn playing Sara Goldfarb, who took the role of “Chris MacNeil” in the 1973 film “The Exorcist.”

The feelings of helplessness and need involved in Addiction are portrayed in excruciating and heart-wrenching detail through the eyes of four characters; Sara Goldfarb, Harry Goldfarb, Marion Silver, and Tyrone Love. These characters give us a deliberate and harrowing look inside the slow unraveling of both the minds and lives of people affected by Substance Use Disorder. These individuals’ surface ambitions are showcased throughout the movie; for Sara, it’s to be on television; for Marion, it’s to be a successful fashion designer and business owner. And for Harry, it’s the classic “American Dream,” a stable job/income, a house, and a wife.

These hopeful aspirations are the end goals that these people strive for throughout the movie; however, their use of drugs eventually destroys any future they may have wished for. If examined at a deeper level, the shallow reasonings for using their chosen substance show evidence that their addictions are ultimately caused by their internal psychological needs. These internal needs seem to be the things they are trying to fill with their choice of drug. However, these substances don’t end up filling their inner voids as they never address the real underlying psychological issues.

Aronofsky’s film perfectly portrays the major tenets of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), including Impaired Control. When Marion and Harry are quite low on their supply, they agree to try to quit. They make it to 3:00 pm until they break down and use the very last of their respective drugs. Impaired control is defined by (Psychiatry.Org - What Is a Substance Use Disorder? 2020) as “...a craving or strong urge to use the substance; desire or failed attempts to cut down or control substance use.”

Upon the first viewing Requiem for a Dream, one may think that Sara wanted to lose weight because of self-esteem issues. However, after re-watching the movie, I noticed that Sara looks at herself in the mirror while wearing her red dress and smiles before losing any weight. This reaction leads me to believe that her true void seems to be her loneliness; as she is trying to be seen as “beautiful” again so people will give her attention.

When we first meet Ms. Goldfarb, she shows some signs of a possible prior mental dysfunction, as after locking herself in her closet and arguing with her son Harry, she has a small monologue directed at her passed husband, Seymour. Seemingly frightened, she whispers, “It’s not happening. And if it should be happening it would be alright, so don’t worry, Seymour. It’ll all work out. You’ll see already. In the end it’s all nice.” (Aronofsky, 2000, 2:24) If these are signs of cognitive or emotional impairment, then she may have had an increased likelihood of experiencing the highly adverse side effects that she does later in the movie.

Of all the characters in this movie, Sara Goldfarb is the saddest in my opinion; This is for many reasons but is mainly based on the high probability that her situation may have never happened if it wasn’t for the negligence of her Doctor. If her Doctor had taken the proper precautions and properly educated his patient, she may not have gained her Addiction. I believe this because when Sara goes to the Doctor to get help with her weight, the Doctor, after briefly glancing at her weight written on her chart, says, “I see you’re a little overweight.” Sara replies jokingly, “A little? I have fifty pounds I’m willing to donate.” And without checking a single vital sign, the Doctor says, “We can take care of that, no problem.”, writes a prescription, and walks out the door. Yet unbeknownst to her Doctor, this unprofessional behavior and medical neglect may have contributed to the possibility of Sara experiencing adverse side effects. This is because “Amphetamine(s) may cause new or worsening psychosis (unusual thoughts or behavior), especially if you have a history of depression, mental illness, or bipolar disorder.”

Addiction can be a very scary and painful experience. Harry’s Addiction forces him to lose a limb after being infected with gangrene.

After he visits his mother, Harry is seen entering a taxi cab and subsequently starts breaking into tears, presumably out of guilt felt towards his lonely mother. This emotional moment is suddenly cut off by using drugs, this time used by Harry to practice avoidance coping. This instance provides evidence of an escapist attitude towards his emotions, which puts him at a higher risk for substance abuse.
*The self-medication theory of Addiction suggests that suffering is at the heart of addictive disorders.

One of the most prominent weak points in the story of Requiem for a Dream is the character Tyrone, who was unfortunately given the most lackluster story and very little personality. This is quite unfortunate as it sadly makes it quite hard for the viewer to connect to the character emotionally and feel like the character was created just to have someone for Harry and Marion to interact with. Tyrone's story's only real point of interest is the showcasing of racial profiling and, therefore, injustice. This, however, is not relevant to this paper’s primary subject matter, and as such, I will not be discussing his story.

(51:34-53:05) Marion tosses and turns, unable to sleep because she is dealing with cocaine withdrawals; she asks Harry for some water. While collecting the glass of water, Harry notices his primary injection site is red and swollen and ignores it. After being handed the water, Marion suggests dipping into the last of their stash, which Harry is initially against (yells at her - withdrawals as well?). However, the call of their Addictions are stronger than their wills at that point.

(1:07:16) Harry and Marion’s Big Fight (both going through withdrawals)
* Cocaine Withdrawal - Depression, Anxiety, Mood Swings, Irritability, Insomnia, Nightmares, Hallucinations, Excessive Sweating, Increased appetite, Fatigue.
* Heroin Withdrawal - Nausea, Abdominal cramps, Tearing, Runny nose, Sweats, Chills, Yawning a lot, Muscle and bone aches, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Agitation, Restlessness, Tremors, Trouble concentrating, Goosebumps, Fatigue. Anxiety, Insomnia, Depression, Hypertension, Rapid heart rate, Muscle spasms, Impaired respiration, Difficulty feeling pleasure, Drug cravings.
(1:08:28) Sara has normalized her fridge lurching hallucination and seems to be taking more pills to make them go away, but this time she goes into an amphetamine psychosis. She experiences her favorite show’s host apparating into her apartment as she tries to make excuses for the state of her home. Escalating further and further until her whole apartment turns into a tv show set and her fridge “almost” eats her, till she is so scared she runs out of her apartment.