In the film ‘Requiem For a Dream’, directed by Darren Aronofsky, we are given the stories of a group of individuals as they face many of the important issues that are seen in society today.
One of the major issues portrayed in the film is the influence that drugs have on the youth, and how addiction can be attributed to this conflict. We see this through the actions of the youthful characters
, who are led down a path of addiction through drugs and end up doing most anything to get their next fix. To actively portray this conflict, the director uses music scores that go from a calm, unnerving tone when they get their fix, to a rampant, anxious one when they feel the urgency for more drugs.
Another conflict seen in the movie are the negative effects that media has on individuals in society. This is shown when the character Sarah Goldfarb must change her entire lifestyle because she has a chance to be on television. Through her, we see more desire and urgency, but this time we see it as a means to increase physical appearance. This goes to such an extent in the film that she, like the younger characters in the movie, will do most anything to appear younger and fitter, regardless of personal health.
Through the use of these vices, we are able to see a society where we are constantly under the pressure of the media and drugs that is may be too much for some. However, we see a sort of bliss in this when we approach the end of the film and it shows the characters lying in the fetal position. This shows that we as humans crave simplicity and security, much like what we had as children and even in the womb.
Films R Us 