The Ending After succumbing to their respective addictions, each character is seen curling into a foetal position. In her final dream, Sara (Ellen Burstyn) imagines life without addiction. She is seen looking beautiful on the game show which has for so long consumed her every waking thought, winning the grand prize while Harry (Jared Leto) is a successful businessman who is engaged to a pregnant Marion (Jennifer Connelly). Clearly this is all a fantasy and her dreams will never come into fruition. Suddenly the meaning of the films title is abundantly clear. Depressing Because Requiem For A Dream is a film saturated with addiction. No character is able to function without the aid of some narcotic to take them away from reality; it can be not only a deeply depressing film to engage with but also a stifling one. We have become accustomed to films giving us a cookie-cutter story of people overcoming addiction or adversity to become a success or realise their dreams. Requiem For A Dream provides no hope of these dreams being answered all you can do to avoid being crushed by the austere grip of reality is to escape it. A Silver-Lining? Though it is drug-induced and therefore fleeting, Sara does seem to have reached a brief moment of happiness through her narcotics.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
