Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky’sRequiem for a Dreamis wide consider to be one of the most visceral and stir up movies ever made on the topic of drug addiction . The film presently rank # 91 on IMDB ’s Top 250 and earned a passel of playacting nominations for star Ellen Burstyn .
establish on the 1978 Hubert Selby Jr. novel of the same name , the story traces the lives of four inter - related drug addicts in Brooklyn , New York who struggle to tame their most crippling inner daemon . With the motion-picture show celebrating its 20th anniversary this December , here are 10 behind - the - scenes facts aboutRequiem for a Dream .
None Of The Cast Members Were Darren Aronofsky’s First Choices
Prior to Ellen Burstyn being cast in the role , Darren Aronofsky in the beginning wantedFaye Dunawayto portray the pivotal reference of Sarah Goldfarb in the film . Dunaway decline the fling . Neve Campbell , ofScreamfame , was also the first pick to play Marion before Jennifer Connelly was finally throw up . Campbell turned down the role when learning it required full onscreen nudeness .
The democratic stand - up comedianDave Chappellealso move around down the part of Tyrone Love , which at last went to Marlon Waynes . For Harry Goldfarb , Aronofsky initially need Giovanni Ribisi to act as the part because he had curly light-haired hair like the reference in the novel . The use , instead , become to Jared Leto .
There Are Some Noteworthy Cameos
Hubert Selby Jr. , the writer of the book the picture show is based on , makes a brief cameo appearance more or less 90 moment into the picture show . He impersonate a police officer overseeing Tyrone ’s immurement . In addition , when Sarah rides the tube train and get down mumbling about her shoe roughly 75 minutes into the film , the human being who bark " You ’re wham ! " is none other than Darren Aronofsky ’s father , Abraham .
In yet another abbreviated cameo coming into court near the end of the plastic film as TV producers rend apart the set of Sarah ’s aliveness room , an employee passes by with the Pi symbol on a clipboard . Piwas Aronofsky ’s previous pic as well as his feature of speech debut .
Ellen Burstyn’s Role Was Physically Demanding
Ellen Burstyn ab initio rejected the function of Sara Goldfarb in horror after record the handwriting . But after seeing Aronofsky’sPi , she agree to play the role . Burstyn live on a rigorous training agenda to give what she would later tell Charlie Rose was her fine acting achievement .
For her role as a mother who coil down into drug dependency and insanity , Burstyn spend four hours per day being fit in several prosthetics , include four altered fake necks , nine wigs , and two fatty - wooing ( around 20 and 40 lbs each ) . She also had the television camera wax to her trunk in several scenes , making her carrying out all the more physical . Jennifer Connelly also wore a similar rig for some of her own faithful - ups .
Jared Leto Did Everything He Could To Get Into The Mindset Of A Heroin Addict
To prepare for his role as the heroin - addict Harry Goldfarb in the picture , Jared Letolost 28 pounds prior to production . He also did research by hanging out with material heroin addict on the street of Brooklyn .
Leto subsequently toldRolling Stonethat , prior to filming , he would inject himself with water as a mode to simulate diacetylmorphine role . He also claimed that injecting anything , even something unobjectionable as water , was so visceral and intense that he would never do so again .
Jared Leto & Marlon Wayans Endured 30 Days Of No Sex Or Sugar For Their Roles
In another preparative measure , Aronofsky implored bothJared Letoand Marlon Wayans to desist from having sex and ingesting sugar for 30 days as a way to get into the mindset of their drug - addled characters . While there is no confirmation whether the actors hold or not , the melodic theme was to get Leto and Wayans to reach the sensation of born cravings and the come with desperation while onscreen .
Likewise , Jennifer Connelly prepared by renting the flat her character lives in during the photographic film and attend Narcotics Anonymous encounter with a friend regain from dependance .
There’s A Perfect Blue Homage
At roughly 82 minutes into the moving-picture show , the overhead shot of Marion in the bathtub is directly lifted from a 1997 Nipponese anime thrillerPerfect Blue . Aronofsky was such a huge fan of this movie that he secured right to a live - natural process remaking of the film so that he could recreate this one iconic nip .
The shot also call to listen the ill-famed tub view inA Nightmare on Elm Street , which Aronofsky also pays tribute to on the soundtrack via the song sample distribution " Laying Traps " featured in theWes Cravenclassic .
Harry’s Hallucination Employed A Risky Camera Trick
At roughly 90 mo into the celluloid , the trippy and surreal shot ofHarryfalling downward while hallucinating was attain in a way of life that could have be the production a destiny of time and money .
To get the downward falling consequence right , the camera was attach to the close of a bungee cord cord and dropped down to see if it would halt inches prior to hitting the ground . The test was successful and the method was engage while filming . While the camera stay intact , the icebox airplane propeller in Sarah ’s flat melted from the interior product lights .
The Phone Conversation Was Real
In one of the most memorable sequences in the celluloid , Harry and Marion have a phone conversation with one another that reenforce how far they ’re roll aside . Unlike most phone calls in moving-picture show , Aronofsky had the two actors talk to each other for genuine .
Moreover , both side of the sound conversation were take at the same time on different end of the same soundstage . As a style of raise actual reactions , a tangible phone - line was link so that Leto and Connelly could communicate with one another .
The Hip-Hop Montage Used More Than 2,000 Shots
For most films averaging a runtime of 100 minute of arc or so , roughly 500 - 600 shots are used . But thanks to what has been dubbed the " hip - hops montage " chronological succession , Requiem for a Dreamincludes an excess of 2,000 shots .
To attain the speedy - fervency sequence , a series of highly shortsighted shots were marry together and play at a accelerate - up pace . Aronofsky opted to take the sequence this mode to reflect the manic mindstate of a drug addict who was under the influence and the exit of control they would feel as a result .
The Teary-Eyed Cinematographer Almost Messed Up Ellen Burstyn’s Monologue
At roughly 45 minutes into the film , the television camera more or less veers away from star Ellen Burstyn while collapse a heartfelt monologue . Upset by the technical error , Aronofsky yelled " gash " and asked cameraman Matthew Libatique about it .
Apparently , Libatique was so moved by Burstyn ’s monologue about suffer old that he start to cast tear during the take and slightly move the tv camera because the ocular was befog up . Aronofsky end up using the take in the final slash of the film .
NEXT:10 Behind - The - Scenes Facts About The Making Of Darren Aronofsky ’s The Fountain
