Movie Review

Requiem for a Dream is best analyzed following Symbolic Interaction.  Due to all of the low class and the way the movie shows struggle it is most understood through symbolic interaction.  The movie has a lot of drugs and cringing scenes, along with a perverted representation of high class.

Looking at this movie and thinking about chapter ten – social stratification – this movie screams social stratification.  Each character in the movie Harry, Sara, Marry, and Tyrone are all trying to reach a goal.  Most of the characters are trying to reach an economic goal.  This movie shows the caste and class systems.  All of the four main characters in the movie were born into their social rank and class, this shows a caste system.  But the three young main characters Harry, Marry, and Tyrone are all working towards their goal and all three have a high point in their careers with drugs, this shows a meritocracy.

Chapter five which is about socialization is a good way to think about Requiem for a Dream.  All characters have very different life outcomes and experiences of their lives.  Harry just wanted to make enough money to have means make ends.  Harry ends with half a robot arm and hospitalized near dead due to his addiction to heroin.  Tyrone always wanted to make his mother proud so he tried selling drugs with Harry.  Tyrone is African American and he ended up in a racist prison.  Marry and Harrys loves still questions me due to their heroin addiction it was hard to tell what was really going on.  Marry ended up selling herself for (what seemed like) a lifetime supply of heroin.  Sara is Harrys mother and all she wanted was to be on TV and look good in her favorite dress.  Sara ends up in a mental hospital due to drug abuse, she got weight loss drugs from her doctor.  Each character shows different experiences and developments throughout the movie that we talk about in chapter five. 

Chapter six is social interaction, there is loads of social interaction in Requiem for a Dream.  The main characters all interact with each other in different ways.  The movie shows a bunch of different characters with different statuses and roles.  Harry has the status of being Saras son, but has the role of being a drug addict and salesman.  This role conflicts in the first scene when Harry steals Saras TV.  Harry doesn’t like stealing her TV but it is the most reliable way to get money.  And Sara doesn’t want to give Harry her TV but she feels bad for not letting him take it.  Both characters show role conflict in the opening scene.  Each characters construction of reality is different.  Harry’s reality is skewed when his arm is in critical condition due to his heroin arm infection. He still thinks of getting high and sticks the needle right into his wound.  Saras reality is being on TV and she tries everything to make that reality come true.