I felt compelled to write a review of Requiem For A Dream simply because it blew me away. I had vaguely heard of it for a while; I knew that it was about drugs, it was supposedly good, and that was about it. However, I recently stumbled across it on my trusted font of cinematic knowledge, IMDb, and discovered that not only is it by the director of Pi (another critically acclaimed film); not only is the director, Darren Aronofsky, married to Rachel Weisz; not only is he the guy who's made The Fountain (that film which got booed off at the Venice Film Festival); but that it was also voted as one of the top 58 films of all time. I also read that the last fifteen minutes of this film is the most harrowing thing you'll ever see. I was interested.
First things first; the story. Sara Goldfarb (played by Ellen Burstyn - The Exorcist ...
Advantages: Excellent performances in a perfect setting Disadvantages: Very minor quibbles
Background:
When it comes to prodigious over-achievers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has to be placed somewhere at the top of the list. Despite his tragically short life from 1756-1791, his musical creativity has assured him of eternal fame as long as human civilisation performs Western classical music.
But when one considers Mozart's background, one can understand where his genius came from. His father Leopold Mozart was a virtuoso violinist whose treatise on violin playing is still a standard read for any aspiring violin student today. It is also worth considering how things might have been different had female instrumentalists been able to pursue a professional career as adults - as his beloved sister Nannerl was no mean keyboard player, but obviously once she became an adult it was not really considered the done thing for her ...
Advantages: Origami-like sets, costumes, bold basic colors; Mozart's music, all sung beautifully. Disadvantages: Un-PC elements may cause unease in modern audiences.
a thin headband, and patches of red, yellow and blue feathers on his shirt, with tan knickerbockers and a spray of white feathers sprouting from his behind. White socks and low-cut boots complete the impression of a boyish green-hat-and-lederhosen-clad Bavarian.
Mozart's Sublime, Inspiring Music Delivered Beautifully.
Mozart employs a host of musical forms and styles here. With a variety of melodies, harmonies and rhythms appearing throughout the work, he brings a liveliness to the tale of heroism. Most of the music is written in the major keys, that is, in a bright and optimistic mood. To think that Mozart wrote this opera just a few months before his death on December 5, 1791! Even more amazing, after largely completing 'The Magic Flute', he managed to start work on his 'Requiem', and also wrote 'La Clemenza di Tito' during a trip to ...
