The only relief comes when the end credits roll. The soft sound of waves hitting the beach; seagulls in the distance. No music. No noise. A moment of peace after the storm.

This is possibly the most grueling movie ever conceived. Why did I watch it again? Oh, right. It happened to be sitting on my shelf.

Perhaps a recent k5 discussion got me thinking about addiction again. What is it that drives us human beings to become so attached to things that destroy ourselves? It is bizarre and nonsensical by any rational logic.

I'll quote director Darren Aronofsky's commentary track.

"Ultimately, Requiem for a Dream is about the lengths people go to escape their reality, and that when you escape your reality, you create a hole in your present, because you're not there; you're chasing off a pipe dream of the future. And then you'll use anything to fill that vacuum. So it doesn't matter if it's coffee, if it's tobacco, if it's tv, if it's heroin -- if it's ultimately hope -- we'll use anything to fill that hole. When you feed the hole, just like the hole on Jared's arm, it'll grow, and grow, and grow, until eventually it will devour you."

Ironically, the movie itself is a rather intoxicating presentation, at least initially. Beautiful soundtrack. Awesome camera work -- timelapse photography, splitscreens, picturesque shot compositions. Wonderfully done.

As always, by the time the third act rolls around, hold on tight to your stomach, possibly your kleenex, and definitely your heart. Rest assured, it will be broken. Even after repeated viewings, it's still a gouger.