Culture - Random thought about "Requiem For A Dream"

[Wallet]

Why is it that when the part comes for the super awesome shoot up scene they show the users' pupils getting large? SWIM never got that since heroin makes your pupils smaller. Then SWIM started thinking, "Hey! They never actually say that it was H that they were using. Maybe it was something else?"

It had to be H though. Right? Nothing else makes sense. That movie is killer and that is the only thing that has bothered SWIM about the flick.

Reputation Comments on this post:

had this discussion with friends of mine - a pretty weird, MAJOR, oversight in the movie

[m.swinehart81]

Thats funny. I have always been bothered by that part of the flick myself... You are right though. nothing else makes sense but his pupils shouldnt be getting larger. I think that who ever put the movie together just had their facts screwed up

[votrevelly]

Yeah I'm sure I read somewhere a while ago that the director simply didn't know much about drugs. It never really bothered me though to be honest, it's only a minor flaw in what is otherwise a pretty decent movie.

[m.swinehart81]

It is a great movie. I have always loved that movie and that part doesnt bother me to the point that I dont want to watch it or anything. By any means... It was just always something that made me wonder...

[shanesmith7]

swim read darren aronofsky thought the dilation looked better despite medical accuracy...

[Wallet]

Ahh....well SWIM is happy others noticed.

SWISHANE - Interesting...pupils becoming dilated IS more like a sign that something good just happened. When they become small people look frightened or freaked out. So maybe seeing pupils suddenly shrink wouldn't get the messege across that what they are injecting is enjoyable as hell to the average audience.

[Ilsa]

yeah, kitten saw it when she was pretty high herself and swore for the longest time that they were all on coke. but no, it was H--that one scene was what she remembered the most though, so it won out in th ememory department until she took the time to look it up.

This is why tv and movies are not to be taken as valid representations of most things they attempt to portray.

[nick23]

Hell,it's a movie and movies aren't known for accurate portrail of drug use.

Oh and the book is MUCH better.

[ConcertaXL]

Another thing: the film shows a close-up of the "purple in the morning, blue in the afternoon...." but these are NOT diet pills,
a purple round tablet scored with 175 on it is SYNTHROID (Levothyroxine)
a bluish round tablet scored with 150 on it is the same thing, but 150mcg
have no idea what the orange pill is but dexedrine is not a perfect round shape!

[harrygoldfarp]

yeh the pupil thing always wondered why..

[m.swinehart81]

Ha, I never even thought about the pills...

[doppey]

Probably for a more dramatic and noticeable effect.

[cra$h]

all shock factor. it does tick me off a little, but the exitement proposition is a good point.

as for the pills, or atleast the orange one, it could just be generic. But these details don't really take away from the movie at all, and you got to be a pretty anal user to critisize it for that reason.

[kaczynski]

let SWIM precede this by saying that SWIM knows nothing about shooting drugs and how doctors would react, so don't expect this to be a good question but...

would a doctor really call the cops on someone and have them kicked out of the hospital even if they had a severe infection like Jared Leto's character had? Obviously his injury was from drug use, but if someone is drunk and crashes into a tree the hospital will still treat their injuries, right? Is the doctor legally responsible for treating someone who is clearly shooting drugs?

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Good question!!

[Picass035]

Originally Posted by kaczynski

let SWIM precede this by saying that SWIM knows nothing about shooting drugs and how doctors would react, so don't expect this to be a good question but...

would a doctor really call the cops on someone and have them kicked out of the hospital even if they had a severe infection like Jared Leto's character had? Obviously his injury was from drug use, but if someone is drunk and crashes into a tree the hospital will still treat their injuries, right? Is the doctor legally responsible for treating someone who is clearly shooting drugs?

Yeah I thought about that too. My opinion is that the doc could call the cops at his own discretion, however it would be hospital policy to accept a patient -regardless- of background. Rejecting a patient because they are a drug user would fall under "discrimination" and both the doctor and the hospital would have a hefty lawsuit on their hands. The fact that Leto had to have his arm amputated as a result of negligence would build an even bigger case against them.

[harrygoldfarp]

Originally Posted by kaczynski

let SWIM precede this by saying that SWIM knows nothing about shooting drugs and how doctors would react, so don't expect this to be a good question but...

would a doctor really call the cops on someone and have them kicked out of the hospital even if they had a severe infection like Jared Leto's character had? Obviously his injury was from drug use, but if someone is drunk and crashes into a tree the hospital will still treat their injuries, right? Is the doctor legally responsible for treating someone who is clearly shooting drugs?

I think it was trying to portray the fact that Harry and Tyrone we're out of town in 'redneck' country and that them folk don't care much for NY junkies..

[mugwump77]

Originally Posted by harrygoldfarp

I think it was trying to portay the fact that Harry and tyrone we're out of town in 'redneck' country and that them folk don't care much for NY junkies..

agreed. also, keep in mind this is based on a novel published in the late 70's, so who knows what the policy was state-by-state back then, and while this was adapted for modern times, it would take a lot from the story to alter that part.

just another thing to take into consideration.

[Wallet]

Actually I should probably make another thread about this but that question also makes me think of traffic when that kid overdosed and his friends dropped him off outside at the emergency room. It made me wonder two things:

1. Did they really have anything to worry about with their friend overdosing? Couldn't they have just brought him in with no questions asked? They could've said that he came over and just passed out and they have no idea why.

2. Where did that cop car come from? Is it common for one to just sit there by an emergency room entrance?

[SmokeNmirrors]

Well for one its just a movie. Also there is a lot of things in that movie that just don't add up such as him saying he can only get a hit from his one infected ass arm, sorry but a vein is a vein. That movie is very deep and is a movie most people should watch and try to see its message even though swim didn't. He saw it and swore to never do heroin and yeah.... Any way swim prefers heroin documentaries over fictional story's but also Trainspotting by far is the best.

[kaczynski]

trainspotting is a great movie. like really one of the great products of cinema, ever.

[chukbzle]

swim thought the dialating was supposed to represent the mother on amphetamines but i remember it happening w/o her but also coulda been a reverse visual or they r that dumb cuz swim had never met a person even ppl who Never touch anything to not know they pin up unless it was a speed balll then theyd b-b-bounce lol .swim wants the BLUE MAGIC from american gangster lol

[Wallet]

Originally Posted by chukbzle

swim thought the dialating was supposed to represent the mother on amphetamines but i remember it happening w/o her but also coulda been a reverse visual or they r that dumb cuz swim had never met a person even ppl who Never touch anything to not know they pin up unless it was a speed balll then theyd b-b-bounce lol .swim wants the BLUE MAGIC from american gangster lol

You've never met anyone that didn't know what happens to your eyes when one does heroin? Ummmm yeah, I would say it's NOT common knowledge to know the side effects of smack. Most people have never done the drug and many have never seen anyone on it.

[Dionne]

I agree. Trainspotting AND Requiem are fantastic!
I love how the mother in Requiem is becoming an addict herself. Just that hers was prescribed. Certainly no better off than the son.
Also...Drugstore Cowboy and Another Day in Paradise were great IMO

[FunkyFresh]

I was watching the extras and behind the scenes shit on the DVD and noticed some rough sketches of a few scenes from the movie. During the heroin injection scene, the drawing shows the pupils getting smaller. With a caption that reads pupils dilate to pinpoints. So my guess is they knew what actually happened, but large pupils are generally more associated with drugs and pleasurable sensations. In general movies aren't known for their incredible factuality.

Reputation Comments on this post:

interesting point and fresh perspective

[SWIM1888]

SWIM has still never seen this movie and must get it downloaded. Is it the same sort of thing as trainspotting?