Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream is widely considered to be one of the most visceral and disturbing movies ever made on the topic of drug addiction. The film currently ranks #91 on IMDB's Top 250 and earned a slew of acting nominations for star Ellen Burstyn.

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Based 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 demons. With the film celebrating its 20th anniversary this December, here are 10 behind-the-scenes facts about Requiem for a Dream.

None Of The Cast Members Were Darren Aronofsky's First Choices

jared leto

Prior to Ellen Burstyn being cast in the role, Darren Aronofsky originally wanted Faye Dunaway to portray the pivotal character of Sarah Goldfarb in the film. Dunaway declined the offer. Neve Campbell, of Scream fame, was also the first choice to play Marion before Jennifer Connelly was ultimately cast. Campbell turned down the role when learning it required full onscreen nudity.

The popular stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle also turned down the role of Tyrone Love, which ultimately went to Marlon Waynes. For Harry Goldfarb, Aronofsky initially wanted Giovanni Ribisi to play the part because he had curly blond hair like the character in the novel. The role, instead, went to Jared Leto.

There Are Some Noteworthy Cameos

Hubert Selby Jr., the author of the book the movie is based on, makes a brief cameo appearance roughly 90 minutes into the film. He portrays a police officer overseeing Tyrone's incarceration. In addition, when Sarah rides the subway train and begins mumbling about her shoes roughly 75 minutes into the film, the man who barks "You're whacked!" is none other than Darren Aronofsky's father, Abraham.

In yet another brief cameo appearance near the end of the film as TV producers rip apart the set of Sarah's living room, an employee passes by with the Pi symbol on a clipboard. Pi was Aronofsky's previous film as well as his feature debut.

Ellen Burstyn's Role Was Physically Demanding

Ellen Burstyn initially rejected the role of Sara Goldfarb in horror after reading the script. But after seeing Aronofsky's Pi, she agreed to play the role. Burstyn endured a rigorous preparation schedule to give what she would later tell Charlie Rose was her finest acting achievement.

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For her role as a mother who spirals down into drug addiction and insanity, Burstyn spent four hours per day being fitted in several prosthetics, including four altered fake necks, nine wigs, and two fat-suits (around 20 and 40 lbs each). She also had the camera mounted to her body in several scenes, making her performance all the more physical. Jennifer Connelly also wore a similar rig for some of her own close-ups.

Jared Leto Did Everything He Could To Get Into The Mindset Of A Heroin Addict

To prepare for his role as the heroin-addicted Harry Goldfarb in the film, Jared Leto lost 28 pounds prior to production. He also did research by hanging out with real heroin addicts on the streets of Brooklyn.

Leto later told Rolling Stone that, prior to filming, he would inject himself with water as a way to simulate heroin use. He also claimed that injecting anything, even something innocuous 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 preparatory measure, Aronofsky implored both Jared Leto and Marlon Wayans to refrain 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 agreed or not, the idea was to get Leto and Wayans to access the sensation of natural cravings and the accompanying desperation while onscreen.

Likewise, Jennifer Connelly prepared by renting the apartment her character lives in during the film and attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings with a friend recovering from addiction.

There's A Perfect Blue Homage

At roughly 82 minutes into the film, the overhead shot of Marion in the bathtub is directly lifted from a 1997 Japanese anime thriller Perfect Blue. Aronofsky was such a huge fan of this movie that he secured rights to a live-action remake of the film so that he could recreate this one iconic shot.

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The shot also calls to mind the infamous bathtub scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street, which Aronofsky also pays tribute to on the soundtrack via the song sample "Laying Traps" featured in the Wes Craven classic.

Harry's Hallucination Employed A Risky Camera Trick

Harry lies in bed in agony in Requiem for a Dream

At roughly 90 minutes into the film, the trippy and surreal shot of Harry falling downward while hallucinating was achieved in a way that could have cost the production a lot of time and money.

To get the downward falling effect right, the camera was attached to the end of a bungee cord and dropped down to see if it would halt inches prior to hitting the ground. The test was successful and the method was employed while filming. While the camera remained intact, the refrigerator prop in Sarah's apartment melted from the interior production lights.

The Phone Conversation Was Real

In one of the most memorable sequences in the film, Harry and Marion have a phone conversation with one another that reinforces how far they're drifting apart. Unlike most phone calls in movies, Aronofsky had the two actors speaking to each other for real.

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Moreover, both sides of the phone conversation were filmed simultaneously on different ends of the same soundstage. As a way of eliciting genuine reactions, a real phone-line was connected so that Leto and Connelly could communicate with one another.

The Hip-Hop Montage Used More Than 2,000 Shots

darren aronofsky

For most films averaging a runtime of 100 minutes or so, roughly 500-600 shots are used. But thanks to what has been dubbed the "hip-hop montage" sequence, Requiem for a Dream includes an excess of 2,000 shots.

To achieve the rapid-fire sequence, a series of extremely short shots were spliced together and played at a sped-up pace. Aronofsky opted to film the sequence this way to reflect the manic mindstate of a drug addict who was under the influence and the loss 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 camera slightly veers away from star Ellen Burstyn while giving a heartfelt monologue. Upset by the technical error, Aronofsky yelled "cut" and asked cinematographer Matthew Libatique about it.

Apparently, Libatique was so moved by Burstyn's monologue about getting old that he began to shed tears during the take and slightly moved the camera because the eyepiece was fogged up. Aronofsky ended up using the take in the final cut of the film.

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