Requiem for a Dream : One of the most revolting dishonest movies I have watched in my life

One of the most revolting dishonest movies I have watched in my life

As a person who dedicated his life to the academic study of drugs, I find this movie revolting on so many levels, giving a grotesque and misguided image to the topic of drug use, ECT, prescription medications etc. The only place where I am not sure how wrong it is was in its portrayal of the American prison system.

The movie is very very cleverly made, I'll give Aronofsky that, but at the same time it is totally politically irresponsible, playing to the hands of those who brought on the war on drugs with its inane "just say no" slogan - which brought us where we are today (this should be changed to 'just say know' and a politics of honest information). By spreading misinformation about drug use, and drug users, Aronofsky is contributing to their dehumanization and to the repressive politics which cause such sad stories in the first place.

The truth is most people who use amphetamines or even heroin lead a normal life. The numbers of casualties of the kind shown in the film would be much smaller if not for the prosecution of users, which leads to their social marginalization and to dangerous forms of drug use.

Even if you buy in to the BS which is spread about how drug users inevitably turn into sub-human monsters of the type portrayed in the film, you can read more about ECT, and find out it is a psychiatric practice which is very far from it's shocking image. In reality, the ugly image of ECT, which mostly stemmed from its false association with electrocution, led to its banning in the US, despite being one of the most useful techniques for curing of various types of mental illness (and a less intrusive intervention than many types of anti-psychotic medications). This historical episode ended up, btw, with psychiatric patients begging to be allowed to receive ECT treatment and having to go to the courts to have their right to this form of treatment, because the bad image around it caused it to become illegal.

But Aronofsky doesn't care about that. He just wants his movie to be as powerful as it can be, using any type of manipulation possible, and damn the political consequences.

People in this message board were asking how come the doctor gave the Sara Goldfarb more medication although she appeared so incredibly confused in the meeting with him. People, get real! This is a movie as far away and detached from reality as the next spiderman flick. Instead of raising such questions, a scene like that should tell you about the highly dishonest character of the movie itself.

I am sure in the climate of ignorance which still exists around this subjects most readers of this message will think it is detached from reality. I invite you to check out Professor Carl Hart's interview in the Joe Roegan show on YouTube. This is just the kind of thing he is talking about when he says perceptions of drugs have been badly and harmfully dramatized and distorted by the news and media industry for the purposes of profit. Check prof. Carl Hart out, if you want to get some solid information about drugs and drug users in the real world, instead of this pack of insidious, manipulative lies.


Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Good post and something I have never thought about.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Good post?! This insulated denial addled clown's post isn't worthy of the bytes it took to store in IMDB's database.

I could care less what his antiseptic "studies" allow him to blow off as some faux dramatization with no basis in reality. Nor do I care about the weasel clause he threw in towards the end because he knew damned well people were going point right in his face and tell him he's "detached from reality". Doesn't change the fact that he is.

Sure. There are plenty of so-called "functional addicts" running around looking to all the world like they have it under control. They don't. If they did, they'd quit. Most of them are one termination, one bad accident, one breakup, one bit of bad news away from the loss of that "control" he's so sure makes stories like those shown in the movie a work of fiction. But this dood hasn't been within 5 miles of a crack house with claims like this. He hasn't seen what comes into hospitals swimming in sores and filth as a result of street living, trading sex for drugs, trading dirty needles, malnutrition, and mental illness. Not with claims like this. He hasn't seen what hospitals dump in skid row because nobody will claim responsibility for these addicts and mental patients and the hospitals want the beds for those who can pay.

The makers of this movie never made any claims about "every" addict being like this. But to have the audacity to come on here with all his faux outrage and try to paint some half assed civilized picture of smack abuse based on him reading a few books and knowing a few people who shoot up and then head back to their cubicles is about as goddamned irresponsible and arrogant as anything I've seen on these boards. It's that kind of snot nosed elitist dismissal that continues to ensure that the millions of people dying from this *beep* are classified as "slackers" who have "decided" to conduct their lives like this rather than being "civilized" like the junkies he sits next to at the clubs he goes to.

Pathetic.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Uh yeah,this post pretty much sums up this thread. The OP might know what they saw in books and a couple of hospitals, but "bad" addicts don't go to hospitals, and the ending Jennifer Connelly's character had is actually pretty damn realistic as far as how most prostitutes are born, so yeah.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life


This insulated denial addled clown's post isn't worthy of the bytes it took to store in IMDB's database.


This is *beep* clever!

I've baited my hook with my own underwear. Is it wrong that I hope to catch a fish I can relate to?-Ragdoll.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I've known three heroine addicts in my life. Two I detached myself from. The third was my best friend. While on the horse, he was NOT the sort of person you wanted to be around. While off it, he was looking for another way to get back on. If you don't recognize the symptoms, for all the world, he seemed like a normal guy.

He did not seek help, did not admit he had a problem, and wouldn't even admit to being on the drug. It took catching him red handed (or arm-veined rather) to prove he was one it. Because he didn't seek help, I put into plan to force him to be incarcerated so he could get the help he needed. Sadly, he OD'd the morning before the police were to arrive.

I don't know of one, but the young girl I knew was forced into rehab by her family...twice. Last I heard she was still clean.

Heroine helps nobody, and hurts everybody. To say otherwise is simply BullS***.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

It isn't just heroin. Some people who are on crack or meth are just as bad, if not worse. The guy who started this thread doesn't know what happens in the "real world."

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I only bring up heroine because of how I have personally seen how much it makes the OP's argument absolute bull****. It's a soul crushing memory and people who try to justify it in any way p***es me the *beep* off.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

A very well thought out and interesting post. But I believe the one word in the title is the best way to describe this movie. "revolting". Throw in the terms "disturbing, depressing, and boring", and that would've perfectly described this horrible movie.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Which (as is often the case) is sadly confused by many with a story containing true depth.

This is essentially the story of pathetic characters failing, without any jokes, no action, nothing entertaining besides some pretty colours.

Essentially refined snuff for teenagers.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

lol, you people are hilarious. A movie needs jokes to be good? Also i see that movies that you have rated(yes man, identity theif, the night before) were actually intended for teenagers and have no quality. you *beep* hypocritical idiots know nothing about movies.

I mean i m fine with you having an opinion but everything you said was just retarded. This you :"Oh, a movie that somewhat realistically shows drug abuse has no jokes. i mean real drug addicts make jokes every second and do 50 karate moves in a minute, right?" You sound so stupid man. why did you even go watch a movie about drug addicts when you could have gone and watched an action movie or some retarded kids comedy(you seem to love those).

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I'll grant you revolting, in that some of the scenes made me physically nauseous. I'll give you disturbing, because to this day I remain shaken over seeing it several years ago. And I'll give you depressing, because overall it certainly was that.

But boring? How can a movie, one with fictional characters in a made-up setting, portrayed by actors not actually doing what they are shown to do, evoke an emotional response in you such as "revolting, disturbing, and depressing" and yet be also considered "boring"?

You weren't bored. If you were, you would have felt NOTHING.

My thoughts: https://xanderpayne.blogspot.com
My book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G6OI7HG

You didn't come here to make the choice, you're here to understand why you made it.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I fail to see how the fact that I found it to be depressing and disturbing means that I can't be bored too. Just because a person is bored doesn't mean they're completely void of any and all emotions. Not that this movie invoked any strong emotions in me. But it did take me 3 different sittings to finish this movie. I was really bored what can I say

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I fail to see how someone who thought a movie was that boring would return to it twice.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Gee how surprising that somebody would want to try to finish a movie that they started. What a difficult concept to grasp!

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Out of respect for the guy who responded to you, certainly not for you, you have none.... I can honestly say if a movie bores me as much as you seem to claim this one did, I do not bother to finish it. I think that is what he meant.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

So because I was being sarcastic with somebody that was being sarcastic with me I lose all respect and I'm a terrible person. Get a grip. It's not a difficult concept to understand that somebody would want to finish a movie they already have time invested in hoping it'll get better.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Never finished Running Man. Bored me to hell three times. Nope. No feelings for the film at all except boring. Yeah. Boredom is a bit of a singularity. If you felt real emotion, then you weren't bored. You can't have emotion and be bored and vice versa.

Boredom, by definition requires a lack of interest or emotion. The two concepts are inversely proportional.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

What can I say, I guess Im' just an amazing person. I beat all the odds and did the impossible.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Or you have an unbelievable amount of patience. :-)

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I just saw this movie for the first time and I thought it was great film...depressing, but great. And I live in West Hollywood which is predominately gay and there is a rampant culture of meth use. I've met many of what I thought to be nice guys and who are quick to say after chatting awhile, "Do you parTy." I'm not a drug user at age 48, but have tried some things, but drugs aren't my bag. Aronofsky may have attempted to present this content in its rawest form, but I've known and seen several aquaintences fall into the molds the director cast --people who will do anything for their next fix. So I ain't mad with Aronofsky.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

My friends arm looked EXACTLY like Harrys. He didn't lose it but he is scarred for life. Anyone he meets gets to see his history once they shake his hand. I lived this world and made it out. It's portrait is REAL. The message above has its truths but Aronofsky wasn't going for that route. Its the Hopes and Dreams of the people in the film. This film is layered with themes, its not just a "Drug Film"

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

right? I saw this in theaters in 2000 when I was 17, having zero to no experience with 'real' drugs or any form of addiction...and even I, at the time, understood that it was more a situation of what could be lost, and not 'what drugs will do to you'...I think the layout of the entire movie was laced with 'your results may vary'...and then illustrated 4 people with varying results...?


I'm not Catholic, but from what I gather the 4 characters are 'damned' from the beginning, and the film is more about the process of what they lose and how they lose it...less about what a single coffin that holds any drug addicted corpse should look like...Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't that what the title of the movie is getting at?...It's not addressing any notion of functional addiction, the movie opens with a son pawning his mother's TV (which he has done multiple times) to buy some drugs. It touches on the early stages when the addicts feel as if they'll continue to control it, but each of them slips through that into...we all know the ending sequence.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

What the hell does being Catholic have to do with anything?

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Because lots of non-catholics speak of a 'requiem' and automatically understand the title of the movie because it's such a commonly used term; is that what you're implying?

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I'm not mad at him either. I'm mad at myself for forcing myself to sit through this god awful movie. I did it for the Wrestler too, but only because I"m a huge wrestling and didn't know it was the same guy that was involved in this movie. But now I know to never watch one of his movies again unless things really get hopeless for me and I needed a little extra convincing to want to take my own life.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

PPL hated me when I called it melodramatic crap, using drug to push pointless victimhood.
Excellent post!

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Well done, succinctly put.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I was an addict and live amongst the walking dead daily... "Living a normal life" is far from what we do. I agree with alot of what you said but the Drugs are just a part of the story. There's more going on than just addiction to "Drugs"... Happiness, memories, utopia... All themes throughout the film. Trainspotting is more realistic but Requiem digs down to the root causes of people's addictions.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I Like that the OP brought up most people don't really live like this , they don't a lot of people keep their jobs, relationships , teeth and their looks. That is not really portrayed on film or any reading's on drug abuse. It's always if you do this or this major horrible things will happen. It's not a rode everyone goes down though lots of people can get high on the weekends or just vacation and are fine.

On the other side of that is an sub-culture of vultures pretty much you become a slave to the drug and that whole lifestyle. Your whole existence is how to get money for drugs. Grooming , food , everything else are not even after thoughts. Your living on the street and it doesn't matter ,sleeping in abandoned houses ,cars, trucks or in parks. You have no more shame real junkie or way worse off than the ones in this film. Trainspotting was a good one. Christiane F was way more real to me.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life


I Like that the OP brought up most people don't really live like this

That has been the problem with movies like this - and the "war on drugs" in general - for a long time. Since at least "Reefer Madness." For some reason, people refuse to believe that one of the biggest obstacles in the "war on drugs" is that many people ARE able to do them "recreationally," and don't fall into a rabbit hole of hell like those portrayed in many movies like this. Dishonest is a good word for it . . . at least "Trainspotting" attempted to portray Ewan McGregor's character somewhat realistically (at least, what counted at "realistic" in that movie). And I think that might be at least part of why it was such a huge smash hit.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Speak for yourself only. The OP is correct, the vast majority of rec drug users are completely functional. I recommend watching this interview with drug expert Dr Carl Hart on Joe Rogan's show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5jMC8j7ElI

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life


the vast majority of rec drug users are completely functional


So what? How is this even an argument? It's like saying "the vast majority of people who use their cars on a daily basis don't die, which means that any portrayal of a terrible and deadly crash in a movie is misleading because not represented by the statistical numbers in the real world." Or "most sexual relations are consensual, which means that a movie about rape and sexual abuse is unrealistic because not supported by the numbers."

Just because an overwhelming majority of drug users are functioning individuals doesn't mean that ALL drug users are functioning individuals and that tragedies don't happen to this minority in relation to its drug use. Not to mention, the NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) reports 20-25 million addicts in the US and even if only 1-5% of them aren't functioning individuals, that still leaves us with between 200'000 and 1'250'000 "non-functioning" drug addicts all over the country. More than enough to warrant movies like Trainspotting and Requiem.

Moreover, the same way smoking increases one's likeliness to contract a smoke related disease, consuming drugs increases one's likeliness to lead a life surrounded by one form or the other of violence, from potential domestic violence, to potential police brutality and passing by traffic/work/domestic accidents. Does that mean that every single drug addict will either end up in jail or shot dead in an alley? No, it simply means that in all the reasons, causes, inputs and variables that can be compiled to explain a life of misery, drugs are obviously one of them.

In other words, there's nothing surprising or unlikely in the events depicted in Requiem for a Dream.

Now all that being said, i do believe that all of this violence and an overwhelming majority of the negative aspects related to drug use are a by product of state repression. This inept, hypocritical and deceitful "war on drugs" made only things worse. Portugal is the way to go if you ask me...

As for Requiem: 10/10.



People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

You couldn't have said it better

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Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life


The truth is most people who use amphetamines or even heroin lead a normal life.
You said most people, not all people...This movie showed the ones that don't lead a normal life. And since you only said that most people live a normal life, you're saying that others don't, so you're saying Aronofsky was right in his portrayal.

And you know everyone that is on heroin and other drugs?

People in this message board were asking how come the doctor gave the Sara Goldfarb more medication although she appeared so incredibly confused in the meeting with him. People, get real! This is a movie as far away and detached from reality as the next spiderman flick. Instead of raising such questions, a scene like that should tell you about the highly dishonest character of the movie itself.
So you don't think any doctors will do anything like that? That they all give great care to their patients and don't and aren't doing things just to get money?...Does the name Kermit Gosnell ring a bell?


Rodents of Unusual Size?...I don't think they exist.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Admittedly stories of somebody losing his arm following heroin use, or a girl becoming a prostitute, or a physician giving more drugs to an obviously disoriented drugged person exist - however, what I find distressing is their orchestrated appearance, together with many cinematic effects intended to create horror and disgust in the viewer. The overall result, in the end, is an extremely exaggerated case, which is far from reality and acts to eternalize a harmful stereotype which has caused caused incredible harm to our society, and to millions of people worldwide whose lives were destroyed by the drug war (watch the film "the culture high", for example, if you want to learn more on this important subject) .

You could create a similarly biased film about other topics which cause losses and often cost lives from mountain climbing to sugar eating - showing the lives of reckless people who drive cars irresponsibly and wreck other people's lives, or showing how people become obese with sugar and destory their lives, thereby demonizing all car drivers or all chocolate eater. Somehow drugs are a more sensational subject to treat.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

The way they looked barely scratches the surface of how I'd look most days during my lowest point, which was about seven years long. I had really long hair that I wouldn't wash or brush for days, but would pull it back in a bun or ponytail. It smelled like ass and looked like a rat's nest. I had raccoon eyes for days from the makeup I never washed off. I usually smelled like a urinal or a dumpster, and it isn't bc I didn't have access to a shower, I just rarely took one and only if I had a good reason. Oh, I had an apartment, usually paid for by a sugar daddy, rather like the guy Marion is seeing on the side. I managed to keep just enough money to eat and buy essentials occasionally, but most of my money went straight to drugs, pills, alcohol. Surprisingly it was mostly alcohol that had me in such a state. I'd wake up shaking so horribly I could barely make it to the kitchen to make a drink or grab a beer, and stuttering so badly I couldn't even communicate. I had a couple of friends see me like that and cry. I had seizures all the time, I didn't care if I lived or died. I had to be admitted in the throes of withdrawal and hallucinations multiple times. I had to be restrained while being hydrated and treated with benzos to keep me from dying from withdrawal. At my lowest point, I weighed about 100 lbs at 5"7. I destroyed a lot of lives just by running my mouth or refusing to be there for loved ones. I came really close to killing myself and others with my car, even flipping it multiple times one night before landing in a deep ravine. Thank goodness I was alone and no other cars were involved. I absolutely ruined that life and lost all those people, and had to build an entirely new one for myself afterwords. I know dozens of people who have experienced almost identical downfalls from the programs, and there are millions more who participate in such programs around the world. But, it's a harmful stereotype. Okay lol. Clearly there's this whole subculture you know nothing about.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life


Surprisingly it was mostly alcohol that had me in such a state

I am so glad you said that, because it is probably the BIGGEST misconception people have about substance abuse . . . the fact that the WORST ingredient in this "poison soup" - by far - is something we can all run down to the corner store and buy without question or hesitation. We've seen a lot of high-profile deaths involving "substances" over the past decade or so, and they have sent the anti-drug crowd into fits. But what they don't tell you . . . or hide in the fine print . . . is that the VAST majority of those people died from substances that you're not even supposed to USE OUTSIDE OF A HOSPITAL, or a mixture of those substances WITH ALCOHOL. Even I was surprised when I read that mixing alcohol with these drugs intensifies their effect by a factor of at least 5. That's right . . . it's like taking FIVE TIME the dose. And with substances that are meant to sedate, at a certain point, you become so sedated that you stop breathing. If there's nobody around when that happens . . . you get Prince. Or Whitney Houston. Or Michael Jackson. Or Anna Nicole Smith.
The bottom line is: alcohol is a MUCH bigger problem in a broad, societal sense; but people don't tend to be nearly as hysterical when they tell those stories. I guess they're not as "cinematic" or something . . .

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

While I agree that alcohol is a bigger problem in society I think that is because it is more prevalent than some other drugs, not because the effects of it are worse. Until you've really seen heroin junkies and alcoholics, you can't compare the both of them.

As far as the high profiling deaths due to substances, just because alcohol was involved doesn't make it alcohol's fault. It's the mix, alcohol alone (probably) wouldn't have done it and sedatives alone wouldn't have done it.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I was going to reply to OP, but you said what I wanted to in a far more even headed/eloquent way. At no point does this movie say, "If you do heroin or take diet pills, this is absolutely what will happen to you." So there is no need for a knight in shining armor to come along and defend poor old heroin.

I've got a friend whose life was destroyed by heroin and my mother takes whatever the doctor tells her to take and sometimes as a result she's all jittery like she's going to jump out of her skin. So if any users of amphetamines or heroin read this, I'm sorry mean old Mr. Aronofsky picked on your drug(s) of choice... but the fact is, these drugs have ruined more than a couple lives. I hope they don't effect yours negatively.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Sorry, but your take is monochromatic and biased, because you bothered to study the subject. So, although you make good points and show us other aspects of the matter, it still doesn't diminish the quality of the film.
I have known drug addicts who have gone clean, yes. But I have also known drug addicts who have OD'ed and died, a fate arguably worse than amputation, jail, prostitution or hospitalization.
Many of those who LIVED addiction end up the way Aronofsky has depicted in his film, and this is, let's not forget it, a film that explores all the worst of the worst possible situations (except death) that an individual can fall into when being addicted to not just one but multiple kinds of drugs at the same time. After all, it is titled Requiem For A Dream, not Maybe We Can Make It By The End Of This.
Moreover, it's a film based on a novel, so the director has very little to do with where the characters end up.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

I agree about the use of ECT pictured in this movie is *beep*

But about the drug use i lost 2 friends to heroin overdose and they didnt even turn 30 and another thats addicted to prescription drugs from his doctor and is totally *beep* up. Myself ive been an addict and been clean for 2 years, but when you say MOST people using heroin or amphetamines lead a normal life ? LOL sure some do but saying most do is just stupid..

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Psig18, I respectfully suggest you study the literature. As noted above, all studies which compare drug harms note that alcohol is more dangerous than Heroin, and it is possible to live to old age while maintaining heroin addiction. The same can not be said about alcohol addiction. The most terrible consequences of heroin use today are a result of the drug war (i.e. contaminated substances, impossibility of determining the strength of a particular dose, which make ODing all the more likely, contaminated needles, and most of all just ignorance created by a lack of proper and intelligent education about drugs and their effects).

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Psig18, I respectfully suggest you study the literature. As noted above, all studies which compare drug harms note that alcohol is more dangerous than Heroin, and it is possible to live to old age while maintaining heroin addiction. The same can not be said about alcohol addiction. The most terrible consequences of heroin use today are a result of the drug war (i.e. contaminated substances, impossibility of determining the strength of a particular dose, which make ODing all the more likely, contaminated needles, and most of all just ignorance created by a lack of proper and intelligent education about drugs and their effects).

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Yeah, alcohol is terrible too. You can keep pushing your preconceptions all you want, but plenty of people are impacted like this from drug use. The war on drugs is silly in that we should be helping people get clean instead of punishing them, but not to totally reverse and accept drug use. CAN you live to old age with herion addiction? Sure, but you're risking all the other possibilities too. It's somewhat childish to argue that since some people get by, then the ones that don't shouldn't be in a movie.

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

It's easy to sit in a lab or classroom and quoting statistics from other academics-all from a very safe distance. You may study the pharmaceuticals, but not the disease of addiction. You seem to feel that viewing a documentary and reading a study on heroin addiction has given you some keen insight. Anybody who's spent anytime working with alcoholics or addicts can see that you are way out of your depth on this subject.

Why don't you come back to the board after you've spent time in the trenches-spend a week or two in a rehab. Sit at the desk, the phone ringing all day long, addicts and parents begging, pleading, crying for bed... which you can not provide, for every bed is taken, rooms meant for two are now filled with four or five patients and the waiting list is a year long. The rooms of AA and NA are filled with people who began as, "recreational" users-sit in a few meetings and listen to their stories-than quote your statistics back at them-I'm sure they'll find it all very comforting.

I don't give a hoot if the movie's message is a 100% accurate. Addiction is a deadly disease-you can sit in your lab or classroom and talk from a safe distance, never getting your hands dirty...If this movie prevents one person from trying heroin, than it is a success.

The easy thing is to sit and look down and judge it from a safe distance.

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." Norman Maclean

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I watched it my life

Even if i don't agree at all with your OP, as expressed in a previous comment above, i still have to sincerely thank you for raising my awareness about the reality of ECTs. I thought this was nothing else than a barbaric practice from a primitive time long past, i had no idea it could actually help people under certain circumstances if used properly. My mind is officially blown.

The more you know.


People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs

Re: One of the most revolting dishonest movies I have watched in my life

The characters in the movie were functional until their addiction progressed.

If this were a movie about LSD, marijuana or Ketamine, I'd agree with you. But heroin is a plain different beast.

I just have not heard of any person who used heroin regularly and didn't regret it down the road.

Umm.

I'm not sure you know what this movie is about. Someone else posted that you were clouded by judgment because you study drugs and I agree with that statement. I will not question your knowledge on drugs but I will question what you thought this movie was about. For starters, it was based on a book written in 1978. A movie that was set in present day, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which was only a couple of years earlier showed ECT being done. (Curious as to your thoughts on that movie) It wasn't uncommon in the 70's though it was on the decline. The perception of drugs by the mainstream was pretty ridiculous back then. Not that it matters because drugs, in this film, are secondary as to what was the real intent. The purpose of this film was to show 4 people who wanted to be a part of the "American dream" and how it fell apart from each perspective. Last thing, the "war on drugs" wasn't a thing back in the 70's. That was early 80's with the Reagan Administration.
Now, if you don't believe that drugs have an effect on society or people in general, I invite you to my little town of Hamilton just north of Cincinnati. You can see what heroin does to small (50 thousand people) city. Heroin users do NOT lead normal lives as you so eloquently put it. Seeing girls turn tricks to get high is fairly common. Meth lab explosions are a weekly occurrence. Small children dying from exposure to the drugs happens way to often. Oh, and if you honestly don't believe Dr.'s are crooked, just type Twin Doctors, Hamilton, Ohio in your little search bar up top. This is one of many stories from my city alone. There are many crooked Dr.'s out there. Don't be fooled. I believe that you feel most people are good people. I'm letting you know, they are not.
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