The Movie Doctor

So a good friend of mine ,Moviemaniac, asked me a question a couple of days ago asking why Darren Aronofsky was my favorite director of all time. I don’t think I have ever truly expressed my feelings of Aronofsky so I have decided to take the time to really answer that question.

I believe the only way to really start this is to explain the moment I realized I wanted to become a film director. It happened about four or five years ago. I was either thirteen or fourteen and I was wandering around my house bored. It was a school night and I had finished all my school work, my Mom wouldn’t let me play video games during school nights so I was just left to wander. Then for whatever reason I felt this great urge to watch a movie. So, I went to my parents room ,my Mom was downstairs at the time while my Dad was at work, to view there DVD collection. My father being a HUGE film enthusiast ,something else that has heavily influenced me, had an uncountable amount of movies stored in the room. So, I skimmed all the titles until I found one that finally caught my interest. That movie was Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream. Now to be completely honest there was only one reason why I decided to watch this film, that reason being that my parents specifically prohibited me from watching it. They would always talk favorably about it only to tell me not to watch it. This of course is reasonable seeing as I was thirteen/fourteen at the time ,but being the rebellious kid I was I snuck the DVD into my room and watched it. Little did I know that this rebellious act would impact the rest of my life.

I had a few scares where I heard Mom coming up the stairs near my room but I managed finish it. That is a moment that I will never forget. I had this overwhelming sense of depression come over me and I remember thinking almost immediately after the film’s end, “this is what I HAVE to do.” I could not at the time pinpoint exactly why I needed to become involved in film ,but I somehow knew from that day that there was nothing else I could do.

From that point on I started to become a film enthusiast myself and I tried to learn all the roles in the film-making process. It took about a month to discover that I wanted to become a film director. I think I knew the whole time but I just didn’t know the exact title and even though it took less than a year to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, it took me years to finally realize what caused the epiphany. I realized that strangely enough it was that feeling of overwhelming sadness I felt. It was a feeling I had never felt so powerfully while watching a film. I questioned how could something essentially fake, with characters that do not really exist, with man-made dialogue and situations make me feel this way. How could these fake circumstances have such a great impact on me? Requiem For A Dream really showed me the true potential movies could have. It also showed me how artful cinema could really be. When I thought “this is what I have to do” I thought of the skill and artistry one must possess to create such a masterpiece. From that day on I became obsessed seeing as many films and learning about the craft as much as I can. To this day I carry that obsession and it is what pushes me to move forward in life. 

Darren Aronofsky’s work is what inspired me to go into film-making so naturally I feel a special connection when I watch his films. When I started to watch more movies I began to take note in the credits of who was the director, cinematographer, screenwriter etc. When I first started I didn’t really know any of Aronofsky’s work other than Requiem For A Dream I didn’t even have a “favorite film director.” It wasn’t until I started to watch all of his other work that I realized that he was. From his first film Pi to his latest Black Swan.

Most of Aronofsky’s films are about obsession. In Pi Max’s obsession of numbers and the “truth.” In Requiem For A Dream several different types of obsessions are displayed, one being Harry, Marion, and Tyrone’s obsession (or addiction) with heroin and Sara’s obsession with getting attention and love from her son. In The Fountain Tom’s obsessed with immortality and finally Nina’s horrifying obsession with becoming the perfect Swan Queen in Black Swan. What amazes me about this component in Aronofsky’s movies is how he is able to fully immerse himself in whatever subject the movie takes. He then is able to portray it truthfully and beautifully on the screen. Another example of this is how he is able to honestly portray the sad world of wrestling in The Wrestler. His determination in being knowledgeable of the subject combined with his amazing skill as a film director takes the viewer on a phenomenal journey he or she will never forget.

Something else I have noticed in all of his films is that there is a unique sequence where the film becomes a raging roller coaster ride. He is able to create such nerve-raking tension that not matter how frightening it might be I am never able to take my eyes off the screen. In Pi it was Max’s final outrage where he decides to drill his head, in Requiem For a Dream it is the moment where all the characters meet there final saddening fates. Those last fifteen minutes of the movie fully illustrate what I am talking about. The only way I can describe it is nerve-racking, heart-retching terror. In The Fountain ,although I think it’s more subtle than the other examples, it occurs when Thomas finds the Tree of Life and drinks it’s sap. As he twists and turns and becomes one with the tree the moment is revealed. The Wrestler illustrates this sequence when Randy does his final shift in the grocery store where he finally explodes and quits his job. There was so much tension built when he was just parading behind the deli. I remember when I watched it for the first time I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Finally, in Black Swan it is what Aronofsky calls the ‘night of terror.’ It’s the night before Nina’s first performance as Swan Queen where her paranoia and obsession finally shows it’s face. The feeling I had when watching the moment unfold in the theater months ago is indescribable. 

These are the exact reasons why I love Aronofsky’s work so much. His films are just powerfully emotional experiences that one can never forget. That is the type of film director I aim to become in the future. I want to make an unforgettable experience for the viewer. As Aronofsky himself says, “To me, watching a movie is like going to an amusement park. My worst fear is making a film people don’t think is a good ride.” Well, Mr. Aronofsky you haven’t. For me, he is not only my favorite film director but the best film director. His work inspires me everyday to pursue my career and I can only hope that I will have the honor to work with him someday.

Well, Moviemaniac I think it’s safe to say that I answered your question. :)