Ever since the existence of cinema and films, drugs have played a role in the narrative of many films, whether it would be films where drugs were used as part of the films story or as the main component to the narrative. Looking back through the history of drugs in cinema and films, it becomes noticeable that the presentation of drugs have changed and evolved throughout time. The representation of drugs throughout time whether it would be positive or negative is in most cases a reflection of society and the cultural trends in societies. This analysis of how drugs are portrayed in cinema will try to give a better understanding of how film can shape our understanding of drugs and how popular usage and legislations have shaped the depiction of drugs in films. The relevance of drugs in films is continuously growing the world of films as well as in society.
The analysis of the main problems the film represents will try to make a connection between the filmic depiction and the societal issues. The purpose is to explain the cultural trends and laws that have effected the issues surrounding drugs.
The film ‘’Requiem for a dream’’ is a film about drugs and addiction. In the film we follow 4 people and their addiction. Sara Goldfarb, Harry Goldfarb, Marion and Tyrone. Sara Goldfarb who is Harry Goldfarb’s mother and a widow, lives alone and spends most her time obsessively watching TV, and especially a particular self-help show. Sara becomes addicted to prescription diet pills she starts using amphetamines because of her delusional desire to loose weight and participate on her favorite TV show, that she is obsessed about, which only makes her already delusional mental state worse. Harry who is Sara’s son is addicted to drugs and spends most his time using heroin with his friend Tyrone and his girlfriend Marion. Harry and Tyrone have dreams and plans on making it big, by becoming drug dealers. Marion who is Harry’s girlfriend is a talented artist, but her aspirations and dreams in the world of arts disappears when she becomes consumed by her addiction and gets involved with Harry’s world of drugs.
Even though the film ‘’Requiem for a dream’’ is a film about drugs, the theme of the film is more about addiction. It is a generational film that addresses a lot different issues that are relevant and that can be found in contemporary youth. Things as drugs, media, addiction, obsession and dreams. The film depicts drug addiction and the influence addictions can have on individuals. It also depicts the possible negative consequences addiction and drugs can lead to in the end.
The film ‘’Requiem for a Dream’’ tries to depict and highlight relevant issues about drugs and addiction. The film mainly focuses on the drugs heroin, cocaine and amphetamine, which are prescriptions diet pills. The film was released in the year 2000 and takes place in New York. The film depicts the consequences drug abuse and addiction can have on the life of an addict and what these consequences can result in such as being forced into a life of crime, prostitution and ending up in prison or at mental health institute.
The evolution between generation’s perception of drugs and the trends in culture in different time periods have evolved and changed throughout time periods. The link between societal issues, politics, trends and culture combined with other influencing factors, gives a better understanding of the portrayal of drugs throughout the different time periods. Understanding these factors and having knowledge about them can also tell you if the portrayal of drugs through different films are depicting a true or misconstrued view of drugs and the effect of drugs.
All since the baby boomers to generation x and now gen y there have been substance abuse and addiction. Although substance abuse and addiction have always been present throughout the time periods, there is a difference in the different generations experience of substance abuse. The use of different drugs also varies from generation to generation.
ADDICTION
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DRUG CULTURE PART 1 – SUBSTANCE ABUSE PART 1
BABY BOOMERS (PARAPHRASE) LINK ODDYSSESHOUSE /CDC
The ‘’baby boomers’’ which is the title of the generation that is born between 1946-1964 was the first generation to differ from the previous generation when it came to substance abuse and addiction. The previous generations mainly abused alcohol and a few prescription drugs. The ‘’baby boomers’’ on the other hand were the first to have a widespread of multiple addictions and substance abuse. Everything from alcohol to different illegal drugs. The ‘’baby boomers’’ were also significantly more open to substance abuse treatment than the previous generations before them.
Generation X
Generation X sprung out from the decades between 1960 and 1982. Generation X has a high rate of substance abuse ranging to everything from alcohol abuse, marijuana and tobacco related health problems. This generation compared to the generation after them, which is Generation Y, is less likely to participate and indulge in binge drinking. Binge drinking is excessive drinking where people consume large quantities of alcohol. About 90% of the alcohol consumed by the youth in the United States is in the form of binge drinking (DIRECT QUOTE).
Generation Y
Generation Y, also known as the ‘’millenials’’ are all the people born 1980 through the 2000’s. This generation Y or ‘’millenials’’ as they are also called is compared to all the other generations more likely to become a victim of substance abuse. The perception of substance abuse differentiates to previous generations. Binge drinking among millenials is perceived as a normal social endeavor and experience. The attitude and perception among millenials towards some substances perceived as substances in the lighter category such as alcohol and marijuana is much more relaxed. Binge drinking is not necessarily perceived as huge problem in the same regard previous and older generations might see it. Excessive and uncontrollable drinking can result in some negative outcomes and loose relationships towards substance abuse can end in developing a serious addiction. This loose and relaxed relationship towards substance abuse could be one the reasons why Generation Y less likely to seek professional help and guidance for their addiction in the right time. Generation Y has more addiction treatment options and facility’s available then previous generations have had but they are less likely to seek this professional help and guidance towards treating their addiction.
The understanding of these generational tendencies and different perceptions towards substance abuse in any form, and their evolution through generations can help in the treatment of those suffering from addiction.
ADDICTION
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DRUG CULTURE PART 2 (DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/ CDC.GOV) (HEALTHYPLACE.COM)
There can be many reasons to why people become addicted to drugs and therefore there is not any particular cause that can be pointed out single handedly as the cause for addiction. There are different factors that can influence and cause a person to become an addict. Three of the main causes are environmental, genetic and psychological.
Environmental Causes
The environment in which a person is in can be one of the main factors that have an influence on the person becoming addicted to drugs. If the environment in which a person lives or is raised in is highly affected by drugs and drug abuse, then they would be more likely to fall in the same patterns and become addicted. The lack of guidance and supervision for children who grow up in environments where drugs and drug abuse is highly present, makes the dangers of using and experimenting with drugs less dangerous, a can ultimately lead them in a life of addiction.
Psychological Causes
Incidents in person life that have a psychological impact and affect on them can also be one the factors that contribute to the individual’s relationship with drugs and drug abuse. If children grow up being neglected or abused in an early age, which is one the most vital stages of a persons development it can have an affect on their mental state causing them to have serious psychological problems. Having a mental illness such as depression could cause people to find comfort from the problems they are suffering and find them in the form of drugs.
The combination of psychological problems and a bad environment can be a main factor on the problems of drug addiction.
Drugs have always been present and played a part of culture in different ways. The relevance of various drugs has changed with cultural trends and tendencies. The usage of illegal drugs can be found in all societies. It is estimated that about 208 million people internationally consume illegal drugs(DIRECT QUOTE). Being exposed to drugs in a young age can be very dangerous and have a negative effect people and be huge reason to possible future addictions. In Europe studies among 15 and 16 year olds showed that the use of marijuana varied from 10% to over 40%, where the highest rates were reported among teens in the Czech Republic with 44%.
Czech Republic (44%)
Ireland (39%)
United Kingdom (38%)
France (38%)
(DIRECT QUOTE)
The studies also showed an increase in cocaine use among teens in the UK, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norway and France. These tendencies in substance use among teens and this early exposure to drugs can be very dangerous and could possibly lead into a life of harder and more dangerous drugs. This could result in an increase of serious addiction problems.
HEROIN
The use of heroin in The US has increased among all layers of society. The use of heroin is no longer associated with a specific group or social class, it can now be found among all social classes. Studies show that the largest increase can be found among people who before was less likely expected to be involved in the use of heroin, making heroin a drug that is becoming more widespread in society. The abuse and addiction of serious drugs is very dangerous and can have dire consequences. An increase in the use of heroin can lead to more OD’s and over dose deaths. (Quote start) There has nearly been a quadruple rise of heroin related overdose deaths from 2002 – 2013(DIRECT QUOTE)(CDC.com). Heroin related deaths in general have increased 439% from 1999 to 2014. The numbers recorded in 2014 show that 61% of all the US drug OD deaths were caused by drugs containing opioids, which is an element found in heroin. 10,574 of the 28,647 recorded deaths due to OD’s were related directly to heroin (Qouted by CNN.COM, DIRECT QUOTE/PARAPHARSE).
The films depiction of heroin abuse for one of the main characters shows how a serious addiction to heroin can lead to him needing to get his arm severed off because of an infection he has sustained from ejecting needles into his veins. This is gut-wrenching scene of the film that shows one the horrific effects ejecting heroin through your veins can have. The injection of heroin through needles is very serious and dangerous. Some of the long-term effects of heroin addicts have are bacterial infections of the blood vessels in this can result in various diseases such as AIDS and ultimately result in death.
Prescription Drugs and pills
Prescription drugs in form of painkillers and diet pills are also some the drugs that many people are addicted to. The cause of addiction to diet pills can be linked to a misconstrued self-image of beauty caused by societal trends and unrealistic expectations. The unrealistic image of beauty a society instills and portrays can influence people’s perception of what it means to be beautiful. The picture of beauty and what is means to be beautiful portrayed by mass media and celebrities affects culture and cultural trends. This image of beauty being set by society when it comes to how one is supposed to look in order to look beautiful can be for many people an unreachable expectation and goal. That is one of the reasons that can force people to experimenting with diet pills and ultimately becoming addicted. This negative combination of societal trends and drugs in the form diet pills causes contributes to serious addiction and affects people of ages and gender.
ADDICTION AND TREATMENT
The way the country and society view the problems of drugs and addiction are very important for how these issues will be treated and dealt with in the future. The condemning of individuals who are addicted to drugs will only alienize and seclude them from society, and it wont help them out of their addiction. The criminalization of these individuals is also not the right answer to addiction, it will only cause other problems in society. The direction social policies and legislations take will determine and shape the future.
The resources that are implemented to reduce the number of people becoming addicted or to prevent drugs issues such as drug trafficking, costs the country financially. A sole focus on prevention policies on drugs can be a big financial problem, and is not necessarily the only method that can be applied in the solution to this problem. Treatment facilities and rehabilitation centers are also a way of treating addiction. Treatment facilities compared to criminalizing addicts and incarcerating them, focuses on the individuals problems first hand and has a positive impact on the addicts future life, dealing with addiction this way prevents the addict from falling back to his or hers unhealthy patterns of drug use and abuse. Whereas criminalizing the addict and incarcerating individual’s will on take care of the problem shortly, and wont help preventing the addict from returning back to his life as addict.
(QUOTE.DRUGABUSE.GOV)
In 2013 the numbers of people who were abusing illegal substances show that the number one drug people were dependent of or abused was marijuana, followed by pain relieves, cocaine and heroin.
The numbers in 2013 also show that only a small number of people are getting treatment at a treatment facility or rehabilitation center. It is was estimated that 22.7 million Americans were in the need for treatment for drug related problems, but only about 2.5 million received the right treatment. These numbers indicate a very serious problem that is not being treated in the best way.
The federal government can also contribute with informing the public about drug addiction and the dangers surrounding these issues. Healthcare providers also need to make informed decisions about prescription drugs and have the right resources when it comes to treating illnesses. (QUOUTE. CDC.COM)
The life of a drug addict can lead down a very dark path in life and force people who live in communities and environments that are highly dominated by drugs into a life of crime. Illegal drugs and drug trafficking has big impact on communities and on people. The people who are living in these communities and environments where drugs and drug trafficking is a part of life, are forced into this way of life themselves. This caused a lot of problems for not only the people affected by this type of life but also the government has been forced to deal with the problems surrounding these illegal drugs and the illegal drug sale.
CRIME
All throughout history there is a connection between different drugs and the governments association with the illegalization and prohibition of these drugs. Many of the laws that have been implemented through history have not been directed at the issues surrounding the specific drugs. The implementation of these drug laws has affected the people and communities who were associated with the drugs. Tracing back to the first opium laws that were directed at the Chinese immigrants in the 1870’s to the anti-cocaine laws in the 1990’s that were directed at African American men all the way till now where we can still se African American and Latino communities be highly affected by unfair drug enforcements and problematic sentencing penalties.
As culture and cultural trends changed and drugs became a big part of the youth in the 1960’s the decriminalizing of marijuana for personal use was brought up after scientific research had been done on the drug, but the president Richard Nixon who was the current president at the time rejected these prepositions and declared a war on drugs. The start on the war on drugs contributed to a lot of the problems poor communities are facing now such as severe sentencing laws of drug felonies.
When the war on drugs was declared, the filmic depictions of heroin were not that high and the films didn’t incorporate scare tactics in their depiction of heroin. As the war on drugs started to escalate the filmic depictions of films like ‘’ The panic in Needle Park ’’ started to focus on heroin addiction and showcased for the first time on screen the injection of heroin. The film ‘’The French Connection’’ and many other films about crime in the big city’s used and showcased heroin as a plot device in the film.
The continuation and increase of the drug war through the 80’s and 90’s further contributed to the high incarceration numbers we are still experiencing. The number of people incarcerated for minor drug law offenses went from 50.000 to over 400.000 in the span of 20 years (Quote DRUGPOLICY.ORG.). The new presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 80’s only increased and continued the war on drugs. The policies and legislative actions implemented towards drug users were very harmful for many of those suffering from drug addiction. The policies secluded and alienated them from society. From 1985 to approximately 1990 the number of Americans who saw drug abuse as the country’s number one problem was only 2 – 6%(QUOTE DRUGPOLICY.ORG) this number increased to 64% making it one the most extreme manipulations of public opinions on a issue. The policies and legislative actions that were implemented during this period caused a high escalation of incarcerations.
Even though there was decline of heroin use in the 80’s the use of the drug started to increase during the 90’s and at the same time the filmic depictions of the drug doubled and later tripled through the early 2000’s. The filmic depictions and issues surrounding the drug started to increase, with focus of the portrayal around addiction.
New York’s Draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws
New York’s Rockefeller Drug Laws were established and meant to enable harsh penalties for drug offenses, causing those in possession of drugs over the allowed estimated amount, a minimum sentence of 15 years to life. The severity of the sentence was almost equal to second-degree murder (PARAPHRASE QUOTE TIME MAGAZINE ROCKEFELLER). The Rockefeller Drug Laws were one of the most noticeable acts that were born from movement of the war on drugs. The laws that were implemented dehumanized the people they affected and criminalized a problem that for many was seen as public health problem in society. This idea and attitude towards drugs and drug offenders that the Rockefeller drug laws represented quickly spread through the rest of the country. More and more states started to implement laws that were much harder and tough on drug offenders.
(QUOTE.NPR.ORG)
After the enactment of the Rockefeller laws in New York, problems started to occur. White people in the communities were using and abusing a lot of drugs in this period but the majority of arrests were people of color. The people who were being incarcerated were mostly people from the black and Hispanic communities. The execution of this law has caused a massive disruption in equality and has contributed to the massive problem we see in many poor communities. It has made growth and prosperity very hard and almost impossible for many communities were the majority of people living in these communities are people of color. The negative impact caused by these laws have had an effect on the racial situation, by targeting a specific group of people and dividing them from the rest of society, it automatically isolated them as lower citizens of society and causes many barriers for growth.
The beginning of the Rockefeller laws has caused many of the big racial and prison problems that are now being discussed. There are more and more discussions about these issues and what the right approach to solving them is. The approach is slowly starting to change towards focusing on rehabilitation and treatment, which is a good thing because hopefully it will focus on the broad spectrum of the issue and not marginalize certain groups of people in society.
The Clinton Administration
During the 1992 presidential election campaign Bill Clinton was promoting and encouraging a new agenda and view on the issues of drugs. He was pushing for solutions that focused on treatment rather then criminalizing laws on drugs. This agenda and idea quickly changed and he continued to enforce the tactics and methods of his predecessors. The hope for a different approach to this issue on drugs disappeared and the problems continued.
The American Dream and Drugs
The perception and idea of the American Dream have always been present and explored in film. The American Dream combined with drugs in film has in many cases portrayed the drugs as a tool for the acquiring of wealth and success. This idea of obtaining wealth and success quickly with help of drugs is displayed in various films, most notably in film such as Scarface and other crime related films. A corrupted and distorted illusion of the American dream can be seen in many filmic depictions. There is an interesting connection that can be made between a person’s addiction and relationship to drugs and their perception of the American dream. This delusional and corrupted desire of obtaining and realizing the American dream is in it self a form of addiction. The addiction to the drugs becomes so big and irresistible that the addict is forced to acquire money fast in order support his addiction. When the addiction becomes so irresistible combined with the corrupted idea of the American dream depicts how the addict turns to a path of crime in order to fulfill and experience his longing for the American dream and the pleasures it brings along.
The film ‘’Requiem for a dream’’ truly shows the consequences the corrupted perception of the American dream has when it completely takes over the characters lives and forces them down a dark spiral filled with horrible outcomes. The American dream turns into a nightmare for the characters and slowly starts to ruin their lives.
Strain Theory
The concept of the American dream becomes comprised when the social structures in society are imbalanced and don’t provide the opportunity for obtaining the American dream on fair and equal terms. Robert K. Merton’s strain theory explains how some individuals may turn to criminal measures in order to achieve their goal when they are faced with complications of achieving this goal on fair and equal terms. The become forced to use illegal actions such as selling drugs and these actions are somewhat justifiable because of the greater culturally approved goal that is the American dream. The strain theory explains how social structures can influence and force individuals to use illegal actions to achieve their goals.
The interesting thing about the strain theory in relation to selling drugs and the criminal life of addiction people can be forced into is that it explains how people can begin to use criminal actions that are not socially acceptable in order of achieving goals that are acceptable, such as pursuing the American dream. In someway a goal that justifies their actions. (A longitude test of social control theory and delinquency – BOG)
Social Control Theory
Hirsch’s control focuses on many aspects of what turns a individual to crime but one that is relevant when it comes to community’s that are highly influenced by drugs is unemployment and the general failure of the society one lives in. The surroundings and environment of a person’s life contribute to how that person’s future will look like. If the environment and community is heavily effected by problems such as drugs, bad economy, poor educational possibilities, then one of the few solutions for those individuals would be turning to a life of crime.