1990s was the decade when unhealthy lifestyles stopped being unhealthy and became fashionable instead. The general public was somewhat slow to catch on those trends, at least until couple of politicians had slammed fashion industry for inventing the concept of "heroin chic". But this concept wasn't limited to fashion industry and the best example is Trainspotting, 1996 British drama directed by Danny Boyle - the ultimate heroin chic film and one of the most important cultural events of the decade.
Trainspotting is based on the cult novel by Irvine Welsh and it deals with the heroin abusing subculture of Edinburgh, seen through the eyes of film's main protagonist and narrator, Mark "Rent Boy" Renton (played by Ewan MacGregor). Renton hangs out with the group of his childhood friends, some of them being addicts like himself, others not. Spud (played by Ewen Bremner) uses heroin for fun while snobbish Sick Boy (played by Jonny Lee Miller) gets addicted only to prove that he can kick the habit whenever he wants. Mild-mannered Tommy (played by Kevin McKidd) prefers healthier lifestyle, but he is hopelessly addicted to sex with manipulative girlfriend. Begbie (played by Robert Carlyle) also doesn't take heroin, but his addiction includes slashing or beating up people. After a while, Renton decides to kick the habit and this interval would allow him to start relationship with Diane (played by Kelly MacDonald), attractive woman who turns out to be underage. This and other complication gradually convince Renton that he needs a radical change, so he leaves Edinburgh, goes to London, gets a job and starts living much healthier and happier life. But when his friends arrive to visit him, all this comes crashing down.
Trainspotting was cultural phenomenon in many ways similar to Pulp Fiction. It was enormously popular film in its native Britain and, upon hitting world markets (aided, among other things, with equally popular Britpop soundtrack) it became "instant cult classic". Its director became some sort of Tarantino-like "cinema nouveaux" deity (and, just like Tarantino, quickly sank to oblivion after not living to the hype), while the success of film proved as an excellent launching pad for careers of many British actors who would later become either big stars (MacGregor) or instantly recognisable character actors (Carlyle). But the biggest boost for Trainspotting came from the controversies, created by film's alleged celebration of heroin and concerned parties' worries that it would promote drug use among younger viewers. The author of this review remembers the time when Trainspotting first arrived to theatres in his town - place known as unofficial heroin capital of this part of world. This happened not long after the amounts of heroin on the city streets became so huge that the price of heroin got lower than the price of marijuana. However, although Trainspotting enjoyed great popularity among my town's youth, the number of new addicts began to shrink from that year on, so such accusations of Boyle's film don't seem to hold water.
Reasons why Trainspotting got mistaken for pro-heroin manifesto lie in the fact that John Hodge's script takes new, fresh and brave approach to depictions of drug addiction. While similar drug- themed films usually show heroin addicts as pitiful and pathetic wretches whose lives are nothing but misery, Trainspotting offers very simple, honest and credible answer why would anyone in his right mind sink into this hole - heroin provides pleasure. Short-lasting pleasure, extremely expensive pleasure, risky pleasure, but pleasure nevertheless - something that no other form of entertainment or human activity can match. Danny Boyle follows this idea and structures the film like an addiction itself - it starts like fun, with young, good-looking people enjoying the time of their life, not having a single care in the world; even the most disgusting and revolting scenes are portrayed in comic fashion. But gradually the lightness of the film is overshadowed by increasingly darker tones, and what was comedy gradually becomes tragedy; like all addicts, the protagonist soon realises that more and more hours and days of pain and misery come for less and less moments of bliss. And this film also touches AIDS and the prospect of horrible death which that disease brought to already dark worlds of heroin addiction.
Seven years ago Trainspotting looked like a masterpiece. Now, from certain critical distance, it still looks great, but not that great. Danny Boyle is talented film maker and that reflects in his ability to stuff so much material in merely 95 minutes of film. But it also reflects his tendency to make the film too "hip" with excessive soundtrack and some sections that could have been left on the cutting room floor. Those flaws are especially evident in the last segments of the film, where the ridiculous drug deal tries to provide some plot to the film that could have done nicely without it. Yet, despite those shortcomings, Trainspotting would probably be remembered as one of the most important films of 1990s.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on January 23rd 2003)
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