Trainspotting
Trainspotting (1996) (UK)
Director: Danny Boyle
Producer: Andrew Macdonald
Screenplay: John Hodge
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremmer, Johnny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd, James Cosmo
Trainspotting is based on Irvine Welsh’s book of the same title, which depicts the drug scene in Leith near Edinburgh in the 1980’s. Basically, the film successfully captures the glorious highs and the unglamorous lows of heroin* use, with the anti-hero Mark Renton (McGregor) and his junkie friends. Renton comes off drugs only to return to them; overdoses, suffers the nightmarish cold turkey withdrawal – the anguish both physical and mental torture. He attempts to change his life and goes to London to find some decent work. When he’s finally settling down, his friends Sick Boy (Miller) and Begbie (Carlyle) traces him. They do a drug deal, and Renton runs off with drug money proceeds and leave his friends on their own fate. On ripping off his mates, he says he is a bad person, but will clean up his act.
One disturbing scene, and previously claimed taboo, as something unfit to show on film, is that of Renton injecting himself with heroin* on a vein on his arm. McGregor reveals, “It is my arm, but moulded prosthetically and with a plastic pip going into a little pool of blood underneath so you can see the pulse.”
So, whether you’re into drug culture or not, this film is something you should not miss. It will take you to a different reality completely beyond your comfort zone. Although it is difficult to get a hold of a copy because its banned for its explicit content, just grab a copy of the book while I set up my piracy dynasty and be a part of my networking scheme for the meantime (don’t let the Agimat family know, okay?)
Rating: !!!!! [ too bad, it’s banned ]
! - can light up a cigarette
!! - can light up a candle
!!! - can light up a stove
!!!! - can light up the firplace
!!!!! - explosive
* Heroin is an illicit addictive narcotic drug made from morphine. Morphine is obtained from opium and is used to ease pain and to induce sleep.