Throughout history several authors have perfected, epitomized, or even created a style of writing. James Joyce: stream of conscience; Ernest Hemingway: understated; and the focus of today's review, Hunter S. Thompson: Gonzo Journalism. Never heard of it? Gonzo involves a style of writing in which the author becomes involved in their stories to such an extent that they themselves become the focus, & Thompson's 1971 drug-fueled search for the American Dream is regarded by many as his finest work. So to celebrate this, I'm going to take a look at the 1998 film based on this adventure: Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas.
Directed by Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python Fame), and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro, Fear & Loathing follows a journalist and his attorney traveling to Las Vegas in the hope of finding the American Dream, only to discover that it is long gone. Surreal, insane, grotesque, and completely over-the-top, it's one of the craziest movie experiences of all time, so let's find out why.
After a montage of protest clips, we cut to our 2 main characters: Raoul Duke (Depp) and Dr. Gonzo (Del Toro). The men are on their way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, ostensibly to cover the Mint 400. In actual fact, they are heading their with a suitcase chock-full of mind-bending pharmaceuticals, preparing themselves for, quite literally, the trip of a lifetime. Within the first 5 minutes they are off their heads on a combination of weed and mescaline, and after an unsavoury encounter with a timid hitchhiker (a Tobey Maquire cameo), Raoul indulges in 'Sunshine Acid'. By the time they arrive at their hotel, Raoul is so tripped-out that he beings to freak out when they get to the reception.
Duke sets out to cover the Mint 400 for his magazine, but quickly loses interest, reverting back to taking copious volumes of drugs and wandering around Las Vegas and causing all kind of havoc.
To be honest, there's not much else I can say about the films plot, because this is pretty much it. They go to Vegas, get stoned and perpetrate outlandish antics. So you would think the movie is incredibly dull right? Wrong. This film is a ton of fun to watch. It has some of the most surreal images, wildest scenarios, and watching it feels a bit like going on a really mad road trip with a group of random people. They set out to find the American Dream., but all they find is a city overrun with greed, corruption and cynicism. Duke himself is a pessimistic character, but even he can't believe the attitudes of some of the unscrupulous characters that they encounter.
Thompson's writing is just like the man himself. It's fearless, cynical, unflinching, to-the-point, and pulls absolutely no punches. This film captures this beautifully. It's so tasteless, so foul, and so difficult to watch, it's impossible not to enjoy. If you're a fan of Thompson, you'll love it. If not, you'll still find something to marvel at.
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