Trainspotting

If I asked you to empty your mind and think of a Scottish film, you would almost certainly say 'Braveheart', and you would be forgiven for this. It won 5 Academy Awards, and represented, accurately or not, arguably the most famous Scotsman ever to have lived: William Wallace. But for today's review, I'm going to check out another Scottish movie, one that received critical acclaim upon release, and remains a favourite among movie lovers: Trainspotting.

Released in 1996 under the direction of Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire), and based on the Irvine Welsh book, Trainspotting stars Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle and Kevin McKidd. It focuses on a group of heroin addicts and the events that transpire over the course of an indefinite period of time. Voted the Best Scottish Film by a general poll in 2004, it's gritty, harsh, and portrays drug addicts in an unbelievably stark manner. Let's dive right it.

The movie opens on Princes Street, Edinburgh, where 2 of our main characters, Renton (McGregor) and Spud (Bremner) are seen running from the authorities after a failed robbery. This leads into an introduction of our other central characters, Sick Boy (Miller), Tommy (McKidd), and Begbie (Carlyle). Renton, Spud and Sick Boy are heroin addicts, spending their time shooting up in their dealer's flat. After one of his hits wears off, Renton declares that he is quitting Heroin, and going to live a normal life.

After the inevitable withdrawal, Renton, along with Spud and Sick Boy (who have also quit) go about like like ordinary citizens. But the realities of their lives which they have been avoiding through Heroin use hit them full-force, and after several unfortunate incidents to hammer the point home, they take to Heroin once again. Unfortunately, this only serves to fuel their descent into misery and depression, as everything around them falls apart, and the group slowly begins to dissolve.

To escape his fruitless life in Edinburgh, Renton leaves for London, where he finally sets himself up for a life of peace and sobriety. But escaping his past proves harder than he first imagined, as several of his old 'friends' pay him a visit, bearing increasingly bad news.

The movie is about as frank an account of drug addiction as has been seen in cinema. It did for drugs what 'The Lost Weekend' did for alcohol, presenting a warts-and-all story of how it affects everyday people, and how out of control their lives becomes when they are dependent on such a manipulating and destructive force. But it doesn't just look at the dangerous of illicit substances, it looks at the volatility of friendships as well. Begbie is one of the most horrible, uncaring characters ever committed to celluloid. He doesn't need drugs, he gets his kicks from violence and chaos. Bar fights, brawls, or just picking on somebody who was making too much noise for his liking, nobody is safe from his wrath. We can only assume that our protagonists remain friends with him due to the fact that it's better to be with the Devil than against him.

All of this adds up to a very shocking and memorable flick. Unflinching, uncompromising, decadent, depraved, but also with it's humorous and optimistic moments, Trainspotting is a must-have for an movie buff. There's no movie like it, and there probably never will be.