Trainspotting

The first word that comes to my mind when I think about the film Trainspotting is “graphic.” The film was directed by Danny Boyle, and he brought out a lot of harsh truth behind the reality of drug-addicts for the world to see. On a personal note, I had a very short relationship with someone whom I later found out to be addicted to many drugs, including heroine (lucky me!), and this film really gave me a deeper understanding of his struggles that I could never relate to.

I found this film, in many instances, to be very dark. Even at the very beginning of the film, the main character and narrator, Renton, shoplifts so that he may be able to get some cash for his next hit. Heroin consumes addicts lives so much that obviously even a job seems out of the question. Trainspotting is set in Scotland, and the weather was pretty rainy and dreary most of the film. There is a very intense scene of shooting up in this film that I really wasn’t quite prepared for. The apartment that Renton and his friends go to do heroine is shady and dirty. It is also disturbing to notice a baby crawling around crying and unattended around all the drug use (clearly another reminder of how addicts put drugs before anything else in life). When I saw the needle and the actual act of shooting heroin, the actors did a great job of portraying the sincere eagerness for the drug and complete ultimate satisfaction it gave them once it entered their body that I actually felt bad for anyone who has any type of problem with addiction. However, Renton states, "People associate it with misery, desperation and death, which is not to be ignored. But what they forget is the pleasure of it, otherwise we wouldn't do it."

Trainspotting begins to lighten up a little as the film progresses. Renton’s friend Spud goes to an interview extremely high off speed and that gave everyone in the class a good laugh. There is also a scene where Renton and Spud go out clubbing, only to notice how long they have made heroin the center of their lives because they don’t even recognize hardly any new songs. At the end of the night both of the boys go home with a different girl and needless to say without going into any detail, the scenes did absolutely nothing for either of the characters’ sex appeal.

Renton is unsuccessful in his few attempts to quit his bad habit, and unfortunately, when Renton was on methadone he took his last hit and overdosed. The scene is very on point with illustrating what it may feel like to overdose. Renton begins to sink into the floor creating a unique illusion for the audience to watch, yet making it clear that he is beginning to drift and becoming completely out of touch with reality.

Renton survives his overdose and actually overcomes his addiction to heroine. He starts a new life in London but his old circle of friends persuade him to become involved in a huge drug deal. He ends up betraying all of them and taking the money for himself.

Renton stated early in the film, “Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday night. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?” Even so, in his own kind of messed up way, I think Renton eventually chose life.