Hard to watch; harder to look away
Trainspotting has always been one of those movies that I understood to be a classic on a logical level, but it never quite appealed to me on an emotional one. I remember watching it on someone’s laptop back in college; shoddy built-in speakers distorting the already tough-to-hear Scottish accents, a smudgy screen hazing out the visuals.
The people I was watching the film with had heard it was trippy and gross, and I believe were under the influence of a certain herb throughout its runtime. I abstained, and when people were freaking out during the ‘baby on the ceiling’ scene, I remember just being bored.
That was a while ago now, and I’ve since enjoyed the benefits of rewatching movies that I initially saw in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, when my favourite local cinema was showing The Critereon Collection's 4k remaster of Trainspotting, I was excited to see it.
Choose Ewan McGregor
Trainspotting follows the story of four young men in Edinburgh whose lives revolve around funding, acquiring, and abusing heroin. The story is narrated by Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, who tracks the ups and downs of him and his friends’ day-to-day, from criminal undertakings to social circle drama.
A piece of writing advice that’s commonly given to young screenwriters is to avoid narration at all costs. It’s generally seen as a lazy way to get exposition across to the audience—why tell when you could show? It’s crazy then how vital and effective the narration in Trainspotting is.
From the famous ‘Choose Life’ monologue at the beginning, through basic scenario set-ups, all the way to introspective realisations at the end, Renton’s narration is the heart and soul of this movie. There’s just so much style and character-revealing touches in these words that you don’t mind being spoon-fed information. It has the feel of meeting a stranger in a pub and him unloading his life story on you. It’s absolutely magical, and the fact that it shouldn’t work just makes it all the more impressive.
He’s a Mate, So What Can You Do?
Renton is surrounded by three friends, Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), and Tommy (Kevin McKidd). Spud’s the sweet, dumb one, Sick Boy’s the cool, James Bond-obsessed one, and Tommy’s just a normal guy, the only one of the group that doesn’t touch heroin.
They each push and pull on Renton in different ways, as does the violent and volatile Begbie (Robert Carlyle)—less a friend and more a ‘friend of the show’. All of these characters spout some of the most alarming and hilarious dialogue ever put to screen with stunning regularity. On one hand Trainspotting features the most upsetting visuals you’ll ever see in a movie, and on the other hand it’s beyond hilarious.
Speaking of upsetting, it’s no secret that this movie is hard to watch, and extreme close-ups on needles entering someone’s skin is the least of it. From the gross to the outright disturbing, Trainspotting is a challenge to keep your eyes on. None of it feels like it’s for shock value, though. Renton is attempting to wean himself off heroin—a process that comes with all sorts of horrendous side-effects—and director Danny Boyle isn’t afraid to pull the viewer along through his misery. These moments are necessary to understand Renton’s journey, as unpleasant as it may be.
Who Needs Reasons When You've Got Heroin?
Of course, Renton’s main problem isn’t his heroin abuse—it’s that he’s a bad person. Just because he’s our main character, doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. The worst thing he does in the movie isn’t even motivated by his drug addiction—he steals a homemade sex tape from Tommy. What may seem relatively innocuous on the surface actually has extremely dire knock-on effects, and not once does Renton suffer remorse or express guilt over his actions.
Trainspotting is, in a way, an exploration of the dynamic between pleasure and living a good life. The ‘Choose Life’ monologue is, from Renton’s point of view, a cynical list of all the ways modern life traps you into living a limited existence, but taken objectively, it’s also a list of things that will simply make your life better. Friends, family, career, good health? Renton doesn’t choose these things because heroin provides everything he feels he needs—i.e. so much pleasure that even the fulfilling trappings of everyday life feel hollow.
Of course, in the pursuit of heroin, Renton can’t simply remove himself from a society that expects and compels him to conform, and the conflicts he faces are reflections of this; police; disappointed parents; rehab; squalor. And even when he’s off the drugs and finds a job, the temptation of his old life is constantly rearing its head in the way Begbie and Sick Boy follow him to London and push him into dangerous situations for the sake of quick pleasure.
Trainspotting is a tragedy, not because our star-crossed lovers die in the end, but because Renton has been seemingly, irrevocably stunted by his drug abuse. He can’t move on—he can’t become a better person—because the lure of heroin will always be there, calling him back. This dynamic is reflected in his relationship with Diane—the only ‘romance’ in his life is with an underage girl. During the final moments of the movie when he tells us that he’s finally choosing life, we don’t believe him. The grin on his face as he walks away with a sack of money under his arm isn’t a smile that brings to mind a peaceful life in the countryside; Renton’s off to score.
He Shoots, He Scores
Trainspotting is a masterpiece, and I’m very glad that I finally feel that, instead of just knowing it. I’ve seen quite a few of Danny Boyle’s films, but now I want to see them all. This movie looks and moves beautifully, and I’m not talking about the 4k restoration. I’m actually nervous about watching the sequel now because I’ve no idea how it will compare.
Despite all this, I can’t unilaterally recommend Trainspotting. If you consider yourself a film buff, then it is of course required viewing, but I imagine general audiences are going to be extremely put off by what’s happening on the surface of this movie. Anecdotally, I’ve heard of many people not being able to make it through.
If you’re one of the lucky ones though, you’ll find a deep and powerful film made with infectious passion. It’s worth taking the risk.
***
Thanks for reading my review. If you liked it, consider buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien
Комментарии