by: Tom Jolliffe
In Robert Doyle's, Trainspotting, the young narrator Renton (Ewan McGregor) explains how a volatile sociopath named Begbie (Robert Carlyle) "gets off on his own sensory addiction"; Renton's words also work as an apt assessment of Doyle's distressing film. Reveling in visual and sonic extravaganza, Trainspotting delineates with gut-wrenching candor the depraved hedonism of Scottish heroin addicts. The film assaults the senses with conceptually inventive scenes of wretched abuse, and features an eclectic soundtrack reflecting the extreme highs and lows of the heroin life.
These young junkies are articulate and cynical (except, of course, when smack renders them comatose and near death) commentators on post-modern morality, deliberately jobless and quite enjoying it. But our appreciation of their nimble wits is soured when we consider how these perceptive kids are slaves to the needle. Take Renton, an otherwise likable fellow - were he not predisposed to theft, sexual relations with minors, and what he calls "a true and sincere junk habit." Renton chooses heroin as the preferable alternative to accepting society's imposed norms - among which he includes "human relationships." "Relationship" in Renton's world is just the rapport of addicts at their dealer's apartment, where filthy needles protrude from varicose forearms bound by leather belts. A humorous but ultimately disgusting sequence of scenes portraying a night of dancing and debauchery shows just how screwed up Renton and friends become in social settings outside their sphere of smack. Renton's friends are a mixed lot, from the dapper philosopher-junkie Sick Boy (Ewan Bremner) to the bespectacled, gangly-junkie Spud to the high-strung and frightening Begbie to the health-conscious and principled Tommy (Kevin McKidd). But even Tommy proves ultimately fallible, as his recent breakup with his girlfriend brings him to Renton requesting a dose of "the ultimate hit." One of Trainspotting's more amusing scenes shows the direlect Spud intentionally botching a job interview. "I'm all about pleasure, and other people's leisure!" he explains to some employers in thick Scottish brogue. Thus he satisfies both the unemployment offices (for at least attempting to find work) and his own antisocial tendencies. As for Sick-boy, Bremner's off-hand manner suggests a skagged-out Phineous that can do no wrong. Unlike Renton, Sick-Boy can go cold-turkey on heroin at the drop of a hat, but sees more opportunities for himself in the chemical life. Unlike Renton, Sick-Boy suffers none of heroin's negative effects, and, unlike Tommy, Sick-Boy is not destined for tragedy. In this film, Doyle certainly intends to show the tragedy of heroin, but Sick-Boy's condition leaves a seam for different interpretation.
Nevertheless, Doyle does have an admirable knack for atmosphere. The drab urban squalor of Edinburgh underscores Renton's dead-end existence; Renton and friends run through gray streets beneath a gray sky, robbing and stealing to support their junk habit. Renton's hallucinatory withdrawl is both feverish and ludicrous; fortunately Doyle emphasizes the terror of this experience more than the jaded humor it may yield. When Renton cleans up and arrives in London for a legitimate job, Doyle indulges us with a sunny montage of familiar landmarks, street signs, and double-decker buses. That Renton will succeed in this bustling, thriving atmosphere is reinforced by the glossy, high production pop score that accompanies this segment. However, nobody escapes heroin Scot-free. Dread returns with the arrival of Sick-Boy, Spud, and Begbie at Renton's London, and for once we pray for Renton's soul.
Trainspotting,, like other imports, is interesting if only as a window to another country and another culture. The accent, pubs, soccer references, and music are unfamiliar to American cinema.The film's soundtrack features a variety of cool tunes from Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Primal Scream, and others. Still, by and large, this film is disturbing, despite the quips and tongue-in-cheek panache of its protagonists. The graphic and sordid images of Trainspotting as well as the very nature of its subject makes for an exhausting and taxing session on the nerves.