Trainspotting

1996

Director: Danny Boyle

Distributor: Miramax Films

Key Elements: Message – Visuals – Concept

My Review:

Based on Irvine Welsh’s book, Boyle’s film has a unique storytelling voice.

A Scottish heroine addict narrates his life for us, giving an inside look at the foolish, twisted, sometimes terrifying lifestyle of addiction.

A singular style on a singular issue. Good filmmaking. Disturbing effect. Like Requiem for a Dream, this movie has convinced me to never try druguse.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• Relinquishing junk. Stage one, preparation. For this you will need one room which you will not leave. Soothing music. Tomato soup, ten tins of. Mushroom soup, eight tins of, for consumption cold. Ice cream, vanilla, one large tub of. Magnesia, milk of, one bottle. Paracetamol, mouthwash, vitamins. Mineral water, Lucozade, pornography. One mattress. One bucket for urine, one for feces and one for vomitus. One television and one bottle of Valium, which I've already procured from my mother, who is, in her own domestic and socially acceptable way also a drug addict. And now I'm ready. All I need is one final hit to soothe the pain while the Valium takes effect.
• Personality. I mean, that's what counts, right? That's what keeps a relationship going through the years. Like heroin, I mean heroin's got a great fucking personality.
• Take the best orgasm you've ever had... multiply it by a thousand, and you're still nowhere near it.
• You could always get the truth from Tommy. That was one of his major weaknesses. He never told lies, he never took drugs, and he never cheated on anyone. …Begbie didn't do drugs either. He just did people.
• Thank you, your honor. With God's help I'll conquer this terrible affliction.
• Here I was surrounded by my family and my so-called mates and I've never felt so alone
  But it's never enough. And at the moment it's nowhere near enough.
• I don't feel the sickness yet, but it's in the post. That's for sure. I'm in the junkie limbo at the moment. Too ill to sleep. Too tired to stay awake, but the sickness is on its way. Sweat, chills, nausea. Pain and craving. A need like nothing else I've ever known will soon take hold of me. It's on its way.
• Say something Mark… Fucking say something, huh? - I'm cooking up.
• The downside of coming off junk was I knew I would need to mix with my friends again in a state of full consciousness. It was awful. They reminded me so much of myself, I could hardly bear to look at them.
• This was to be my final hit, but let's be clear about this. There's final hits and final hits. What kind was this to be?
• So why did I do it? I could offer a million answers - all false. The truth is that I'm a bad person. But, that's gonna change - I'm going to change. This is the last of that sort of thing. Now I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already. I'm gonna be just like you. The job, the family, the fucking big television. The washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electric tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisure wear, luggage, three piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing gutters, getting by, looking ahead, the day you die.

Stills: