Trainspotting: Netflix Edition

Netflix, though great for watching Dawson's Creek and catching up on Gossip Girl (both of which I have done,) is also home to a lot of wonderful movies that are often overlooked.

Until now, that is.

Here with yet another installment, I have come to rescue you from your Netflix rut.

Trainspotting is a 1996 British film directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours.) The film follows a group of heroin addicts in the 1980's living in an economically depressed part of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The film was ranked number 10 by the British Film Institute in its list of Top 100 British films of all time. In 2004 the film was voted the best Scottish film of all time in a general public poll.

Trainspotting is based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, and stars Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.

Irvine Welsh once stated in a Q&A that the title is a reference to people thinking that the act of trainspotting makes no sense. Irvine says he feels the same about heroin addicts. To non-addicts the act seems pointless. However if you take heroin, it makes absolute sense.

Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, is a young man with few prospects and ambitions. Like most of his friends, Renton is a heroin addict who loves the drug's blissful oblivion. Financing his habit also provides excitement that his life otherwise lacks. Renton's two best friends are Sick Boy, played by Jonny Lee Miller, a well dressed James Bond lover, and Spud, played by Ewan Bremner, a naive but lovable nerd. Renton and his pals also hang out with Begbie, played by Robert Carlyle, a borderline psychotic who loathes junkies though he drinks like a fish. After one too many brushes with the law, Renton kicks his heroin habit and moves to London, where he finds a job, a flat, and something close to sanity. However, Sick Boy, Begbie, and Spud all arrive at his doorstep one day, leading Renton back into a life of drugs and crime.

In order to prepare for the role, McGregor read numerous books on crack and heroin addiction. In fact, he was even taught how to cook up heroin with a spoon using glucose powder. McGregor even considered injecting heroin to better understand the character, but eventually decided against it. Probably a good idea in the long run. Director Danny Boyle had them all prepare for the film by making them watch other movies about rebellious youths, such as The Hustler, The Exorcist and A Clockwork Orange. Danny Boyle pays direct tribute to A Clockwork Orange in the scene set at the Volcano nightclub, which is very similar to that set in the Milk Bar in Kubrick's film. In fact, the track playing in the Volcano club is by Heaven 17, who took their name from A Clockwork Orange.

Upon its initial release in the United States, the first 20 minutes of Trainspotting were re-edited with alternative dialogue to allow the American audience to comprehend the strong Scottish accents and slang. Its release sparked much controversy as to whether it promoted drug use or not. U.S. Senator Bob Dole accused it of moral depravity and glorifying drug use during the 1996 U.S. presidential campaign. However, he later admitted that he had never actually seen the film.

I highly suggest you add Trainspotting to your Instant Queue. The film is a fantastic mix of fantasty and reality, and its bright colors and driving soundtrack deliver a potent kick. Though defended by some as anti-drug and attacked by others as pro-drug, I do not believe the film is either. Trainspotting takes a realistic look at the exhausting and unruly life of a drug addict, and the two things that make a bearable.

You can view the trailer for the film below.