When it was released in 1995, Trainspotting was hailed by some as both an open and honest look at the life of a heroin addict, and criticised by others for somewhat glamourising heroin. I can see why both opinions exist, but those who believe it is just a bit of a laugh and a look at a few losers who should know better have largely missed the point.
The film focuses on the erratic days of Mark Renton, unemployed heroin addict and all-round bad boy. His mates are Sick Boy (John Lee Miller), Tommy (Kevin McKidd), Spud (Ewen Bremner), and terminal psycho Begbie (Robert Carlyle). All but Begbie have addictions, although Tommy only turns to heroin after his girl dumps him.
Their days are spent scoring hits, or stealing stuff to sell. Their days pretty much run as a blur, and despite their misery and lack of a decent future, only Renton has any real desire to ‘get clean’, something he does several times only to lapse back into the routine.
When Renton finally decides enough is enough, he moves from Edinburgh and lands a job in real estate. Being away from his ‘mates’ is working well, until Begbie and Spud housecrash. Begbie is on the run, and while Renton doesn’t feel strong enough to turf them 'cause they are mates, it is clear he doesn’t want them there either.
When the boys come into some decent ‘gear’, and sell it to a dealer, they think their prayers are answered. But money can do strange things to people, especially when you’ve never had any, and Renton in particular is faced with a tough decision. Sadly, not all the characters make it to the end of the film, but those that do end up with mixed fortunes.
Trainspotting gives a very balanced and real look at life as far as heroin addiction goes, from the undignified to the plain old disgusting. The scene where Renton is fishing around his own excrement in the “worst toilet in Scotland’, in a desperate attempt to get back some opium suppositories, is truly disturbing. There are some double edged scenes included such as the ‘morning after” at the breakfast table where Spud is trying to hide his ‘soiled’ sheets from the happy family.
The cast are excellent, there is some seriously good editing and direction, and some wonderfully scripted dialogue. The soundtrack timeframes the film in the ‘80s, with some interesting and excellent song choices.
Those with weak stomachs, and weak ears, will probably not enjoy Trainspotting. The laughs are dispersed with very graphic and eye-opening images of the hold that drugs can have on addicts. While some may claim this film almost trivialises the tragedy of addiction, and at best gives the audience something to laugh at, they are really missing the point. The point being that an addiction to anything is a tough habit to break, and almost certainly destroys ones chances of a ‘clean’ life, and not even having mates can compensate for that.
There have been some significant improvements made since the first release of this title on DVD. Featuring an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced), there are no serious flaws, but a few minor ones that should not concern most. Overall the image is well-defined with good colouring and skin tones. There is some noise evident, but no colour-bleeding.
Black levels exhibit some evidence of noise. Grain is generally acceptable, but there is some slightly distracting edge enhancement. Shimmer is occasionally discernable on objects such as rollerdoors and the occasional patterned shirt. There are some white flecks that pop up infrequently, but little in the way of dirt.
The layer change is placed between scenes, but is noticeable at 52.22 mainly because of the pause in the soundtrack. The burned-in subtitles during the club scene are still there, but I question whether they are needed.
There are two fine audio choices being a Dolby 5.1 and a DTS 5.1. Both are very good, but the DTS is the track of choice for the additional ‘oomph’ and slightly more spacious sound. Almost all dialogue is placed in the centre speaker, with most sound effects and noises spaced equally along the front. The rears are used extensively for the music, and some ambience in the crowded bar scenes.
There are no issues with synchronisation or clarity, although sometimes the thick Scottish accent makes things a bit tough. Low-level sounds are most evident in the club scenes where the dance music really works the subwoofer. Generally, the audio is well spaced and well-balanced.