English 201 A Sprint on the Wild Side
“Trainspotting” is a movie that shows a glimpse of the lives of four young men in their late teens to early twenties, who are in various stages of heroin addiction. Two contrasting characters are Bixby, an older, extremely violent alcoholic who despises heroin, and Diane who at 15 mostly indulges in pot. Trainspotting takes place in the Scottish Edinburg of the early nineties. The movie is narrated by the main character Marc Renton, through whose perspective viewers witness life and death on heroin. “Trainspotting” (shot in 1996) is so popular that it is now known as a cult movie. Unique to this movie about the heroin drug culture is its fast pace, pointed criticism of society, and humorous absurdity. In spite of covering two tragic deaths, “Trainspotting” remains rooted in the subject of the friendships between its main characters, and the rapid deterioration of these friendships. The movie does depict drug addiction and its consequences in quite an ugly way; however, it uses equally ugly means to depict mainstream society. The excitement and adventure of Trainspotting far outshine the depiction of tragedy as a consequence of drug addiction. To the age group most at risk for drug addiction, Trainspotting glorifies drug use. As late as August of 2014 arts correspondent Hannah Furness quoted retired health official Sir Kenneth Calman: “Trainspotting was more powerful in the fight against drugs than warnings from health experts about them”, former chief medical officer Sir Kenneth Calman has said.” (Telegraph,6) This statement is simply untrue, especially with young viewers between the ages of eighteen to twenty-two, which pretty much comprises the target audience of Trainspotting.
When asked in an informal interview: “What did you think of Trainspotting?” some weeks after