In this dramatic yet dark film on the touchy subject of heroine abuse, director Danny Boyle paints a picture of crime and drug use in depressing Edinburgh, Scotland. A group of young boys and men ban together over a common interest in the use and lifestyle affiliated with heroine and other drugs and the pains that come with youth and boredom. Main character, Mark Renton (Ewan McGreggor) throws away the societal norms and chooses a life filled with adventure, thievery, and above all obtaining the high that comes with abusing a drug.
The scene and feel of the movie is what most attracts viewers to the film. It is set in a depressing town in Scotland that rarely sees sunshine and greenery. The characters live in longing to break free of the town restraints and its view of a perfect and ideal lifestyle. The camera angles, especially in the "detoxing" scenes are key in creating a feel of pain and agony as well as mental instability in order to force the audience to really feel what the characters are going through.
Boyle used camera movement as well as music and lighting to his advantage in this film to create the ideal setting of drug abuse and poverty. The dark scenes of haunting dead babies, filthy toilets, and the lengths these characters go through to get a heroine high makes the audience really feel the depression of drug use and creates the perfect feel to this grunge film. Boyle explains throughout the film why these character would be inclined to choose "heroine over life" and tells a captivating story while doing so.
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