Trainspotting-review by Jessica

Trainspotting is definitely one of the greatest films in the end of 90s in the UK.This film became almost a cultural phenomenon as soon as it was released in Britain in February 1996.

First of all, I want to explain the name of this film. Trainspotting is a slang from Britain, which means a game that idle people in somewhere trains pass by guess the next train's time and destination to kill time. But in this film the name of Trainspotting has a deep meaning, I suppose, where will it take our characters when the train passes by?

Next, I have to talk about the famous talented director of Trainspotting- Danny Boyle. Although Danny Boyle's works are not too many, just aroud up 10 works, Tainspotting(1996) and Slumdog Millionaire(2008) are enough to make him be the one of the greatest directors in the world. It is the best proof that the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder directed by him.

Danny Boyle has high passion to youth, music,romanticism and cruel realism. In Trainspotting, it shows the wild growth life of some young Scotch. Drugs, crime and despair fill in every cineframe in this film, which is the first impression of this film. It is claimed the compulsory film of "literary and artistic" youths.

"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big telivision...Choose your future. Choose life...But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life: I choose something else. And the reason? There are no reasons." This is the classic dialogue of Trainspotting.The chasing down Edinburgh's Princes Street that opens the film. Running is the iconic scene of Danny Boyle's works. It also could be watched in Bombay in Slumdog Millionaire. With the running, the dialogue of the leading actor Mark shows us the attitude of totally negating the values of the mainstream. Where do Mark and his firends run? A scene that Mark and his friend escape to Scottish Highlands, after seeing the endless highlands, they felt confused and then went back to the heroin and crime's world. 

The following scene is Mark with his friend's escaping after pushing drugs that is copy of Beatle's classic pose.It is a black humour.

Another memorable scene is Mark diving down the "Worst Toilet in Scotland" headfirst.It is a surrealism expression.When Mark jumps into the closetool, he swims in a pure ocean with the music Deep Blue Day and then he is excited to find the drugs coming to the worst toilet again. We could see the drugs twinkles.It also a successful black humour.

However,Danny Boyle doesn't only description the life of corrupt youths, and he also givs us the objective thinking of this. One side, we could feel the same feeling with the characters' that the desiration of motivation of life, and on the another side,we see the final tragedy fate of youths escaping normal life.I able to undersatnd the criticism and reflection of the corrupt youths.In my consideration, it is the most important  sense of Trainspotting.

To sum up, the film is a black comedy, at times hilarious, tragic, surreal, brutal and uplifting. It doesn't condemn drug addicts, but it is probably more effective then any amount of preachy moralising as it depicts the devastating consequences that can happen to drug users.

PS. the acting of leading chractor Ewan McGregor and music of Trainspotting is amazing!