Drugs and Film

Drug Films and their relation to Pop Culture

THESIS:

Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and “…a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers…” have emerged as popularized drugs and the prime focus of the subject at hand, that is, how film distribution companies have been able to normalize, and to an extent, promote the consumption of said drugs to the youth and young adult population through movies such as Dazed and Confused, Blow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pineapple Express, and The Wackness. However, other “drug movies,” including Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream, harness and manipulate the drug of choice in the above-mentioned films not as glorifications of drug-use by any means, but in fact as rather grotesque portrayals of addiction and the subsequent downfalls of the films’ protagonists. How then, do these so called “drug movies” induce the fan-base that each has garnered following their distribution? The fact is that they are not films that explicitly lobby for recreational drug use, but rather they incorporate drug-related themes as a catalyst for the story that is to be told; stories of adolescence, of lost innocence, of the search for freedom, stories of failure and the quest for redemption, and as such one comes to realize that despite the drug-incorporated themes present throughout these aforementioned films, it is evident that the characters in each film resemble people of everyday life, and their ambitions are not very much unlike those of any man or woman in contemporary society. Thus, it is not necessarily the inclusion of drugs that the audience falls in love with, but it is the universality of the morals present in each film that has created an entire subculture among the youth that simply relates to the characters portrayed in these movies.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by Hunter S Thompson.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, otherwise simply known as Fear and Loathing to its devoted fan base, chronicles the drug-induced journey of two men throughout Las Vegas in pursuit of the “American Dream.” Despite a pitiful initial release, with a domestic gross that totaled $8 million less than the movie’s budget, Fear and Loathing has emerged as a cult classic, due in large part to the amazingly barbaric, yet honest display of human experience that most people are entirely unaware of. Adapted from freelance journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson’s novel written in 1971, Fear and Loathing is the semi-autobiographical tale of Thompson and his lawyer, the infamous Dr. Gonzo, and their documented drug frenzy. However, because it is more than likely that very few people can relate to the level of consciousness that Thompson (referred to as the character, Raoul Duke) achieves, there is an entire side-story in Fear and Loathing that alludes to Thompson’s nostalgia for his 1960’s heyday, accounting for a more profound aspect to this film. Referring to the ‘60’s as “an era of extreme reality,” Thompson frequently reflects on this decade as one of cultural importance not only for America, but also for Thompson as an individual. There was sex, drugs, rock and roll, vast political outcries, and an overbearing sense of hope, all corresponding indications of the very counterculture that a story like Fear and Loathing reinforces in today’s society. Precisely, it is this humane glimpse of a man that seems so defeated, so simple in his desire that only eludes him, that allows for fans of this movie to connect with Thompson, and thus the subsequent production of a subculture highly portrayed by drug use and a yearning for youth.

Raoul Duke's Wave Speech:

As a survivor of what Thompson considered to be “a defeated and fractured time,” the glorified “Wave Speech” delivered in the film fully captures an age that he can only remember, but so desperately wishes to relive.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Wave Speech

JOHNNY DEPP plays THOMPSON

Considered one of the “sexiest” as well as most versatile actors of his time, heartthrob and bad boy Johnny Depp as the portrayal of Thompson no doubt leads to a more accepted notion of drug use following this movie. Considered by some as a role model in the celebrity realm, Depp’s representation of the eccentric, drug-abusing Thompson allows for a downplay of the drug-use displayed; thus, it may be inferred that Depp single handedly allows for the promotion of the drug use displayed on film.

GONZO ART

The style of art, known as “Gonzo Art” that goes hand in hand with Fear and Loathing, is created by cartoonist Ralph Steadman, and arouses a certain creative expression indicated by the psychedelic caricatures of Fear and Loathing’s protagonists.

BLOW (2001) by Ted Demme

Just as Depp plays the drug-crazed Hunter Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his representation of the cocaine-smuggling George Jung in the biopic, Blow, also allows for a smoother, less harsh view of the drugs involved. For the drug culture in general, this movie is applauded for its sentimental appeal towards some of life’s harshest realities; plagued by a detrimental monetary system as a child, George (Depp) shares with the viewers his desire to never be poor, and thus it is implied that drug-dealing is a means to escape economic troubles and live lucratively.

...Not to mention the utilization of sex appeal, with two sexual icons such as Depp and Penelope Cruz coming together to depict Blow's jaded love affair and marriage. Sex sells, and we the audience buy it, drugs included!

The Wackness (2008) by Jonathan Levine

Gandhi Promotes Marijuana…SAY WHAT??

In the 2008 coming of age film, The Wackness, actor Ben Kingsley, best known for his monumental performance as Mohandas Gandhi in the 1982 film, Gandhi, explains to his psychiatric patient Luke Shapiro (played by Nickelodeon child-star Josh Peck) that people who do not smoke marijuana should not be trusted.

Shapiro is the quintessential representation of an adolescent coping with family issues, the directionless summer ahead, and the fact that he is still a virgin. Throughout the film, Shapiro sells marijuana as a means to provide his family with extra money to avoid eviction, once again claiming drug dealing as “just another job.” Moreover, the frequent inhalation of weed in this movie acts as a form of escapism for Shapiro and his psychiatrist, Dr. Squires (Kingsley), shedding a positive light on the drug at hand. Perhaps speaking directly to a youthful drug culture, the film captures a transition from boyhood to enlightenment, and is finely tuned by a soundtrack dominated by hip hop tracks, such as those by Method Man, the Notorious B.I.G. and R. Kelly, further appealing to today’s drug culture.

Dazed and Confused (1993) Richard Linklater

Specifically with the Austin culture, this film hits home. Linklater filmed most of this movie through the eyes of a sexually aroused, ready to party teenager. Although this films drug abusing culture is "soft", it treats marijuana use as acceptable.

Although the majority of the actors in Dazed and Confused were and still are considered no-namers, one attraction of this film that particularly caters to a mainstream audience is the performance by Matthew Mcconaughey, that of a dim-witted, weed-smoking, laid back "dude."

Pineapple Express (2008) by David Gordon Green

Marijuana is the drug-in-focus in Pineapple Express. The main characters go through a series of unfortunate events while under the influence of marijuana. The amusing situations that take place throughout the film attracts a wide range of audiences. Pineapple Express is the name of the particular, exclusive marijuana that initiates the plot. Amusingly enough, drug culture has been directly influenced by this movie, as an actual marijuana strand has been cultivated and named "Pineapple Express."

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE...ALMOST:

Requiem For A Dream (2000) By Darren Aronofsky

In his film Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky depicts different forms of addiction, leading to the characters’ imprisonment in a dream world of delusion and reckless desperation that is subsequently overtaken and devastated by reality. This film was considered a hit in the independent and mainstream film culture. It was creative and innovative in its use of content and distribution a decade ago, therefore allowing for wider audiences to see it, as exemplified by a total revenue that nearly doubled the movie's budget. Where this movie differs from those described above, is in the fact that the drugs in Requiem are not manifest in a positive light, and clearly are attributed as the reason for the chaos that ensues.

Nonetheless, while Requiem's addicts are intended to portray beat-down characters losing themselves in a harrowing New York City scene, the actors playing said addicts (actors Jared Leto and Marlon Wayans, as well as actress Jennifer Connelly) are far from horrifying, thus fusing destruction with glamor.

Trainspotting (1996) by Danny Boyle

This film is about heroin abuser Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene who tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. This film was one of the most grossed foreign films in American history. It was filmed and based in Scotland in the lower class suburbs. Due to the fact that this film was so innovative and representative of a rebellious hoodlums, it allows for the audience to feel empowered by the film and its anti-government stances.

Conclusion:

The drug subculture, with its onset occurring in the 1960’s and having expanded ever since, has been greatly influenced by the universal tales depicted in film, and while many of the movies described above appeal to a smaller, more unique fan base, including the cult classics Fear and Loathing as well as Dazed and Confused, along with The Wackness, and Blow, others have garnered particular attention of a mainstream audience partly due to its inclusion of glamorous celebrities – Johnny Depp, Matthew Mcconaughey – and each facet contributes to the culmination of an overall promotion, or at least desensitization, of drug use.

SOURCES:

Burroughs, William. "Ralph Steadman: Gonzo: The Art."Spike Magazine n. pag. Web. 6 May 2010.

Davis, Eric. "Tribeca Review: The Wackness." Cinematical. Tribeca Film Festival, 29 04 2008. Web. 6 May 2010. .

"Top Ten Hunter S. Thompson Quotes." Alternative Reel n. pag. Web. 6 May 2010. .