MovieChat Forums > Trainspotting (1996) Discussion > Best deterrant? Trainspotting, Requiem f...

Best deterrant? Trainspotting, Requiem for a Dream or others?

posted 15 years ago by cara-macdonald
99 replies | jump to latest

Just wondering - what film would you show someone to put them off drugs for life?

For me I'd have to say Requiem. While I love Trainspotting and don't think it glamorises drug use in any way I think it shows a bit more of the 'fun' elements of drug culture.

I seriously think an edited Requiem should be played to older school kids - would have more impact than all the 'drugs are bad' videos I sat through for sure.

Any other suggestions . . . ?

[–] MelNichelle 13 years ago

requiem did it for me.

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didn't you know? if you don't like someone, you're just JEALOUS

[–] mzndmx 9 years ago

Sherrybaby was a very depressing movie on heroin addiction. As an ex junkie I think the way prostitution was portrayed was true to life.

[–] wingnutz25 13 years ago

how bout permament midnight

[–] flappyh 13 years ago

Noticing no one has mentioned "KIDS." That movie is a big deterrant against unsafe sex and drugs with the HIV aspect....

[–] TheToot 13 years ago

Adam and Paul.

[–] tinoynk 13 years ago

Heroin addition SUCKS no matter which way you look at it. You can sugarcoat it as much as you want, and it will look completely crappy. This is the fundamental difference between Requiem and Trainspotting.

Requiem seemed to take the stance that people need to be convinced that drug addiction is bad. The entire film is framed and structured so that you pretty much know every character is in it to lose it.

Trainspotting takes a more morally ambiguous stance, which really benefits it. Boyle tries his best to make heroin addition look appealing, (maybe a bit of an overstatement) or at the very least understandable. Aronofsky spends the entire 2 hours of Requiem beating the viewer over the head with the concept that "hard drugs are terrible."

If you need to be told that, you deserve to ruin your life with heroin. As far as a film viewer goes, Trainspotting is gripping, hilarious and darkly effective, while Requiem is just over the top and plain old grating and annoying, though it is well acted and well written.

Both convey the "drugs will ruin everything" paradigm as well as anybody, but Trainspotting does it while entertaining you. I love dark, depressing movies with horrible endings as much as anybody (Deer Hunter anyone?) but Requiem was just WAY too much.

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Live and learn. At least we lived.

[–] ClarenceRockyHorror 13 years ago

Gridlock’d is the perfect film to show; it's sad, overwhelmingly brilliant, definitely deterred me from the *beep*

[–] crazy_monkey172 13 years ago

The Corner. Think of it as a sort of junkie soap opera. Pretty interesting stuff!

S-O-C-O-Double "L" My name is not Norman but still I rock well...

[–] ryerockarola 13 years ago

Aronofsky spends the entire 2 hours of Requiem beating the viewer over the head with the concept that "hard drugs are terrible."

I hope you gathered that abusing prescription drugs can be not so great either.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] move_over_fatso 12 years ago

Trainspotting barely has a deterrent effect to drug use. Its more of a movie about how drug addicts are repulsive people, while having amusing moments. Good for keeping kids away from drug addicts, but not for those ready to make the plunge.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shenannigans 13 years ago

Requiem is ridiculously overrated and probably because that is how most people innocent to drugs picture drug users. Most people who shoot heroin wont get their limbs amputated or whore themselves out. Jail is definitely a huge possibility but being overtly racist and violating someones civil rights would get the ALCU and Al Sharpton on that town faster than anything. Not to mention how the characters pupils got LARGER whenever they shot up. Anyone who knows anything about opiates knows that they make your pupils tiny. Oh and shock treatments don't make you go insane either.

People say that Trainspotting makes it look too "fun" because the characters aren't pale and scabby and blowing dudes for dope and having their limbs fall off. Heroin users can have perfectly normal lives and you may even know some people who use it and not realize. I used heroin for a year and a half and I can say that Trainspotting is way more accurate than Requiem.

[–] Moviebot3000 13 years ago

Requiem is more intense, yet not the most realistic. Trainspotting is interesting, it was not sad in anyway (yet I do feel bad for Spud). Requiem makes drugs says "If you do this, one of these things will happen to you. Stay off Drugs Kids!" as Trainspotting said all the benefits of doing drugs. Truth is, I can't say which one of these is more realistic, I do believe that Trainspotting is more realistic. Requiem is more intense and gives you somewhat of an ill feeling in your stomach. I choose Requiem, not because it is a better movie but it shows you what could happen.

[–] franzrebs 13 years ago

You should see The Basketball Diaries. That was pretty intense.

[–] oft_I_am 13 years ago

I would say neither, as both suggest that it is ultimately addiction and using to try and cope with life and emotional issues that is the problem, not drugs in an of themselves.

Responsible use, while difficult, is never impossible.

$§ "Support mental health or I'll kill you." ~o~

[–] basel81 13 years ago

Certainly not Trainspotting. It's an awesome movie, one of my all time favorites, but never had an effect of that kind on me. Actually I remember watching it back in the day and I was like 'this is the coolest thing I've ever seen'. And for the 15 year old rebellious kid I was that definetely didn't work as a deterrant. It's not that it promotes drug use, it just honestly depicts both sides and lets you choose. Doesn't exactly sound like a deterrant to me.
Requiem on the other hand is much more intense and pessimistic. Visually is just as cool looking, but the story goes too far. For people with zero knowledge about drugs, it can have an impact strong enough to make them stay away from any experimentation. For the rest it will be a great movie in terms of style, acting and atmosphere but way over the top as for its moral.