Trainspotting might be one of the darkest movies I've ever seen. Despite it' bleak outlook and honest portrayal of addiction, it has built up a cult status of epic proportions. So much so that if you had told me way back in 2006 after Trainspotting came out that Ewan McGregor was going to eventually play Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels, I would never have believed you.
Based upon the successful novel by Irvine Welsh and directed by Robert Boyle, Trainspotting tells the tale of friends Renton (played by McGregor), Spud, Tommy, Begbie, and Sickboy as they deal with heroin addiction while living in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Filled with lots of dark and horrifying moments, Trainspotting helped to shed light on a part of culture that was in desperate need of attention, and wasn't afraid to take any punches. Whether it was the death of a child through the neglect of one of the addicted characters or the uncomfortable scenes of Renton going through withdrawal as he finally got clean, Boyle made sure to make you think before you were done watching the movie.
Music also played an important role in the film, as the viewer found themselves neck-deep in the drug sub-culture of Edinburg. The movie was filled with tracks by 80s new-wavers New Order, trip-hoppers Leftield, Sleeper, and indie legends Blur rounding out a roster of who's who of 90s British music. Not to mention the classic scene as the movie kicks off where Renton and Spud are being chased by security guards as Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life," plays in the background.
The soundtrack to the movie was so successful that its producers ended up putting out a second volume of tracks featured in the movie to appease fans. Enjoy some of the highlights from the Trainspotting soundtrack below; just make sure not to do anything too stupid while listening to "Lust For Life."
