This isn't a movie that exists to tell a story; rather, it indulges in presenting the elements that traditionally compose a story through its own, admittedly skewed lens.
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I do believe that this review began as the most intimidating blank page of my life. How does one approach a critique of this kind of film? Director Terry Gilliam has created a work that is so wildly subjective, so blatantly unrelenting in its glorification of anarchist filmmaking, and so deft at existing between the experimental and the incomprehensible that choosing a vantage point from which to approach it logically seems absurd. At the risk of presenting a convoluted perspective, I have decided to approach this film on the side of style over actual substance (which may, in fact, make more sense than the alternative, as one's acceptance or rejection of this film's style will undoubtedly directly affect one´s willingness to digest any substance it might contain).
Based on Hunter S. Thompson's book of same title, "Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas" begins "somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert", as we are introduced to Raoul Duke (a character based on Thompson and played memorably by Johnny Depp) and his partner in absurdity, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro). Duke is a journalist, Gonzo is Duke´s attorney, and the two are on the way to Vegas to cover a motorcycle race. To delve any further into the "plot" of this film would be missing the point. This isn't a movie that exists to tell a story; rather, it indulges in presenting the elements that traditionally compose a story through its own, admittedly skewed lens.
"Fear and Loathing" is a series of vignettes, each conceived to serve two ends. First, this offers us a visual representation of our main characters' world-views and the subsequent subversion of a world that wasn't fully sane to begin with. So relentless is the neurotic (yet somehow strangely euphoric) visual style, in fact, that the line between hallucination and reality grows increasingly ambiguous as the film progresses. One side effect of this, of course, is the interactive nature that this medium, at its most confidently artistic, can attain and exploit. To this end, "Fear and Loathing" essentially creates a very real sense of personal involvement in the viewer. We're not merely shown how Duke views his surroundings, but we're thrown beside him, seeing it with him, as if our own take on the proceedings were just as perverse and twisted as his.
Another benefit of Gilliam's direction (and probably due in even greater part to the undeniably inspired performances of Depp and Del Toro) is the nearly perfect balance this film maintains between black comedy and outright depravity. You're not ever sure whether you're taken in or put off by these two characters who, at opposing moments, alternate between whimsical, oblivious charm to near catastrophic sadism. The film opens with a hilarious jaunt into the mind of Raoul, complete with the ever-present Depp monologue ranting about bats descending on his car, that takes our guard down. It's an introductory moment of self-awareness that makes us question later on, as the film descends into chaos, why we laughed in the first place. Just the right amounts of light and dark strokes make this movie as brilliant as it is irresponsible and as beautiful and poignant as it is exploitative and empty.
It's no surprise that a film with so much duality to offer an audience with an increasingly one-note comfort zone failed to sell many tickets upon its initial theatrical run. On home video, however, this film has found a cult following. Still, if you think about it, the film´s audience in 2004--no doubt comprised in no small measure of generation Generation Xers and those, like myself, who bought this film as a blind purchase out of nothing more high-minded than morbid curiosity--is unquestionably more appropriate for "Fear and Loathing" than the contemptuous eyes that greeted it back in 1998.
Perhaps the film's underlying subtext of the disillusionment and confusion of a lost generation, searching desperately and destructively for a way back to an ideology that made sense, was lost on critics who saw only the drug-induced slapstick antics in the foreground. Or maybe, just maybe, this film is as empty and devoid of morality as it can appear at times. In that sense, Gilliam's film would be the ultimate drug analogy: full of possibility and mind-blowingly new, but with none of the depth or cathartic realization that it could and should have delivered. I would argue, however, that the movie´s capacity for multiple interpretations defeats the notion that it is devoid of purpose. Love it or hate it, this is one work that deserves attention.
Video:
Filmed in Super 35 and presented here in 2.29:1 anamorphic widescreen, this transfer is very good indeed, though there is one minor problem. I noticed a fair amount of edge enhancement when watching this film on my 34" 16:9 monitor at home. This is most intrusive during the well-lit, outdoor shots of the film, where rather pronounced edge halos can be seen around Duke's hat. Overall, this isn't a huge problem, although its presence at all is disappointing. Aside from this, though, the new transfer delivers in virtually every respect. Artifacts are absent for the most part, and black levels are excellent. As difficult as it is to rate the contrast and color saturation with a film so intentionally surreal, this transfer was personally supervised by Terry Gilliam. As such, I would venture to guess that this is as accurate a presentation as you're likely to find of the director´s vision. The image is stable and quite film-like in appearance, impressively handling the vivid and frequent shifts in color palette.
Audio:
According to the insert booklet, this edition features newly remastered audio from the original magnetic six-track masters. Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 English, and DTS 5.1 English are available.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is very well done, with good separation between channels and an expansive soundstage. Dialogue is as crisp and intelligible as you can expect (given that the leads are rarely in an "intelligible" state), though it does tend to get slightly harsh at times near the high end. This was very possibly the intention, however, as the sounds as well as the sights in this movie are relative to what our characters are experiencing rather than "naturalistic". The DTS mix is very similar to the Dolby, though to my ears, it does boast a slightly more aggressive and effective use of the surrounds and a tighter, more controlled bottom end.
Optional English subtitles are available.
Extras:
This two-disc set comes packed with extras. A few made it on to Disc One, with the real meat of the supplements placed on the second platter.
--Disc One--
First up are the commentaries. There are three of them, and each one offers something unique and, in most cases, informative. The first track, with Gilliam, is as every bit as entertaining and enlightening as his usual offerings, with tons of anecdotes about the actors, working with Hunter Thompson, and other tidbits covering virtually all facets of production.
The second, with stars Depp and Del Toro along with producer Laila Nabulsi, is the track you'll want to choose if you´re interested more in the inspiration, motivation, and development of the film. It's adequate, but it´s a little dry as well, especially given the raunchy nature of the picture, and Nabulsi does the majority of the talking. Still, sparse though it may be, it's great to hear Depp and Del Toro discussing these roles.
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