Review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by Micheal C — 17 Oct 2011

If it's in the Criterion Collection, you can generally believe that it's a film of great quality. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the crazed acid trip 'buddy' film from master director Terry Gilliam, is no exception. I've never seen a bad film from Gilliam, and that's a rare thing to say about any director. He's produced some of my favorite films of all time, this being one of them.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the tale of the American dream, as hunted down by eccentric journalist Hunter S. Thompson, also known as Rauol Duke in this picture, and his chicano lawyer cohort Oscar Zeta Acosta, also known as Dr. Gonzo. The book that the film is based on, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was Hunter's first foray into the concept of Gonzo journalism, journalism that presents you as the main figure and actor and writer at the event the subject is about. Hunter was known for shouting unintelligible things, being on every drug imaginable, having a huge love of guns, a viciously political mind, being incredibly intelligent, and saying it how he saw it with no prisoners. Acosta was a militant rogue with both a charming and dangerous side. During an investigation into a murder case, Hunter got a summons by Sports Illustrated to write an article on a desert race on the west coast. Hunter had been trying to get time alone with Oscar for days to discuss the murder case but he couldn't get him away from his militant bodyguards. So he accepted the Sports Illustrated gig as a pretense to get Acosta out of town for a while and discuss the case. Their trip has since gone down in history.

What follows is a set of rotten, despicable, illegal, hilarious activities that are more or less true, give or take a lie or two. The duo traumatize a poor hitchhiking hippy (played by a then unknown Tobey Maguire), sample the destructive effects of several drugs, terrorize people in elevators, drive across the desert to wonderful music, get harassed by perverted policemen, deal with antisocial young artists, and even attend an anti-drug conference. Johnny Depp gives a wonderful performance as the eccentric reporter, getting his entire mannerism down to a tee. Poor Thompson thought he looked like a dancing turkey, but he really is spot on. Benecio Del Toro is equally amazing as the unhinged paranoid lawyer, brandishing a knife and screaming about losing the love of his life, a woman whose name he doesn't even know and met for close to ten minutes. They're incredibly fun to watch, and absolutely hilarious. Around the the last third of the film, the drug trips take a more frightening and dark turn, leaving one with some very disturbing but potent visuals.

You'll see things from Acosta turning into a vision of Baphomet with a back made of breasts to a bar full of patrons who just happen to be anthropomorphic lizards, thanks to the warped minds of the protagonists. Don't worry, though. You'll be fine as long as you have your golf shoes.

Thompson considered Gilliam too much of a cartoonist, giving the movie too much of a cartoon spin, but I disagree. I mean, if you watch Thompson, Depp played him to a tee. Gilliam's masterful direction shines with this one. Great cinematography, great effects, great camera movement, and great atmosphere in spades. The soundtrack is light and fun, with a lot of great tracks.

Do yourself a favor though, and buy the Criterion DVD. It has the original proper ending on it, where Thompson finally uncovers the American dream (and screws it up), and a lot of very interesting commentary. Overall, I recommend it. It's a film I can watch over and over again without tiring of it, and I discover something new every time I watch it. And even if this movie does show a darker, dirtier slice of American life, and even though I love it, it still hasn't gotten weird enough for me.