Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998) Dir: Justin Gilliam
- Ridley Coote
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
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This 1998 road-trip comedy, directed by Justin Gilliam, is a film I've wanted to watch for years and years, mainly because of its reputation for absurdity, as much as anything else. Based on the 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson, which is itself known to be a bizarre piece of literature, the film is famous for its surreal look and feel - something I hoped I'd enjoy a lot. Either way, I felt compelled to watch the film at least once to understand why it has had such an affect on those who love it.
It's safe to say that the film was heavily stylised, with an absurd but brilliant array of different colour and lighting techniques, allowing the film to have a wholly unique and interesting visual aesthetic. I can certainly imagine this being too much for some, but I for one enjoyed it. It was weird and wacky, but very fun and visually engaging, in my opinion. It was an extremely stimulating and versatile film, which left a distinct impression.
The story was told through the lense of a psychedelic road-trip, but blended fact and fiction, and filled with satire, sarcasm, posturing, and general absurdity on a bizarre scale. The narrative didn't use a typical story structure, but its unusual, disjointed, and non-linear style of storytelling was very effective in creating an engrossing and distinctive viewing experience. The actual story seemed to be the least important aspect of the film - it was more about the protagonist and his drug-fueled antics.
Johnny Depp was pretty much perfectly cast for the protagonist's role. He has become known for his eccentric, over-the-top, and very comedic acting - all prominent features of the performance he produced. His off-screen controversies may have complicated his reputation and legacy, but his ability to create some of the most memorable, quirky, and highly thought-of acting performances is something that has never changed.
The film also featured the great Benicio del Toro fairly heavily, and it was all the better for it. His ability to embrace the chaos of his roles meant that he felt well at home in the highly strange world that Gilliam and Thompson had constructed. The film also featured an extremely odd but incredibly memorable supporting performance from Tobey Maguire. He didn't have much screentime, but he was easily one of the more memorable moments of the film.
Overall, I think that to say this film was a truly wild experience would be a severe understatement. It almost bordered on too strange, at points, but I quite liked the almost experimental and creative way this film was made. This was a very unique story, in both its presentation and execution, and it provided one of the more expressive, imaginative, and innovative explorations of journalism and semi-autobiographical storytelling.
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