“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”

The 1972 novel, about an eccentric journalist and his psychotic lawyer who embark on a comical yet haunting trip to Las Vegas, came to light in 1998 when it was finally released in cinemas. Directors such as Martin Scoresese and Oliver Stone had previously tried capturing this novel but were unsuccessful, landing in Terry Gilliam's hands who managed to turn this movie into a classic. Legendary actor Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke and Award Winner Benicio Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo both took part in this innovative and unique project. Both characters are quite something out of the ordinary. With thought-out costumes and dialogue to fit their personalities, they each created memorable personas in cinema history.  "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is not a story but rather an experience. From the sudden and random narration to the extreme camera effects, it brings the audience to this chaotic road trip. The film is filled with many unique soundtracks that makes each scene even more exciting. The fluorescent colors also create an alien environment that not only establishes the tone but also intensifies the scenes. In short, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" brings new cards to the table, making this film unique in every way possible.

It is understandable if not the entire world enjoys sitting through this entire movie; it is not for everyone. The movie puts the audience in uncomfortable situations with close ups of the characters, making the audience experience unwanted intimacy with the characters. These camera angles and camera shots are all over the place to express what the character is feeling, which is, for the majority of the film, confusing and intense. That is what I particularly like about this movie; it has no boundaries. Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro immerse themselves into their characters so naturally and professionally that they fit into the movie's formula perfectly. Many times, throughout the movie, I had to trace back to the character's motives, and after watching the movie, I came to the conclusion that they don't have one, that even Las Vegas was unknown to characters of their sorts. A very memorable moment is when Johnny Depp's character describes what his briefcase has, "We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls." I assume that the majority of the people don't know at least half of those drugs mentioned by Duke and with a super detailed description about just a briefcase, it emphasizes and dramatizes the fact that, both Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, are indeed crackheads. All in all, the movie is definitely worth the watch due to its comedic sense of humor, its craziness, its characters, and its uniqueness. 

MOVIE RATING: GOOD/BAD