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Writer's picturemovieejunkiee

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Psychedelic Experience

Updated: Feb 22, 2023


Reviews by:

  • @movieejunkiee

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Introduction

I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a few days ago and Omg, this film is weird. When I say weird, I mean puppet lizards eating each other in a bar, hotel rooms with floors filled with what looks like blood, and hotel employees turning into monsters weird. This is probably the weirdest film I have ever seen in my life, and I loved it. Throughout the whole movie your watching two guys who are EXTREMELY high go around Las Vegas and get even higher, and it's entertaining. This movie doesn't just keep you entertained, it makes you laugh, and at times fills you with worry, suspense and dread. It baffles me how this film only got rated 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. This film is excellent.

Directing

One of my favourite parts about Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the directing. Terry Gilliam took an excellent approach to filming this movie and if he hadn't filmed it the way he did the movie would have been painful to watch. Gilliam filmed almost every shot in this film at a dutch angle. The use of the dutch angle in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is to make you feel as if you are as high as the characters you are watching. Your sort of watching this whole film through the eyes of the characters and it really makes you feel dizzy and uneasy.

Cinematography

Also, the cinematography is perfect. Some parts of the film are filmed in very dark and gloomy environments with some vibrant colours, and other parts are filmed with just flat out colourful lighting. One of the most memorable scenes with the use of colourful lighting is when Raoul and Dr. Gonzo pull up in they're car outside the hotel and the camera pans down on them from some really bright and colourful over head lights (shown behind the text). These lights, throughout the movie, are almost blinding which helps indulge you into the world of a druggie even more.

Acting

The acting in this film is on another level! Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro give career defining performances. They also give their best performances that I've seen from them (so far). Johnny Depp, as usual, embodies the character he is playing. You really don't see Depp in this movie at all, you only see Raoul Duke. One of my favourite parts of Depp's performance is his walk. It's so accurate and funny . Del Toro also gave an outstanding performance playing Dr. Gonzo. It's incredible how he could go from not that high to, extremely high to, a guy with the urge to kill, throughout the movie. Those were the only two main roles but Tobey Maguire and Cameron Diaz also make appearances.

Soundtrack

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard for a film. The variety is simply brilliant. From "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones to "Time is Tight" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, this film has it all. The music helps indulge you into the world's if these two characters even more. You get a feel for what the 70's were like, and how crazy people could get (don't get me wrong, some people are still crazy). The music fits the mood so well, and it's undoubtedly one of the best parts of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Narration

You can't talk about this cult classic without talking about Johnny Depp's narration. I love the fact that he's narrating over this film as a sober man (I guess) after the couple of crazy nights him and his lawyer had. He tells this crazy story reminiscing the good old days when it was free to be free. He also tells this unforgettable story remembering how he felt while everything was going. It's not the best narrating I've ever heard from a film but it's certainly up there. I also love the fact that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas knows it's a movie and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Yeah sure, there are a couple of moments here and there that are filled with suspense, but this movie is mainly a comedy, and it WILL make you laugh.

Conclusion

This is a brilliant cult classic film with amazing directing, acting, cinematography, music and narration that you should definitely watch, if you haven't already (be aware that you're in for a crazy ride). Anyway, thanks for reading today's review. I hope you enjoyed, if so, don't forget to drop a comment with your thoughts on the movie and my review. Btw, I'm sorry for not having uploaded in over a week. I have been extremely busy with exmas, but, now that they're over, I'll be posting much more regularly.



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