FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS A film review by Craig Gustafson Copyright 1998 Craig Gustafson
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
For a movie reviled by Serious Film Critics, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is quite good. This adaptation of the classic Hunter S. Thompson novel about a drug-saturated search for the American Dream in 1971 Las Vegas (height of the Nixon era), has long been considered unfilmable.
Journalist Raoul Duke and his foreign ("probably Samoan") attorney, Dr. Gonzo, spend a weekend in Vegas, ostensibly to cover first a motorcycle race, then a District Attorneys convention on the Evils of Drugs. In reality, they are there to find out if the lifestyle of the sixties has a chance of survival in the seventies. And where better to ask the question than the Playground of the Nixon Generation?
The main question of the American Dream is perhaps even more pertinent now in an era when frankly speaking one's mind can land one in court to sit and ruminate on the heinous offense of "misusing" Freedom of Speech to actually Offend Someone.
Johnny Depp is brilliant as Raoul Duke. His is a dead-on performance that perfectly embodies Duke's curiosity as to just how far society will allow him to go before he is slapped into jail. His strongest moment, however, points up a weakness in the film:
In the scene where the out-of-control Dr. Gonzo threatens a burned-out shrew of a waitress (Ellen Barkin) with a very large knife, Barkin shines. She is heart-breaking in the small role of a tough dame who bites off a bit more than she can chew.
But watch Depp's eyes.
He is at once embarrassed, discovering that perhaps there is a line not to be crossed, and filled with pity for the woman. AND, on top of all that, he seems appalled and frightened to find these feelings within himself. It is masterful film acting. This complexity, amply displayed in the book, is seen only in this one scene.
Terry Gilliam's direction is perfect for both the historical and hallucinatory ambiences of the film. We are in a Las Vegas that exists both in the "Foul Era of Nixon" and in a territory that freely embraces people morphing into literal lounge lizards and carpets that rapidly fill with blood. The point of the book that Las Vegas in itself is a bad trip is well realized.
As Dr. Gonzo, Benicio del Toro is adequate. He is most effective when the Samoan loose cannon is called upon to be quietly, homicidally dangerous. But his mumbling does not delineate the rampaging monster of the book.
High points include the faithfulness to the source material. The high volume of narration, while Frowned Upon by critics, is literate, compelling and funny. A love of the language is evident. There is also a rousing atmosphere of Spot the Cameo: appearances are made by, among others, Katherine Helmond, Cameron Diaz, Gary Busey, Penn Jillette and, hysterically, the real Hunter S. Thompson.
Low points: Gary Busey's scene as a highway cop. I won't reveal what happens, but the comic point is lost: that Duke, when confronted by a non-stereotypical cop who treats him like a human being, is at a complete loss on how to deal with the situation. The Debbie Reynolds scene disappoints, probably due to budget considerations; Ms. Reynolds, however, graciously supplies her own voice for a scene that, in the book, made venomous fun of her.
A bit more problematically, the movie runs out of gas near the end. There is no real way to wrap up a plotless movie. The only thing you can do when the ride is over is to get out of the car. But the ride is terrific, for the most part. And with the top down, it's a breath of fresh air in our land of "Lost in Space" and "Godzilla."
Craig Gustafson
"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn pro."
---Raoul Duke
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