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Synopsis
A jolt of adrenaline shot straight to the heart of 1990s British cinema, this darkly funny adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel was a major breakthrough for director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge. With live-wire energy and stylistic verve, Trainspotting bounces across the life and times of Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), a Scottish heroin addict who, along with his misfit mates, gets high, gets in trouble, gets clean, and gets high again, all in a bid to outrun the banality of modern existence. Kinetically cut to an iconic soundtrack of techno, rock, and Brit-pop, this indie phenomenon chooses life in all its ugly, beautiful, terrifying exhilaration.
Picture 9/10
The Criterion Collection reissues its 4K UHD special edition of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting, once again presenting the film with Dolby Vision in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on a triple-layer disc. The 2160p/24hz ultra high-definition presentation is sourced from the same 4K restoration used for the first pressing, taken from a scan of the 35mm original camera negative. A standard Blu-ray is also included, featuring a 1080p presentation of the film (derived from the same 4K restoration) along with all video supplements.
For all intents and purposes, this is the same edition Criterion released in 2024, though there are a couple of notable differences, one of which is rather surprising. First, Criterion has dropped the elaborate glow-in-the-dark slip-style packaging, replacing it with a standard two-disc Scanavo case while retaining the same booklet. U.S. distribution rights have also changed hands, moving from Paramount (which had acquired the Miramax library) to Sony Pictures Classics, and as a result Criterion has replaced the Miramax logo with the Sony Pictures Classics logo.
The biggest surprise, however, and one that has been noted elsewhere online, is that Criterion has actually given the film an entirely new encode rather than simply reusing the previous one and swapping out the logos. And the difference is more significant than I would have expected.
I never thought the 2024 presentation looked bad. In fact, I think it still looks very good and easily surpassed every previous home video edition. Unfortunately, it suffered from an issue that was fairly common for Criterion encodes at the time, and that was poor handling when it came to the highlights, resulting in visible blocky patterns and noise. It was nowhere near as disastrous as what happened with Walkabout, but it could still be noticeable in shots featuring bright skies or sunlight pouring through windows. Again, not a deal breaker for me, but it was noticeable enough.
Thankfully, that issue has largely been resolved here, grouped along with a number of subtler improvements that end up being more apparent than I would have guessed. Those blocky patterns are mostly gone. There are still a couple of shots with bright light streaming through windows that can look a little blown out, but the edges now appear far cleaner, with none of the obvious blockiness seen before. The same applies to shots of the sky, which previously could look flattened and noisy. Grain and fine detail now remain intact and are rendered much more naturally. Even scenes featuring strong red light filtering through windows fare better, with cleaner transitions where darker areas meet those vibrant reds.
The biggest surprise may be the rendering of the film grain itself. Outside of the highlight issues, I already thought grain looked quite good on the original release, and I still feel that way. Yet it is subtly improved here. This is especially noticeable in the smoky interiors of the film’s various pubs, where the image simply looks cleaner and more refined as light cuts through the haze. These scenes look exceptionally good.
Otherwise, the presentation remains unchanged. Anyone who objected to the color grading will find the same grading here, though I still think it works well and is preferable to all previous editions I've owned, from the oversaturated Alliance DVD to the magenta-leaning masters used by Disney and Lionsgate for their releases. Black levels and shadows are still deeper as well, and look fantastic. Dolby Vision continues to help in darker interiors, particularly those illuminated by single light sources or tinted window light, which again looks way better breaking through the smoke in this presentation. And, of course, the restoration itself remains superb, cleaning up the source materials beautifully.
While I never thought the original release was terrible by any means (I ultimately ranked it in the “could be a lot better” area) this new encode is a noticeable improvement, and frankly a bigger one than I expected. I’m not sure it’s worth upgrading if you already own the first pressing, but that will come down to personal preference. That said, if you’ve yet to pick up Criterion’s 4K edition, this is unquestionably the one to get.
Trainspotting - Screen Captures
Audio 8/10
The audio presentations sound to be the same ones available on the 2024 edition and again—as with their LaserDisc edition—Criterion includes both the original 2.0 and remixed 5.1 surround soundtracks, both presented here in DTS-HD MA. The film's famous soundtrack still sounds fantastic through both presentations with incredible highs, while dialogue still sounds crisp and clear, though I guess North American audiences may still have issues with some accents and terminology (early releases did have an alternate North American dub, which I kinda wish Criterion would have included for curiosity's sake).
As to which one to choose it still comes down to personal preference. The 5.1 track makes some use of the discrete channels, especially noticeable in club scenes and Renton's early underwater journey, and bass is stronger without being overbearing. That said, I do think the 2.0 track can be a little sharper, at least when it came to dialogue.
Ultimately, both options prove effective in the end.
Extras 9/10
All material from the 2024 edition returns here, starting with Criterion's 1996 audio commentary featuring director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, screenwriter John Hodge, and actor Ewan McGregor (who also serves as moderator), originally recorded for Criterion’s LaserDisc and included here on both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs.
The track is a wide-ranging one, covering just about every facet of the production, though it’s probably at its most interesting when it focuses on the difficulties involved in adapting Irvine Welsh’s novel. As some may know, the book doesn’t focus on one specific character, instead giving roughly equal time to several characters through first-person narration while also juggling numerous storylines (and dialects!) The idea of taking a more Altman-esque approach did cross everyone’s minds, but it was ultimately decided to focus on Renton and build the film around a central narrative while still retaining the spirit of the novel. There is plenty of discussion around deciding what to keep and what to cut (even when doing so was painful), which naturally leads into talk about the arrangement of the narrative and the film’s editing, both of which needed to match the rhythm of the narration and soundtrack.
There’s also discussion around the film’s casting and some of the good fortune involved, from choosing Robert Carlyle instead of the much larger actor they originally envisioned for Begbie to discovering Kelly Macdonald. I was also surprised by how concerned they were about making the film more universal, fearing it would alienate audiences outside Scotland, and were clearly shocked by the film’s eventual success. There are also plenty of fun bits of trivia and side observations, including the suggestion that Keith Allen’s drug dealer character here is the same one he played in Shallow Grave.
Unlike some other commentaries Criterion produced for its LaserDisc editions, this one has remained readily available on numerous DVD and Blu-ray releases through the years. Still, it remains an entertaining and insightful track, well worth listening to if one hasn’t heard it before.
The video features are then found exclusively on the Blu-ray, starting with a new 19-minute piece entitled Designing the Look of the Film, featuring production designer Kave Quinn and costume designer Rachael Fleming. The segment plays more like a video essay, combining photos, behind-the-scenes home video footage, film clips, and other archival material as Quinn and Fleming discuss the research that informed the film’s look and how they recreated it. This includes the apartments, clubs, bars, and other locations seen throughout the film (even the “worst toilet in Scotland”), as well as the design of the costumes and wardrobe.
Photographs used as reference and production materials are shown throughout, including details such as the wallpaper in Renton’s childhood bedroom. Color was also an important consideration, and the two discuss the extensive testing required to ensure the desired palette survived through the film development process intact. It’s a wonderfully assembled piece loaded with some fantastic archival material.
Criterion then gathers together several musicians associated with the soundtrack, including Iggy Pop, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Leftfield’s Neil Barnes, and Underworld’s Rick Smith and Karl Hyde. Noel Gallagher also appears through a written statement, expressing his regret at not contributing (apparently the title was one of the things that turned him off). Iggy Pop, also through text, discusses Welsh’s novel and its importance, while the others, through audio interviews, explain how they became involved with the film. As a feature examining how these artists came to contribute to the soundtrack it works reasonably well, but it falls short of the deep-dive I would have expected for what was on of the more impactful soundtracks of the period, ultimately running a brief 12 minutes.
Off the Rails: The Making of Trainspotting is a newly assembled 45-minute documentary produced by Criterion, constructed from archival interviews conducted with the cast and crew around the time of the film’s production, release, and immediate aftermath, including excerpts from Irvine Welsh’s interview originally featured on Criterion’s LaserDisc. Like the commentary, it covers the film’s production, but expands upon many of the same topics, delving further into the screenplay’s development and the casting process. It also includes some excellent behind-the-scenes footage, including material showing the filming of the injection sequence, which utilized a fake arm. The documentary also touches on the film’s marketing campaign, test screenings in New York, and its out-of-competition premiere at Cannes.
It's a good documentary, wonderfully edited together creating a clear timeline for the production, though somewhat disappointingly it features very little from the cast themselves. That gap ends up being largely filled by the 2008 documentary Memories of Trainspotting, which runs 45 minutes. Covering some of the same ground, including the challenges of adapting the novel, it also features lengthier interviews with cast members including McGregor, Carlyle, Bremner, and Macdonald, who discuss their characters and experiences in far greater detail.
We also learn that Boyle had the cast watch a number of films to help establish the tone he was after, including A Clockwork Orange, The Lost Boys, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, the last of which Bremner admits left him somewhat confused as an influence. Discussion of a sequel also comes up, with the filmmakers noting that any follow-up would need to be substantially different from the original, which of course did happen eventually: T2: Trainspotting, drawing from Welsh’s Porno and additional material from Trainspotting the novel, would eventually arrive in 2017.
Also carried over from the LaserDisc (and numerous DVD and Blu-ray editions) are nine deleted scenes running approximately 10 minutes, accompanied by an optional commentary from the filmmakers. The commentary largely explains why the scenes were removed and, while I can’t say any of them were wrongly cut (some are repetitive while others would have slowed the pacing) they’re still fascinating to watch on their own. Highlights include an additional scene featuring Renton visiting Swanney in the hospital and another showing Renton attending his own job interview. The latter is funny, though after Spud’s interview scene it probably would have felt a little redundant.
The disc closes with the film’s teaser trailer—which has virtually nothing to do with the film itself and is the same teaser included on Criterion’s edition of Shallow Grave—along with the international trailer. Criterion also includes three minutes of outtakes from McGregor’s audio commentary recording session, found under “Reading” in the menu.
The release also includes the same 36-page booklet found in the 2024 edition, featuring an essay by Graham Fuller and a reprint of Irvine Welsh’s essay originally included with the LaserDisc. While it lacks the separate glossary insert that accompanied the LaserDisc (providing translations of various Scottish terms for North American viewers) the definitions have instead been scattered throughout the booklet’s margins. The booklet also offers an interesting look at the graphic design behind the film’s promotional campaign.
This release does drop the glow-in-the-dark slip-style packaging from the 2024 edition and replaces it with a standard two-disc Scanavo case. I didn’t dislike the previous packaging, though I can’t say I was particularly attached to it either; it was a pain if all you wanted to do was just watch the movie.
Though some exclusive material has been produced, much of the content remains archival in nature. Even so, it’s still probably the most comprehensive collection of supplements I’ve seen assembled for the film.
Closing
While I wouldn't go so far as to say it's worth upgrading if you already own the first pressing, this new edition does offer a noticeably better video presentation thanks to its stronger encode, bringing it more in line with Criterion's recent 4K output. Criterion's edition is also still the best special edition I've yet come across for the film.
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