Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Essay

Within the film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” we gain a strong perception of a pseudo-psychedelic trip. In this particular scene, Duke (Johnny Depp) has consumed more than enough Adrenochrome, causing him to fall into a drug induced trip, while Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) tries to get rid of Lucy. The stylistic choices made depicts the hallucinogenic structure of the film via camera movement, framing and composition, colour and by the use of depth within the scene.

Adrenochrome is a drug that stimulates the mind within the film. When Duke takes more than the favoured dosage of Adrenochrome by Gonzo, his state of mind has been altered. This is represented by the camera movement and framing. Once he begins to take the drugs the camera begins to tilt slowly both right and left, altering the perspective for the viewer to understand the hallucinogenic feeling that Duke is experiencing. This trip allows for Gonzos actions in the background to play off his fake altercation. Furthering the connection between the viewer and Duke, the camera has a sense of freedom to move around the space. The camera creates the feeling as if gravity does not exist, by its smooth movement going up and down, angled tilts and by the slow progression of moving towards and away from the characters. Lastly, the close-ups of Duke showcase his emotional …show more content…
Duke blendes in with the background due to his wardrobe being neutral and having similar tones with the scenery, where as Gonzo seems to pop more in the foreground due to exposure being darker within this area of the frame, as well the usage of a darker tone of red adds some depth towards the colour palate. The colour pink plays with the contrasting actions of the scene, as the colour gives a sense of calmness where as Duke is getting high and Gonzo is staging an