Human Traffic
Encyclopedia
Human Traffic is a British
independent film
written and directed by Welsh
filmmaker Justin Kerrigan. The film explores themes of coming of age
, drug and club
cultures, as well as relationship
s. It includes scenes provoking social commentary
and the use of archive footage to provide political commentary. The plot of the film revolves around five twenty-something friends and their wider work and social circle, the latter devotees of the club scene, taking place over the course of a drug-fuelled weekend in Cardiff
, Wales
. A central feature is the avoidance of moralising about the impact of 1990s dance lifestyle; instead the film concentrates on recreating the "vibe, the venues and the mood" of the dance movement from the 1991 "summer of love" to the film's release in 1999. In the first 25 minutes of the film Lee, the 17 year old brother of central character Nina, enthuses "I am about to be part of the chemical generation
" and lists, using the slang of the period, a series of drugs that he might experiment with later that night. The film is narrated by one of the stars, John Simm
, featuring numerous cameo appearance
s. It is also the film debut of Danny Dyer
as well as referencing another drug culture film of the era, Trainspotting
.
With an original budget of £340,000, the production eventually came in for £2,200,000; the film was a financial success, taking in £2,500,000 at the UK box office alone, also enjoying good VHS
and DVD
sales. Human Traffic was critically well-received with largely positive reviews, and has achieved cult status, especially amongst subcultures such as the rave culture.
Problems between Kerrigan and producer Allan Niblo
ensured that a sequel never materialized, and Niblo's 2004 DVD re-release of the film, Human Traffic: Remixed, was not well received.
to Cardiff, is unemployed and scrapes a living as a small time dealer, despite his father being a senior policeman. The five friends become very close, take drugs such as cannabis
, ecstasy and cocaine
, and "live for the weekend".
The film follows the exploits of the five friends as well as various characters they meet along the way. They go to pubs and clubs on Friday, taking along Nina's 17-year old brother Lee whose waning enthusiasm for his first drugs experience are played out in a cameo debate between Jip and a doctor. Jip gives up his ticket to Lulu, whom he has talked into coming out and is forced to talk his way into the club as the group are a ticket short. The club scene is then examined through a series of cameos including two attempts by older journalists to understand the club scene. The ensemble then joins a house party
, where Lulu and Jip finally kiss and attempt unsuccessfully to make love; whereas the established couple, Koop and Nina, argue over Koop's perceptions about her behaviour. Later, the group finds out "what goes up must come down" as the effects of their drug use begin to hit home leaving them coping with feelings of illness and paranoia. They recover Lee from a group of younger partygoers he has spent the night with and make their way home.
On returning home, some of the group's issues are resolved whilst some are thrown into sharper relief. Jip makes love to Lulu, overcoming his sexual paranoia. Koop and Nina's issues are set aside. Lee has made it through the weekend without any of his concerns being realised. Moff, however, is still caught up in the paranoia caused by his extensive drug use. He argues with his parents again and is seen walking alone around Cardiff looking dejected. However, Moff joins his friends for an end of the weekend drink and having raged about his difficulties with drugs is soon joking about his excesses with his friends. The film finishes with Jip and Lulu kissing in the street after the manner of classic Hollywood films.
, Kerrigan's teacher and "mentor" at film school
. Kerrigan wanted the film to be as realistic as possible in depicting young people's lives in contemporary Britain, as well as realistically portraying drug culture and club culture, both walks of life in which Kerrigan had experience in. Kerrigan based much of the film on his own exploits, and eventually took over in a director capacity. In an edition of UK gay
lifestyle magazine Attitude
, actor Danny Dyer
spoke about the film being partly inspired by the 1999 BBC
television drama Loved Up
(which also featured an early appearance from Lena Headley), and which had similar themes to the film.
There were rumours that Kerrigan and producer Allan Niblo fell out during filming.
, where the film also takes place. Nina's workplace, a fictionalised McDonalds, was filmed at UCI 12 Cinemas, Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village, Hemingway Road. The public house during the Friday night scene was shot at Gassy Jacks, Salisbury Road, Cathays, Cardiff. The Emporium nightclub on Cardiff High Street was used as the exterior of the fictional "Asylum" club, and
Club X on Charles Street stood in as the interior. The Philharmonic public house on St Mary's Street is where the Sunday pub scene was filmed, and Jip and Lulu's Sunday night walk home was also filmed in St Mary's Street.
national anthem 38 minutes into the film. Many of the characters have family troubles which cause conflict with family members. Jip's mother is a prostitute; Koop's father lives in a fantasy world under residential psychiatric care since his wife left him. Moff still lives at home and is shown as being in continual tension with father and embarrassed when he is caught masturbating by his mother. The family relationships of the female leads are explored in less detail, although one scene portrays Lulu giving only limited details of her weekend to an uncle and aunt who are dressed as clergy. At least one contemporary review suggests that these relationships are not adequately explored in the film.
'; particularly in a scene where he is shown being anally raped by his boss, who has a barcode on his forehead and forcibly covers Jip's mouth with a £20 note. Nina has similar misgivings about her job at a fast-food restaurant where all the employees are shown bodypopping robotically and she quits her work following sexual harassment. Moff argues with his father about preferring to be unemployed whilst Lulu is shown not enjoying her college experience.
; Koop dreams of being a DJ; Moff's bedroom is festooned with anti-establishment posters. Lulu gives an extended speech about her individuality whilst Nina revels in becoming unemployed.
Jip concludes his narration by saying "We're all fucked up in our own way, y'know, but we're all doing it together. We're freestylin' on the buckle wheel of life, trapped in a world of internal dialogue. Like Bill Hicks said: 'It's an insane world, but I'm proud to be part of it.'"
Although there is significant dialogue about drug use contained in the film (specifically MDMA (ecstasy), marijuana, and one sarcastic discussion about heroin and crack cocaine
), the only drug use by main characters is a scene where Jip and Koop are having an intimate conversation at a house party and they are seen cutting up a line of white powder. They are never actually shown snorting it, but nonchalantly rub it into their gums during a discussion.
. Film critic Colm Keaveny proclaimed this film to be Danny Dyer's "finest hour", and Irish
critic James Murphy called Dyer's performance "truly remarkable". The film garnered 11 international awards and was nominated for a BAFTA.
, CJ Bolland, Fatboy Slim
, Jacknife Lee
, Pete Heller
, Ferry Corsten
, Carl Cox
, Dillinja
, Felix Da Housecat
, Orbital
, Aphrodite
, Death in Vegas
, Primal Scream
, Liquid Child
, Underworld
, Age of Love
, Energy 52
, Brainbug
and Lucid
.
announced the DVD release of Human Traffic: Remixed, promising a "modernised" soundtrack with new contemporary (2002) tracks, previously cut scenes, and "state-of-the-art CGI
effects." On 18 October The Guardian revealed that rather than being a "director's cut
", it was the work of producer Allan Niblo
, Kerrigan's tutor and "mentor" at film school. In fact Kerrigan only learnt about the project two weeks before the release was due. He explained: "I joke about it. How I signed over the copyright (to Niblo) for a pound and then never even saw the pound. When I finished I was £25,000 in debt. I've never made a penny from the film. Legally I don't have a leg to stand on, but I signed the contract because I was very naive and very broke. Now I'm just broke." No longer able to afford living in London, where he had moved after the film's release, Kerrigan was preparing to return to his native Cardiff. Although shot on a budget of £340,000 and UK box office taking of £2.5 million, Niblo maintained that the film had not made a profit, stating: "the investment is still unrecouped." John Simm was highly critical of the new release, describing it as "cynical exploitation" and complained of Niblo's attempts to get him to appear in a sequel
when he had only been paid a nominal fee for the first film. Simm said that he only appeared in Human Traffic because of Kerrigan's involvement.
" becoming "hardcore Jerry Springer
"; and Jip's allusion to Only Fools and Horses
with "he who dares, Rodders," being rendered as "he who dares wins
".
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
written and directed by Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
filmmaker Justin Kerrigan. The film explores themes of coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
, drug and club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
cultures, as well as relationship
Relationship
Relationship or relationships may refer to:* Interpersonal relationship* Intimate relationship* In mathematics and statistics:** Binary relation** Causal relationship** Correlation and dependence** Direct relationship** Inverse relationship...
s. It includes scenes provoking social commentary
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and the use of archive footage to provide political commentary. The plot of the film revolves around five twenty-something friends and their wider work and social circle, the latter devotees of the club scene, taking place over the course of a drug-fuelled weekend in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. A central feature is the avoidance of moralising about the impact of 1990s dance lifestyle; instead the film concentrates on recreating the "vibe, the venues and the mood" of the dance movement from the 1991 "summer of love" to the film's release in 1999. In the first 25 minutes of the film Lee, the 17 year old brother of central character Nina, enthuses "I am about to be part of the chemical generation
Chemical generation
The Chemical Generation refers to a collection of writers in the 1990s who added a literary dimension to the hedonistic ecstasy culture of the era....
" and lists, using the slang of the period, a series of drugs that he might experiment with later that night. The film is narrated by one of the stars, John Simm
John Simm
John Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
, featuring numerous cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s. It is also the film debut of Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
as well as referencing another drug culture film of the era, Trainspotting
Trainspotting (film)
Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
.
With an original budget of £340,000, the production eventually came in for £2,200,000; the film was a financial success, taking in £2,500,000 at the UK box office alone, also enjoying good VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
sales. Human Traffic was critically well-received with largely positive reviews, and has achieved cult status, especially amongst subcultures such as the rave culture.
Problems between Kerrigan and producer Allan Niblo
Allan Niblo
Allan Niblo is a British film producer and director. He co-founded Vertigo Films.- Producer :* Monsters * Outlaw * WΔZ * The Business * It's All Gone Pete Tong * The Football Factory...
ensured that a sequel never materialized, and Niblo's 2004 DVD re-release of the film, Human Traffic: Remixed, was not well received.
Synopsis
The film is an ensemble piece in which the five protagonists plan, enjoy and come down from a weekend out in Cardiff; all motivated at least in part by the need for a weekend escape from the difficulties and contradictions of their daily lives. Jip, the male lead, is suffering from sexual anxiety brought on by a series of unsuccessful liaisons. Koop, Jip's best friend, is jealous of his girlfriend Nina's easygoing and popular nature. Nina is being sexually harassed in a job she had no choice but to take after having failed a college interview. Lulu, Jip's best female friend and "dropping partner", has suffered infidelity in her last 3 relationships. Moff, the newest member of the group having met Jip at a warehouse party after moving from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Cardiff, is unemployed and scrapes a living as a small time dealer, despite his father being a senior policeman. The five friends become very close, take drugs such as cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, ecstasy and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, and "live for the weekend".
The film follows the exploits of the five friends as well as various characters they meet along the way. They go to pubs and clubs on Friday, taking along Nina's 17-year old brother Lee whose waning enthusiasm for his first drugs experience are played out in a cameo debate between Jip and a doctor. Jip gives up his ticket to Lulu, whom he has talked into coming out and is forced to talk his way into the club as the group are a ticket short. The club scene is then examined through a series of cameos including two attempts by older journalists to understand the club scene. The ensemble then joins a house party
House party
A house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
, where Lulu and Jip finally kiss and attempt unsuccessfully to make love; whereas the established couple, Koop and Nina, argue over Koop's perceptions about her behaviour. Later, the group finds out "what goes up must come down" as the effects of their drug use begin to hit home leaving them coping with feelings of illness and paranoia. They recover Lee from a group of younger partygoers he has spent the night with and make their way home.
On returning home, some of the group's issues are resolved whilst some are thrown into sharper relief. Jip makes love to Lulu, overcoming his sexual paranoia. Koop and Nina's issues are set aside. Lee has made it through the weekend without any of his concerns being realised. Moff, however, is still caught up in the paranoia caused by his extensive drug use. He argues with his parents again and is seen walking alone around Cardiff looking dejected. However, Moff joins his friends for an end of the weekend drink and having raged about his difficulties with drugs is soon joking about his excesses with his friends. The film finishes with Jip and Lulu kissing in the street after the manner of classic Hollywood films.
Cast
- John SimmJohn SimmJohn Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
- Jip - Lorraine PilkingtonLorraine PilkingtonLorraine Pilkington is an Irish actress from Dublin, who is best known for her role as Katrina Finlay on Monarch of the Glen. Trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, Pilkington began her career at the age of 15 when she appeared in The Miracle directed by Neil Jordan. She appeared onstage in the...
- Lulu - Shaun ParkesShaun ParkesShaun Parkes is an English actor currently appearing in the ITV drama Identity.-Biography:At 16 he enrolled at Seltec College to study drama, two years later he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Career:...
- Koop - Danny DyerDanny DyerDanny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
- Moff - Nicola Reynolds - Nina
- Dean DaviesDean DaviesDean Davies is a Welsh film and television actor; he is also a stunt performer.-Career:His best-known acting role is appearing as Lee in the independent film Human Traffic , which explores the relationship between coming of age and the nightclub culture of the 1990s.-Films:* Human Traffic as Lee *...
- Lee
Cameo appearances
- When Jip first picks up Koop in his car, the DJ heard on the radio is Pete TongPete TongPeter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
, the film's musical adviser, who has a weekly Friday night radio show on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. - The manager of the Asylum club is played by prominent DJ Carl CoxCarl CoxCarl Cox is a British techno and house music DJ.-Biography:Cox grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, before attending Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and rave DJ in the mid 1980s...
. - Director Kerrigan appears in two scenes as "Ziggy Marlon", the Junglist dancer in Koop's record shop who asks, "Any jungle in, guy?", as an early aficianado of 'TomToms', the precursor to the Asylum club, (the main club venue for the film), and in a later scene driving with Nina's brother on their way to the house party.
- Jo BrandJo BrandJosephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
narrates the scene when Moff (Danny Dyer) is on the sofa hallucinating and losing touch with reality. Jo Brand, now a stand-up comedian, was previously a psychiatric nurse. - Howard MarksHoward MarksDennis Howard Marks is a Welsh author and former drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug...
appears and narrates the scene on "spliff politics". Marks was a famous cannabis smuggler turned "motivational speaker" and author who wrote his autobiography Mr Nice about cannabis smuggling. - Bill HicksBill HicksWilliam Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
is described as a "visionary" by characters in the film and features in one scene through archive footage.
Concept
25 years old at the time, Welsh filmmaker Justin Kerrigan wrote the film along with producer Allan NibloAllan Niblo
Allan Niblo is a British film producer and director. He co-founded Vertigo Films.- Producer :* Monsters * Outlaw * WΔZ * The Business * It's All Gone Pete Tong * The Football Factory...
, Kerrigan's teacher and "mentor" at film school
Film school
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into...
. Kerrigan wanted the film to be as realistic as possible in depicting young people's lives in contemporary Britain, as well as realistically portraying drug culture and club culture, both walks of life in which Kerrigan had experience in. Kerrigan based much of the film on his own exploits, and eventually took over in a director capacity. In an edition of UK gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
lifestyle magazine Attitude
Attitude (magazine)
Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad and iPhone via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994....
, actor Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
spoke about the film being partly inspired by the 1999 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama Loved Up
Loved Up
Loved Up was a BBC drama for the Love Bites season of films, broadcast on 23 September 1995. The film was directed by Peter Cattaneo who would go on to direct the feature films The Full Monty and Lucky Break...
(which also featured an early appearance from Lena Headley), and which had similar themes to the film.
There were rumours that Kerrigan and producer Allan Niblo fell out during filming.
Locations
Much of the film was shot in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, where the film also takes place. Nina's workplace, a fictionalised McDonalds, was filmed at UCI 12 Cinemas, Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village, Hemingway Road. The public house during the Friday night scene was shot at Gassy Jacks, Salisbury Road, Cathays, Cardiff. The Emporium nightclub on Cardiff High Street was used as the exterior of the fictional "Asylum" club, and
Club X on Charles Street stood in as the interior. The Philharmonic public house on St Mary's Street is where the Sunday pub scene was filmed, and Jip and Lulu's Sunday night walk home was also filmed in St Mary's Street.
Alienation
Inter-generation alienation is a significant theme of the film including being directly referenced in a pub scene in which the main, minor and bit players sing a revised version of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
national anthem 38 minutes into the film. Many of the characters have family troubles which cause conflict with family members. Jip's mother is a prostitute; Koop's father lives in a fantasy world under residential psychiatric care since his wife left him. Moff still lives at home and is shown as being in continual tension with father and embarrassed when he is caught masturbating by his mother. The family relationships of the female leads are explored in less detail, although one scene portrays Lulu giving only limited details of her weekend to an uncle and aunt who are dressed as clergy. At least one contemporary review suggests that these relationships are not adequately explored in the film.
Work and unemployment
The film is also indifferent to the work ethic. Jip works at a clothing retail outlet and is comedically represented as a 'wage slaveWage slavery
Wage slavery refers to a situation where a person's livelihood depends on wages, especially when the dependence is total and immediate. It is a negatively connoted term used to draw an analogy between slavery and wage labor, and to highlight similarities between owning and employing a person...
'; particularly in a scene where he is shown being anally raped by his boss, who has a barcode on his forehead and forcibly covers Jip's mouth with a £20 note. Nina has similar misgivings about her job at a fast-food restaurant where all the employees are shown bodypopping robotically and she quits her work following sexual harassment. Moff argues with his father about preferring to be unemployed whilst Lulu is shown not enjoying her college experience.
Drugs and the counter culture
All the characters identify strongly with the 1990s counter-culture: all are drug users to a greater or lesser extent; Jip idolises Bill HicksBill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
; Koop dreams of being a DJ; Moff's bedroom is festooned with anti-establishment posters. Lulu gives an extended speech about her individuality whilst Nina revels in becoming unemployed.
Jip concludes his narration by saying "We're all fucked up in our own way, y'know, but we're all doing it together. We're freestylin' on the buckle wheel of life, trapped in a world of internal dialogue. Like Bill Hicks said: 'It's an insane world, but I'm proud to be part of it.'"
Although there is significant dialogue about drug use contained in the film (specifically MDMA (ecstasy), marijuana, and one sarcastic discussion about heroin and crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
), the only drug use by main characters is a scene where Jip and Koop are having an intimate conversation at a house party and they are seen cutting up a line of white powder. They are never actually shown snorting it, but nonchalantly rub it into their gums during a discussion.
Reception
The film generated mostly positive reviews, garnering 59% positive reviews on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Film critic Colm Keaveny proclaimed this film to be Danny Dyer's "finest hour", and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
critic James Murphy called Dyer's performance "truly remarkable". The film garnered 11 international awards and was nominated for a BAFTA.
Dance music
An important part of this film is the soundtrack; which includes some of the most famous contemporary dance music producers. These include Armand Van HeldenArmand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...
, CJ Bolland, Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
, Jacknife Lee
Jacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
, Pete Heller
Pete Heller
Pete Heller is an English electronic and house music producer. He is recognised in the dance community for his solo work, and his remixes with frequent collaborator Terry Farley. As a duo they have released popular tunes under the names Heller & Farley Project , Fire Island plus The Look and Feel...
, Ferry Corsten
Ferry Corsten
Ferry Corsten, also known under the alias System F, is a Dutch producer of trance music, in addition to being a DJ and remixer. He also hosts his own weekly radio show, Corsten's Countdown. He routinely plays at events all over the world with crowds in excess of tens of thousands. In 2009 Ferry...
, Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Carl Cox is a British techno and house music DJ.-Biography:Cox grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, before attending Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and rave DJ in the mid 1980s...
, Dillinja
Dillinja
Dillinja, is an English drum and bass DJ, record producer and entrepreneur.-History:...
, Felix Da Housecat
Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electroclash. His name was inspired by Felix the Cat....
, Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
, Aphrodite
Aphrodite (artist)
Aphrodite also known as A Zone or DJ Aphro, is a UK jungle and drum and bass DJ/producer commonly referred to as the "Godfather of Jungle", who works along with Micky Finn on their joint Urban Takeover label...
, Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas are a psychedelic rock and electronic rock band from the United Kingdom, comprising two permanent members: Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes...
, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, Liquid Child
Liquid Child
Liquid Child were a German dance music production duo, comprising Tobias Menguser and Jürgen Herbath. They had chart success in 1999, when they reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart with "Diving Faces". Their next single release was "Return of Atlantis" ....
, Underworld
Underworld (band)
Underworld are a British electronic group, and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980.- Early years: 1979–1986 :...
, Age of Love
Age of Love
Age of Love can refer to:* Age of Love , a reality television show on NBC* Age of Love , a 1997 studio album by Scooter* "The Age of Love" , a 1997 single by Scooter...
, Energy 52
Energy 52
Energy 52 was a solo project comprising Paul Schmitz-Moormann and Harald Blüchel. The 1993 track "Café del Mar" became one of the most heard trance songs in the world; its dozens of remixes have appeared on hundred of compilation albums. In April 2011, the song was voted number one by BBC Radio 1...
, Brainbug
Brainbug
Brainbug is a symphonic electronic trance music project based in Venice, created by Italian producer Alberto Bertapelle. Brainbug became widely known after the release of his first single, Nightmare , because of the unique blending of string instruments, haunting atmospheres and house...
and Lucid
Lucid
Lucid is a dataflow programming language. It is designed to experiment with non-von Neumann programming models. It was designed by Bill Wadge and Ed Ashcroft and described in the book Lucid, the Dataflow Programming Language.-Model:...
.
Human Traffic: Remixed
In 21 October 2002 distributors VCIVCI
VCI may refer to:*Vapor corrosion inhibitors*Vertically challenged individual*Veterinary Council of India*Véhicule de Combat d'Infanterie*Vertical Cross Imagina - animation and visual effects company...
announced the DVD release of Human Traffic: Remixed, promising a "modernised" soundtrack with new contemporary (2002) tracks, previously cut scenes, and "state-of-the-art CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
effects." On 18 October The Guardian revealed that rather than being a "director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
", it was the work of producer Allan Niblo
Allan Niblo
Allan Niblo is a British film producer and director. He co-founded Vertigo Films.- Producer :* Monsters * Outlaw * WΔZ * The Business * It's All Gone Pete Tong * The Football Factory...
, Kerrigan's tutor and "mentor" at film school. In fact Kerrigan only learnt about the project two weeks before the release was due. He explained: "I joke about it. How I signed over the copyright (to Niblo) for a pound and then never even saw the pound. When I finished I was £25,000 in debt. I've never made a penny from the film. Legally I don't have a leg to stand on, but I signed the contract because I was very naive and very broke. Now I'm just broke." No longer able to afford living in London, where he had moved after the film's release, Kerrigan was preparing to return to his native Cardiff. Although shot on a budget of £340,000 and UK box office taking of £2.5 million, Niblo maintained that the film had not made a profit, stating: "the investment is still unrecouped." John Simm was highly critical of the new release, describing it as "cynical exploitation" and complained of Niblo's attempts to get him to appear in a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
when he had only been paid a nominal fee for the first film. Simm said that he only appeared in Human Traffic because of Kerrigan's involvement.
American version
The version of the film released in the United States was heavily edited to remove certain British cultural references and terminology that it was presumably felt American audiences would be unable to identify with or understand. These are mostly in the form of re-dubbed dialogue, such as Jip saying that he and Lulu "recently became dropping partners" being changed to "clubbing partners"; Nina's speech to the journalists in which she says she is looking forward to getting into some "hardcore Richard & JudyRichard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
" becoming "hardcore Jerry Springer
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
"; and Jip's allusion to Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
with "he who dares, Rodders," being rendered as "he who dares wins
Who Dares Wins
Who Dares, Wins, Latin: "Qui audet adipiscitur" is a motto that originated with the British Special Air Service. It is normally credited to the founder of the SAS, David Stirling. The motto has been used by nine elite special forces units around the world that in some way have historical ties to...
".
External links
- Human Traffic at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...