Edinburgh on Screen
With its cobbled streets and Gothic architecture, Edinburgh is a dream for filmmakers. Here are four local favourites to return to that make great use of the various sides of the city
Cool Edinburgh: Trainspotting
British cinema is a lot of things, but you’d never describe it as cool. But that all changed with the arrival of Danny Boyle’s wildly inventive adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting. From its blistering opening scene of Ewan McGregor running at full pelt down Princes Street while Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life blares on the soundtrack, Trainspotting delivers a nervy hit of adrenaline that's as potent as any drug.
Pervy Edinburgh: Hallam Foe
Edinburgh has a seedy side, no doubt (all those saunas aren't for taking a shvitz). It’s never been better explored than in David Mackenzie’s adult fairytale Hallam Foe. Jamie Bell play the titular messed up teen peeping tom, who scrambles across Old Town rooftops to spy on a woman who is the doppelgänger of his mother. It’s basically Scotland’s Vertigo, but even more twisted.
Elegiac Edinburgh: The Illusionist
Edinburgh has never looked so beautiful than through the pen of French animator Sylvain Chomet. Chomet fell in love with the city while attending the Edinburgh Film Festival and was inspired to change the location of this unproduced Jacques Tati script he was planning to adapt. The Illusionist overflows with Tati’s brand of droll slapstick but the real star is the faded glamour of Auld Reekie.
Sentimental Edinburgh: Sunshine on Leith
If you’re looking for a heart on sleeve love letter to Edinburgh, look no further than Dexter Fletcher’s Proclaimers musical Sunshine on Leith. The Reid brothers' songs are put to on-the-nose but appropriately rousing use, and the big setpieces make great use of Edinburgh locations like the Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat and The Mound. Prepare for a lump in your throat and to have a goofy smile on your face.