Essay on Drug Addiction in Less Than Zero Film

Less than Zero is a 1987 film that explores the culture of rich and decadent young people in Los Angeles. One of the main themes in the film is drug addiction. It tells the story of a college student called Clay who returns home for Christmas to find out that his high school best friend Julian has become a drug addict. It details Clays desperate attempts to help his friend do away with his addiction. This essay looks at the drug addiction of the character Julian in Less than Zero and how it affects his day-to-day life.

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Julian hails from a wealthy family, and it is likely that his woes are as a result of poor upbringing. He is a smart, slick and charming young man who is given a recording company to run by his father as a graduation present. Clay was his best friend in high school who goes off to an Ivy League university on the east coast of America, leaving behind his girlfriend called Blair. In Clays absence, Julian and Blair start a sexual relationship and an also begin taking cocaine. By Christmas, Julian has become addicted to the drug, spurring Blair to call Clay so that he can come home and help him.

Clay soon finds out that helping someone do away with a drug addiction is next to impossible. Julians addiction is clearly out of control and he is headed for the bottom. His recording studio business has collapsed, and has had an unsuccessful spell at a rehabilitation center as he soon relapsed. His father has banished him from home as he has been stealing money from his parents in order to fund his drug addiction, and he is now homeless. He is also being harassed by his dealer called Kip to whom he owes $50,000. The dealer soon forces Julian to become a prostitute in order to pay off the debt.

In tracing the downfall of Julian, Less Than Zero mirrors the political change to social conservatism in the 1980s at a time defined by the AIDS pandemic. His lifestyle, appearance, and transgressive actions are all meant to serve as a warning to the audiences. At the moral spectrums other end, Clay and Blair appear to be redeemed and then rewarded avoiding drugs and illicit sex as well as their heterosexual love. All in all, Julian is an iconic and unforgettable character who overcomes attempts by the films script writers to demonize him. He becomes the movies dynamic center and the only thing audiences remember about it, while the filmmakers intent of casting his life in bad light.

Julian is somehow isolated from his friends due to his addiction and his new life as a prostitute. This exclusion underlines the widening morality gap between Julian and Clay. While Clay is presented as a clean, righteous and straight person who is a serious relationship with his high school sweetheart, Julian is the exact opposite. He is a drug addicted and corrupt bisexual who is romantically linked to his dealer cum pimp by default. Assertively masculine and strong willed Clay does whatever he can to help the helplessly feminine and passive Julian. He is presented to the audience as a hero while Julian is portrayed as a spectacle for derision and pity. All in all, the films script writers did not intend to present the necessary tragedy of Julian. Throughout the movie, the shame, rejection and derision that Clay experiences are meant to reinforce the viewers condemnation of Julians lifestyle. While this includes drugs, it also has something to do with his violation of gender boundaries.

In terms of appearance, profession and behavior, Julian depicts a denunciation of traditional masculinity. He is always dressed in light, loose and flowery clothing, and also wears various make up. Also, he is naked most of time, even in moments that are not meant to be erotic; a trait that reinforces his extreme vulnerability. The authority that Clay has over Julian and his ability to judge are evident in the shots taken of him that seem to favor his perspective. While his sexual activities are shot as erotic, those of Julian are filmed as deviant. Also, unlike the case of Clay who has sexual encounters with his girlfriend, most of the times that Julian gets intimate are with other men. All in all, his emotional redemption is observed when he begs his parents to assist him.

Perhaps the most adverse effect of Julians drug addiction is the relationship he has with Kip, his dealer who also doubles as his pimp. In addition to being angry with Kip, Julian does show some complicated affection for him. The dealers behavior towards Julian is somehow ambivalent. Although he has led Julian into a life of drug abuse, debt and prostitution, the two seem to grow closer both emotionally and physically throughout the movie. At first, their spatial relationship is an ordinary one whereby the two relate to one another just casually. However, as the story progresses, the distance between them reduces; with every scene gradually minimizing the physical separation between the pair to the extent that it turns out to be uncomfortably intimate.

When someone becomes addicted to cocaine, as is the case with Julian, they may not be aware that they actually have a problem. They may not understand that treatment is needed to overcome the addiction, and may not try to get assistance on their own. Characters in Less Than Zero who are close to Julian, such as his parents and Clay, need to try to convince him that help is needed in order to kick the habit. Drugs such as cocaine are capable of interfering with a persons normal thought processes. Such a situation makes it difficult for them to understand that change is crucial for their physical and mental health together with for the good of those they interact with. Friends such as Clay and Blair can help Julian figure this out.

In the film, Julian does not directly blame anyone for his addiction. However, it is evident that his parents are somehow responsible for spoiling him too much. Julian comes from an affluent family that can afford to live a lavish lifestyle with little or no responsibilities. He most likely began the habit due to having access to large sums of money provided by his father. Also, it is the responsibilities of parents to guide their children and assist them avoid the pitfalls of life. Evidently, Julians parents failed in this role. They did not warn him about the consequences of taking drugs. At the moment, there are no medications for treating cocaine addiction that are approved by the FDA. This means treatment is all about behavioral therapy techniques that have proved to be quite effective.