trainspotting

• what year was trainspotting released

  1996
• clear narrative
• hearing a story, from begbie, then hearing the real story from tommy. tommy trying to be good and then getting back on herione
• what company provided the production budget

  chanel 4
• what do we call the political era between 1990-97

  post thatercism
• who initiates sex in trainspotting?

  all the female characters
• what type of cinematography is in trainspotting

  low level camera movement
• what dose ideology mean

  a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy
• hegemonic


  ruling or dominant in a political or social context
• choose life, choose a job choose a career
• how is Begbie introduced in the football scene 


  tackles a player ruthlessly with a smile on his face- showing his violent nature
• how is sickboy introduced in the football scene

  he tackles one of the other players, doesn't take responsibility for it, showing his irresponsible and duplicitous nature
• how is tommy introduced in the football scene

  getting corned in the corner- no one coming to help him. getting more and more trapped. foreshadows later on in the film as his friends continue to ignore him
• why are the female characters not introduced?

  becauses its a restricted male narrative
• why is there a cheer when a goal is scored

  to create a hyper real environment for the audiences to imatie to them how real everything feels once your on drugs
• why dose renton wear the number 10

  it shows how Renton perceives himself among his friends, going back to the restricted male narrative
• how dose the final scene end and why dose it annotate?

  the final shot ends with a high angle shot looking down on the 4 of them. Like CCTV footage. The room is circle and represents the cyclical structure
• Thatcherism

  "thatcher created the conditions that made characters lives what they were

  privatised public severs

  widened health gap

  no society, just individuals pursing self interests

  affluent south, disparte north (london vs edinburgh)
• Gender and sexuality

  Scottish white males perspective. Restricted viewpoint, male centric, narrative could be interpreted as sexist or a meaningless drug addiction, doesnt fit a gender role

  the men dont fit the masculine stereotypes (skinny, pale, Begbie and transvestite, sick boys reaction to dawns death)

  none of the main characters have girlfriends, heroin is their main lover
• age

  different controls of the different generations

  Generation X; they are unable to successfully give life to a new generation

  Diane- being in more control over her own destiny and sexuality
• addiction and drugs

  Renton is infantilised by his addiction. Returned to his parenet home and the room he has as a child

  from the old nest he will be reborn
• what point of view is primarily used in the narrative

  renton POV
• How does the use of voice-over (V.O) affect the narrative?

  It helps sustain the narrative's dynamic pace by quickly filling in relevant information
• what dose the male pov suggest about the role of women in the film

  they don't, matter, and wont have a strong presence within the film
• what dose renton run from in both scenes?

  in the opening he runs from authoirty, in the closing he runs from his past life
• what dose Rentons separation from the gang signify?

  it shows he is distancing himself on a different path
• What is the significance of the speech shots on the other side of the characters' faces?

  It occurs when they are contemplating stealing.
• What do the colors red, yellow, and green represent in the sequences?

  Red connotes addiction, while yellow and green represent innocent victims of drug culture
• what dose Rentons exit from the circular room in the closing scene metaphorically represent?

  that he is breaking free from the circle of addiction
• what are the narrative devices used in the film?

  • narration/voice over by protagonist Renton
  • binary oppositions
  • parallelism (opening/closing sequence)
• who are polar opposites

  Spud vs Begbie
• what visual technique is used to create a sense of judgement in the film

  high angle shot
• whats the high angle shot at the end of the movie suppose to represent?

  CCTV footage- everyones watch them
• whos pov are we placed in in the final scene and why?

  Spud, Danny Boyle always puts us in a POV shot for the most innocent character in the scene. Spud is the one who is the most harmless
• what dose Renton choose over alcohol and why?

  water- it symbolizes a turn in his life
• what Brecht technique is mentioned in relation to brecht's character

  fourth wall break
• what dose renton turn on that symbolizes an idea

  a light
• what dose Renton stepping over his friends symbolize?

  betrayal and stepping over their value
• what dose Rentons blurring face symbolize in relation to society?

  his blurring into the homogenous mass
• how is renton depicted in the extreme wide shot at dawn?

  his insignificance, his blurring into the homogeneous mass