Trainspotting Context

• Key contextual factors


  • Heroin addiction in Edinburgh
  • British culture in context of devolution
  • Scottish identity & heritage
  • Attitude to deprivation, drugs, and violence
  • Poll tax
  • North/South divide
• Trainspotting is set in the late 1980s when heroin was at its peak in Scotland.
• It also touches on issues related to Scottish nationalism and identity.
• The film explores themes such as poverty, unemployment, social inequality, and political disenfranchisement.
• Conservative government

  • Released in 1996 toward end of 18 years of conservative government. Shows life in 'Thatcher's Britain.'
  • By 1983, 3.6 million were unemployed.
  • Between 1979-97 UK governed by Conservative party.
  • Period of Tory rule typified by reduction in public services, privatisation, unemployment, and widening of wealth gap.
  • Economic policies didn't pass without resistance and early years of Thatcher's reign marked by industrial/communitarian disputes.
  • More deregulated, privatised economy meant not everyone lost out.
• North-South divide

  A wealthy or more affluent South and poorer more disparate North.
• Scottish Politics

  At time Trainspotting was made:

  • Scotland had 72 parliament constituencies.
  • Each election of 80s and 90s Scotland returned a minority of conservative MPs.
  • 1992 election: Scottish tories returned only 11 MPs.
  • Despite poor showing, Scotland continued to be governed by a party they (on the whole) didn't vote for.
• Scottish social unrest

  • Scotland's main industries, such as coal and shipbuilding, declined during conservative's time in office.
  • High unemployment rates and feeling of a lack of representation. Economic hardship fuelled resentment towards Westminster and demands for devolution (the decentralisation of governmental power).
  • Demand for devolution furthered by introduction of Poll Tax (each taxpayer was taxed the same fixed sum with the precise amount being set by each local authority) into Scotland in 1990s, year prior to introduction to rest of UK.
• Poll Tax

  Fixed rate tax without reference to their resources or income.

  Introduced to Scotland first because:

  • was meant to replace domestic rates.
  • Thatcher's trial, least impact for popularity

  Main strategies to resist tax:

  • 'Can't pay, won't pay' campaign - anti-poll, focused on non-registration.
  • Mass non-payments
  • Riots - saw scuffles between demonstrators & police.
• Change in youth culture

  • Radical, energetic, and creative, associated youth culture through work of 'Young British Art' & sometimes puerile and infantile in the case of 'laddism and ladettes' Britian in 1990s.
  • There was genuine interest in cultural products coming out of UK.
  • Incorporates some of laddish model of masculinity that emerged in 1990s but also undermines it.
  • Trainspotting echoed & contributed toward shift in attitudes to use of drug use in Britain.
  • Drug debate in UK changed & became more rational/informed instead of simple calls for outright prohibition.
• Social realism vs hyperrealism

  • Hyperrealism - Absolute honesty & not filtering/sugar coating.
  • Social realism - represents social attitudes. Representing what isn't usually represented. Made with purpose of changing attitude + spreading awareness.
• Nihilism

  Rejection of moral & religious values, accepting belief that life is meaningless and that nothing has any real significance.
• Generation X

  • 1965-80
  • After Baby Boomers became millenials.
  • Cynical - questioned rules + how we were meant to live.
  • Disaffected - not being moved by things, not caring.
  • Technological advancements.
  • Not traditional families.
• 1990s Britain: Drugs

  • 70s drug epidemic in London, spreading across UK.
  • 1978 new supply chain from Iran & Afghanistan - more accessible & cheaper.
  • New way of smoking it - wide belief it isn't addictive.
  • Heroin classed as drug for poor (cheap/dirty) whilst cocaine was affiliated with rich.
  • MDMA - popular & sold in clubs.
  • Rave scenes in 90s saw huge rise of ecstasy pills.
• 1990s Britain: Changing rep of women

  • 3rd wave feminism - individual empowerment rather than changing legislations as a whole.
  • Discussion in industry about pay disparity in workplace, equal pay.
  • Discussion about women's reproductive rights.
  • Ladette:
  • women who conformed to 'male' rules, defined by heavy drinking, associated behaviours, swearing etc.
  • Not looking overly 'feminine.'
• 1990s Britain: AIDS

  • AIDS - sexually transmitted disease.
  • Dec 1981 - first case of AIDS.
  • Virus that attacks body's immune system.
  • Sharing of bodily fluids - sex, sharing needles.
  • Highly taboo subject -killing people + due to sex. Wide belief disease shared by gay men.
• is ts social realist

  traditional kitchen sink but the surreal elements of the film are a departure from this
• institutional context of ts

  - made by channel 4 films, often controversial subject matter

  - Danny boyle is one of britain's high profile directors
• Narrative in Trainspotting

  - opening quickly establishes pace

  - length is 90 mins to maintain momentum

  - use of freezeframe as narrative device

  - soundtrack divides the narrative into sequences
• mid 1990s context ts

  - disillusionment, alienation

  - british music culture reflected throughout

  - characters edited out from book are all black/ female, but narrative does focus on the male scottish experience
• effects of renton's voiceover

  - chooses life even though he hates it

  - spectator introduced to renton's delusions

  - iggy pop song alongside adds a sense of disorientation

  - sustained dynamic pace

  - focus on personal story
• Year and director

  Danny Boyle, 1996