Binary oppositions train spotting

Question 1

Masculinity vs feminity? Drugs

Answer 1

Male dominated with taking heroine- shows drug taking is mainly men. 5 men over 1 woman

Question 2

Weak vs strong? sickboy vs Renton

Answer 2

Renton vs sickboy, Renton tries and wants to give up heroine. Sickboy’s babies death makes him even more unsympathetic and more addicted.

Question 3

Weak vs strong? Begbie vs Renton?

Answer 3

Begbie- violent, non-peace maker, Old fashioned
hypocrite towards drugs “no way would I touch that shite” talks about chemicals when close up is shown of him smoking and taking whisky. Renton uses substance abuse and is clever enough to see hypocrisies
Renton calm and peaceful, goof natured

Question 4

Who came up with the idea of binary oppositions?

Answer 4

Levi Strausse. Found mythological tales depended on few rules needed

Question 5

Why are binary oppositions used?

Answer 5

Strengthn conflict (combo and woody)
Strengthen narrative
resolve the narrative
introduce struggle and conflict
A way to align the viewer into a set of intended ideas

Question 6

Weak vs strong? heroine addicts and baby?

Answer 6

Opening scene, heroine addicts don’t take repsonsbility of baby, used by pan in the camera. Through colour and being drawn into left room

Question 7

How is there binary opposition in sound?

Answer 7

Through capitalist views in voice over vs the characters rebellious views through they actions (Renton criticising capitalists) Non diegetic and allows us to enter the world as of addressing us

Question 8

Why might the scene of Begbie and Renton’s violent knife affair been a binary opposition?

Answer 8

Weak vs strong
Begbie threatens Renton with knife due to remark of him having sex with a transvestie. Follows the view that Begbie has violence for everything (addicted to violent) Renton is calmer and has modern view “it might have been wonderful”

Question 9

What is the films background?

Answer 9

Glamorisation of heroin- on the rise glamour sheik. Ultimately gives the audience a message of the downfall of drugs and the feelings it gives of feeling high. Similar to this is england- message of the nationalist party and what happens. Mixing in with th wrong crowd like shaun mislead him into the wrong group; combo. Shaun in the end chose himself and Woodys group, Renton chose life and wanted to be like us. Skinheads takes control of the youths, heroin takes control of the youths.

Question 10

How is the opening scene shown?

Answer 10

The juxtaposition of both the football teams shows a contrast in their personalities and the falling of Tommy foreshadows later events in the film

Question 11

What does the low Lebel lighting represent?

Answer 11

represents more of a low life view of the characters and moving down to their level of drugs and manipulation. The constant ground level shots hep us as an audience feel the subjective expereices of a junkie what Boyle wanted us to feel
The film also puts a tail on the less faced issues of thatchers government that they didn’t do enough for the youths
Used for dramatic lighting scenes

Question 12

What does the scene in swanneys drug den represent?

Answer 12

foreboding of blood

Question 13

How does Boyle show intensifying scenes of drug heroin?

Answer 13

Use heigh and straight angles rather than un usual angles

The use of long shots are often referred to passers by and activities they are doing

Question 14

What does the large depth tunnel like lens represent?

Answer 14

represents the long term disorientated effects of heroin, short focal lens

Question 15

what is a Bildungsroman?

Answer 15

The character is more important than the plot, inner development of the protagonist; Renton

Question 16

What is rentons maturity?

Answer 16

His development accompanied by the help of his parents, his motivation to move forward in life, change of his development and his decision making

Question 17

What is the process?

Answer 17

Mark Renton’s formation consists of two phases. In the first phase he denials the reality by fleeing into drug consumption. Eventually he attains enlightenment which makes him strong enough to face the reality.
n the second part he breaks out of the negative environment that he was born into and faces the world of adults.

Question 18

What is the meaning of the word “choose”

Answer 18

Represents the freedom of choice Renton has, on the other hand it means loss of choice he cant choose life. His environment dictates this freedom to choose. He cant compete in the world due to his disadvantage educationally and economically He critises the freedom of choice and equally; in there will be no guys no girls just wankers

Question 19

What is the house of mother superior?

Answer 19

Swanneys house of the house od drugs, Renton accompanies the scene with his own narration of the roots of heroin. Its more about the pleasure t gives, not with poverty it is a conscious decision. Remtons personality has reached the point of not caring

Question 20

What does the faces scene create?

Answer 20

Shows to the audience how willing he is to jump into feces to save the drug

Question 21

What does the song lust for life at the beginning create?

Answer 21

Creates a sense of want for the characters, the characters want a different kind of life to the rest of society

Question 22

How ,might trauma link with criminality?

Answer 22

Rise of trauma- sick boy leads to more criminally death of baby

Question 23

What is a robert edbert quote?

Answer 23

Drug use is not linear but circular.

Question 24

How does the ending seen give hope?

Answer 24

He gives money to spud and it’s as though renton owns up to the fact he isnanbad person
the way renton gets bigger as depth of field narrows and foreground suggests he is becoming a bigger person with positivity and going in right narrow direction

Question 25

what is the binary oppositions users vs non used?

Answer 25

the football teams, match cuts their actions are juxtaposed

Question 26

what is the binary oppositions of users hs non?

Answer 26

renton and alison, sick boy- addicted to drugs

begins, rentons parents- addicted to legal supplements shows the difference

Question 27

what is the binary capitalism vs non-conformity?

Answer 27

renton targets and rebels as the youth culture shown in choose life- narrative of equilibrium and then goes back to capitalism at the end

Question 28

what is the binary oppodite hero vs villain?

Answer 28

renton is the hero of known as the anti hero and the drugs are his villain and keep not letting him cross the threshold providing him with obstacles

Question 29

what is the binary opposite lad vs new lad?

Answer 29

lad was veggie representing violence, alcohol going to the pub
new lad- new conventions other insoirations

Question 30

reality vs fantasy?

Answer 30

the use of heroin over dose and toulet scenes makes the audience understand the effects of taking drugs and the reality of it also with engaging in fantasy elements

Question 31

how is the opening scene a binary opposite?

Answer 31

renton running away
weak vs strong
police vs non law
renton conterpunative dialogue creates a juzga positions to what we are seeing on screen showing that he is not choosing life

Question 32

internal conflict vs what we see?

Answer 32

the monologue choose life juxtaposes with what we see on screen to show his inner conflict with the taking of drugs
liberal va captain idm

Question 33

how is the colour red and green shown?

Answer 33

the red symbolises drugs and excitement we see from mother superiors den and then diane wears a red dress
grebe represents no drugs through nature

Question 34

renton vs sick boy

Answer 34

renton is wearing a green sweater connoting hope and no drugs
sick boy is emotional and violente