Binary oppositions train spotting Flashcards
Masculinity vs feminity? Drugs
Male dominated with taking heroine- shows drug taking is mainly men. 5 men over 1 woman
Weak vs strong? sickboy vs Renton
Renton vs sickboy, Renton tries and wants to give up heroine. Sickboy’s babies death makes him even more unsympathetic and more addicted.
Weak vs strong? Begbie vs Renton?
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
Who came up with the idea of binary oppositions?
Levi Strausse. Found mythological tales depended on few rules needed
Why are binary oppositions used?
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
Weak vs strong? heroine addicts and baby?
Opening scene, heroine addicts don’t take repsonsbility of baby, used by pan in the camera. Through colour and being drawn into left room
How is there binary opposition in sound?
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
Why might the scene of Begbie and Renton’s violent knife affair been a binary opposition?
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”
What is the films background?
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.
How is the opening scene shown?
The juxtaposition of both the football teams shows a contrast in their personalities and the falling of Tommy foreshadows later events in the film
What does the low Lebel lighting represent?
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
What does the scene in swanneys drug den represent?
foreboding of blood
How does Boyle show intensifying scenes of drug heroin?
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
What does the large depth tunnel like lens represent?
represents the long term disorientated effects of heroin, short focal lens
what is a Bildungsroman?
The character is more important than the plot, inner development of the protagonist; Renton
What is rentons maturity?
His development accompanied by the help of his parents, his motivation to move forward in life, change of his development and his decision making
What is the process?
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.
What is the meaning of the word “choose”
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
What is the house of mother superior?
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
What does the faces scene create?
Shows to the audience how willing he is to jump into feces to save the drug
What does the song lust for life at the beginning create?
Creates a sense of want for the characters, the characters want a different kind of life to the rest of society
How ,might trauma link with criminality?
Rise of trauma- sick boy leads to more criminally death of baby
What is a robert edbert quote?
Drug use is not linear but circular.
How does the ending seen give hope?
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
