Scene Analysis: The Worst Toilet in Scotland

Question 1

Cinematography:
1. low level worms eye view
2. extreme tracking close up of Renton and all the faces he walks by
3. mid shot of Renton on the toilet
4. high birds eye angle

Answer 1

1. connotes low level of life with limited ambitions
2. conveys how his constipation is affecting him and he does not belong at the pub, he is like a fish out of water and everyone is noticing him
3. real and raw, doesn’t paint Renton in a good light. uncomfortable to watch, shows he’s grounded and has adapted to the consequences of heroin
4. emphasise the vile nature of the bathroom and allows us to see everything in detail. nothing is hidden

Question 2

Mise en scene:
1. bright light as Renton is swimming
2. Renton’s outfit
3. muted and brown dull tones

Answer 2

1. shows Renton’s perception, he needs to find the drugs as they are his ‘light’ in his dark reality
2. colours contrast the block of houses showing he is an outcast of society
3. sense of illness associated with the bathroom full of disease. makes Renton and the spectator uncomfortable