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film studies - component one > section c - british - trainspotting > Flashcards

section c - british - trainspotting Flashcards

1
Q

director

A

danny boyle

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2
Q

year of release

A

1996

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3
Q

mark renton

A

ewan mcgregor

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4
Q

diane

A

kelly macdonald

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5
Q

begbie

A

robert carlyle

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6
Q

sick boy

A

jonny lee miller

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7
Q

spud

A

ewen bremner

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8
Q

tommy

A

kevin mckidd

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9
Q

swanney

A

peter mullan

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10
Q

what is nihilism?

A

the belief that all values are baseless. belief in nothing. limbo viewpoint

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11
Q

how is renton nihilistic?

A
  • doesn’t care about anything
  • unclear what motivates him
  • rejects the idea of capitalism but eventually ends up accepting it
  • “there is no such thing as society”, reference to thatcher “what is society? there is no such thing!”
  • nihilistic attitude results in tommy’s death, turns to heroin after his break up and becomes addicted, ends up dying of toxicplasmosis
  • selfishness is a contributing factor of nihilism
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12
Q

when was gen x?

A

1965-1979

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13
Q

nicknames for gen x

A

“latchkey generation”
“mtv generation”

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14
Q

how do renton and the gang epitomise gen x culture?

A
  • absent parents, resulted in their upbringing being a certain way
  • music, gen x often involved in punk music/rave bands
  • rave culture
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15
Q

who is the sole millenial character?

A

diane

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16
Q

what does diane represent?

A

optimism and hopefulness - encourages renton to change himself

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17
Q

what was the main reason for aids in scotland?

A

sharing needles - often 10 to 20 people used the same needle for a couple of months

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18
Q

what is britpop?

A
  • mid-90s british cultural movement that emphasised ‘britishness’
  • produced brighter, catchier alternative rock and gave a musical sense of of positivity and energy
  • inc. oasis and blur
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19
Q

what was the general belief, culture and outlook on life for gen x?

A

work to live, not live to work
grew up as latchkey kids and having to care for themselves due to parents working

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20
Q

who were the main people offended by the film and why?

A

right-wing press
believed the film was glamourising heroin use, when in reality it was an honest portrayal of both sides of addicts

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21
Q

why was boyle proud of the film?

A

it caused upset, and it was important to shock audiences as he believed there were too many comforting films and not enough disturbing films

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22
Q

scotland and conservatives

A

scotland generally voted against the conservatives but continued to be governed by them
main industry had declined, resulting in high levels of unemployment

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23
Q

production company

A

channel 4

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24
Q

what was the budget?

A

£1.5 million
small budget to provide a more genuine feel

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25
Q

what type of films did channel 4 usually produce?

A

controversial films with a left-field subject matter

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26
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
cinematography:
1. pov shot of renton
2. pale lighting of the street
3. low angle shot of renton’s feet
4. saturated red lighting of ‘mother superior’
5. tracking two shot of renton and spud running
6. static camera movement when renton gets high

A
  1. aligns us with him, establishes that he’s the main character
  2. symbolises deprived scotland and how they are trying to run from it, creates hyperrealistic effect of the area
  3. reflects how they are at rock bottom of society, low angle shots are repeated throughout the scene
  4. red has connotations of danger, also symbolises blood (heroin gets injected into the blood stream, possible love of heroin)
  5. renton is in the foreground, showing he is the main character
  6. connotes relaxation, isolation shows how he only relies on drugs
27
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
sound:
1. lust for life - iggy pop
2. renton’s cincial and nihilistic narration showing his his views on drugs and why he takes them

A
  1. about heroin and rejecting societal norms, which relates to renton’s voiceover which mocks ‘choosing life’
  2. encapsulates the ‘exhasution’ of gen x, aligns the audience with him and creates a bond, causes us to see situations from his perspective
28
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
editing:
1. title sequence freeze frame
2. reverse shot when sick boy and allison look at each other
3. cross cut from renton getting hit by the football to himself falling on the floor
4. fast paced editing changes to slower paced

A
  1. gives the characters an immediate iconic status and sybloic ideas of their characteristics, film follows a linear pattern and focuses on renton’s viewpoint
  2. shows unease and anticipation of what the drug will do to her/if it will work
  3. reflects working class leisure and and how much he and others rely on drugs as a form of entertainment
  4. reflects how they feel about their fast paced life and how renton is tired of it and wants to slow down
29
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
mise-en-scene:
1. dull colours of the den
2. items in the room sprawled everywhere, baby crawling around on its own
3. old and dirty coloured clothing of main characters
4. renton in a seperate room from the others
5. set in leith

A
  1. matched council houses to reflect the class status of the gang
  2. foreshadows abandonment of sick boy and allison’s baby as a result of their addiction, reflects chaos in scotland and due to poll tax and thatcherism
  3. shows how they and scotland as a whole have been living in poverty, different colours represent lack of unity: all distinct characters will refuse to conform to stereotypes
  4. reflects how he distanced himself from his ‘friends’ but also society, causes him to lack trust in everyone
  5. one of the poorest districts in scotland at the time, neglected and run down due to lack of control from the government - reflects low income, creates hyperrealistic effect
30
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how are binary opposites presented in this scene?

A
  • aligns us with the nature of the characters, especially the heroin addicts - juxtapose with characters throughout the sequence, e.g. the police, football players
  • becoming heroin addicts instead of looking after their child, shown through the flooding colours in each room
31
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how is sick boy introduced?

A

yelling about foul play; connotes he is argumentative and vocal, self-righteous

32
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how is begbie introduced?

A

kicking another player and smiling while doing so; connotes sadism

33
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how is spud introduced?

A

misses the ball, uncoordinated movements; suggests he is comedic relief, more innocent and naive

34
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how is tommy introduced?

A

backed into the corner; foreshadows how he is emotionally backed into the corner leading to drug addiction

35
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: OPENING SCENE
how is renton introduced?

A

smiles at the camera through the windshield after nearly being hit; lives for the thrills and has no care for safety

36
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: WORST TOILET IN SCOTLAND
cinematography:
1. low level worms eye view
2. extreme tracking close-up of renton and all the faces as he walks by
3. mid shot of renton on the toilet
4. high birds eye angle

A
  1. connotes low level of life with limited ambitions
  2. conveys how his constipation is affecting him and he doesn’t 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 is grounded and has adapted to the consequences of his heroin addiction
  4. emphasise the vile nature of the bathroom and allows us to see everything in detail, nothing is hidden
37
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: WORST TOILET IN SCOTLAND
mise-en-scene:
1. bright light as renton is swimming
2. renton’s outfit
3. muted and brown dull tones

A
  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 the outcast of society
  3. sense of illness associated with the bathroom full of disease, makes renton and the spectator uncomfortable
38
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
cinematography:
1. birds eye view showing everyone asleep
2. eyeline matches when renton looks around
3. over the shoulder shot from spud’s pov
4. birds eye view of begbie smashing things up
5. camera on its side when renton walks through the tunnel, flips to the otherside when he walks out the other end
6. extreme long shot on renton walking across the bridge
7. close up of renton walking towards the camera and looking directly into it
8. defocus of renton

A
  1. aligns everyone with him
  2. shaking his head, he doesn’t want renton to leave
  3. reminds us of his agressive nature and short temper
  4. shows how the trajectory of his life has completely changed and reflects his sudden change of outlook on life
  5. isolates him against the landscape, conveys how his decision to alter his life and isolate himself
  6. makes the spectator the target of his speech
  7. reflects how he’s lost his old identity and become a part of the mass he once rejected, could potentially suggest his words are insincere and that he can’t be trusted since he appears literally distorted, perhaps like his perspective
39
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
sound:
1. non-diegetic - born slippy by underworld
2. renton’s dialogue

A
  1. popular rave song from the 90s - moving and hopeful, begins to pick up to more energetic as renton progressives further into his journey, beat becomes loud when he takes the money, represents renton’s increased heart rate - creates a sense of adrenaline
  2. thinking out loud, justifying his actions, parallels his opening dialogue by idolising the ideals of conformity and consumerism even though he used to criticise it
40
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
character arcs in this scene

A

renton: completion of character arc
begbie: unchanged arc

41
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
what is the narrative resolution of the closing scene?

A

ambiguous/open - we don’t know what happens to the other characters or what truly happens to renton

42
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
mise-en-scene:
1. renton looking in the mirror, light above him
2. renton pouring out the alcohol and replacing it with water
3. over the shoulder shot of renton looking in the mirror
4. bright, high key lighting on the bridge

A
  1. creates an almost angelic feel and suggests he has hope as he has decided to take the money in an attempt to improve his life
  2. he is purifying himself of his wrongdoings, reinforces the idea he is trying to improve his lifestyle and destroying old habits
  3. symbolises moment of reflection, his intentions are ambiguous, spectator is unsure whether he will choose positive change or relapse
  4. reflects his optimism, although it is slightly over saturated, suggests this optimism is not genuine
43
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
performance:
1. renton staring at the ceiling biting his nails
2. renton constantly looking at his friends when walking around
3. renton walking downstairs quickly with confident posture
4. renton looking back one last time before he leaves
5. renton smiling as he walks towards the camera
6. renton’s dialogue - “i’m gonna be just like you”

A
  1. symbolises anxiety, contemplating if he should it
  2. worried he will wake them up, he doesn’t want to betray them
  3. he is rushing because he wants to leave without getting caught, his confident posture reflects his confidence in his decision
  4. he feels guilty, especially towards spud, perhaps he is regretting his choice
  5. indicates his optimistic feelings about his future, even though it feels somewhat forced - suggests happiness that stems from consumerism is not authentic
  6. direct address of spectator implicates them and suggests they are the conformist which he intends to emulate
44
Q

SCENE ANALYSIS: CLOSING SCENE
editing:
1. long takes of renton moving around the room

A
  1. builds suspense and illustrates to the spectator this is a difficult and life altering choice to make
45
Q

binary opposition: reality vs fantasy

A

set in reality but fantasy elements portray effects of drugs, develops the spectators’ understanding of taking drugs

46
Q

binary opposition: men vs women

A
  • the men are violent, the women are spectators to the men
  • the men active plot points, the women are supporting roles
  • gender stereotypes reinforced in the club scene: boys say they were talking about football, girls say they were talking about shopping when they were both talking about sex
  • told through renton’s pov: a male voice and a male story
  • diane is heavily sexualised through the male gaze: introduced in a fetishtistic manner
47
Q

binary opposition: users vs abusers

A
  • renton, sick boy and allison are all full time drug users
  • tommy, begbie and renton’s mum still smoke and drink excessively even though they are accepted in society
48
Q

how are drugs and addiction represented?

A
  • renton is infantilised by his addiction: “one more hit”, heavily dependant on heroin, like how a child depends on their parent
  • camera in opening scene tracks past the baby and focuses on drugs: encourages audiences to take a different perspective on drugs and aligns drug addiction with youthful rebellion
  • renton’s overdose and tommy’s death show negativity of drugs
  • toilet sequence: the white drugs vs the brown everything else
  • we’re put in renton’s pov when he overdoses which lets us see him lose touch with reality
49
Q

how is sexuality/gender represented?

A
  • renton: “one thousand years from now there will be no guys and no girls - just wankers”, he doesn’t really see gender, believes everyone will end up the same, sees gender equality as the norm - a very liberal take
  • nudity in the film is intrusive but there are no close-ups so it could be more invasive
  • diane is in control of her destiny and situation even though she’s very young
  • females are only presented as love interests
50
Q

how is surrealism represented?

A

renton in his room after his overdose:
- sees begbie under the covers
- baby crawlin on the ceiling, her head turns around and she falls onto him right before he comes out the trance
- spud sat on his cupboard
- hallucinates seeing a lifeless tommy sliding along the wall
toilet scene:
- renton crawls into the toilet and ends up with a contrastingly calm ocean as he looks for the drugs, shows his perspective of how he sees the drugs as the ‘light’ in his dark reality

51
Q

whose pov is the film told from and why?

A

renton
he has a clear worldview and ideological views, neutral and doesn’t fit a clear archetype

52
Q

what drives the narrative?

A

tension between characters
e.g. renton’s alienation from the others and his internal crisis

53
Q

apply to todorov’s theory?

A

equilibrium: renton is drug abuser who commits crimes
disruption: renton’s overdose
recognition of disruption: renton gives up heroin and moves to london
attempt to repair: begbie and sick boy visit, tommy dies, set up of drug sale
new equilibrium: renton leaves with the drug money

54
Q

what is an ideology?

A

a powerful system of ideas and ideals; may reflect the belief systems of political groups, social groups, economic systems, or even individual

55
Q

anarchism

A

abolition of all government and the organisation of society on a voluntary cooperative basis without the use of force or compulsion

56
Q

communism

A

all property is owned by the community rather than the individual and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs

57
Q

fascism

A
  • far-right, authoritarian
  • characterised by dictatorial leader
  • belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race
  • a strong regimentation of society and the economy
58
Q

liberalism

A

based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law

59
Q

socialism

A

the means of production, distribution, and exchange of products should be owned or regulated by the communinty

60
Q

what political ideologies do renton’s views reflect?

A

anarchism

61
Q

how is renton subversive ideology?

A

he goes against the grain of society and opposes converntional norms and expectations, especially those of previous generations, and doesn’t appear to care about what the establishment or other people think about him

62
Q

what political ideology is renton critical of?

A

the thatcherite conservative government

63
Q

how does renton’s costuming reflect his ideologies?

A

his fashion is counter-cultural as it is grungy and slightly gender non-conforming

64
Q
A

film studies - component one (6 decks)

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