Trainspotting analysis

Trainspotting is a 1996 British black comedy , that is directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly Macdonald . The film is based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 23 February 1996

The film is based on a drug addict who attempts to quit a numerous amount times and then eventually gets his life together, until his friends involve him in a drug deal.  Trainspotting follows a linear structure; the film juxtaposes plenty of ideas. For example, at the beginning of the film the character tommy is represented as good, he doesn't take drugs and has a stable relationship/home; however towards the middle this good character is juxtaposed with a bad character in what he turns into i.e. a drug addict in terrible living condition. This theme is used yet again in the same way but instead with the character Mark, his persona changes from bag to good, these two representations contrast against each other.

The film shows themes of failure at times, as the group of boys have failed to live a normal life with a job , the producers of the film could have done this to relate to the issue about how working class boys are more likely to fail school. It also shows themes of betrayal a number of times, for instants when his friend went to prison and he didn’t, and when he took the money. This could be done to put a moral message into the film.

In the scene of the film where they plan to carry out the drug deal ,no close ups are used this could be done to show that they are emotionless due to the drug habit causing them to have no morals, especially considering this scenes follows Tommie’s funeral. This allows the audience to adapt the idea that the group don’t particular care about each other and the consequence of their actions. The fact that this scene was so little, nothing led up to it on camera and leaded to no turning point It allowed the audience to take little notice of the death just like the remaining characters. Additionally, in this seen we learn that Mark has little power and is forced to be peer pressure from the cinematography. The four other characters have been shot at a low angle making them appear to be more powerful, meanwhile Mark is on the floor looking up at them. When we compare this to the end of the film when he takes the money ,its suggest him taking the money symbolises  him taking his power and life back away from this lifestyle even though the means of getting this money was corrupt.

In a different scene we see the scene transition by our may character/narrative jump into shot this could imply something unexpected is going on the horizon. As the scene continues we get a close up of the injection going into his skin as it is a close up we get the idea it is a key moment, we also see blood at this moment this implies that his in danger. This is then followed up with a shot inside the injection when we see the dirt being sucked into his bloodstream. All of these moments builds tension as one by one we learn something is going to go wrong, although we are unaware on what the outcome will be.  We are then seen a close up of him lying on the red rug that indicates danger yet again, which falls into the ground , it looks like his buried into the ground like a coffin this signifies death. The scene is confusing for the audience as it is like we also have taken the drug and seeing what he is seeing, we know it’s not real because when the taxi driver puts him outside the hospital the rug is not there, this needed to be done to make it explicit that his not actually wrapped in the rug.

The props used in this film tend to be destroyed, the needles are dirt and shared, this is related to when the film was set as there was an AIDS academic that spread massively due to sharing needles, in some ways the film was an insight to what was happening behind closed doors of people’s homes. Even the setting was often dull and destroyed for example the house they all live in has holes in walls and the lighting in the film is never bright , it gives a very bleak and depressing atmosphere ,this is how their lives seem too.

To summarize, Trainspotter uses many different codes and conventions to portray stories that are related to society even today, some of the themes seen are still relevant.