Trainspotting: Opening Scene Analysis
Trainspotting: Opening Scene Analysis
The opening of Trainspotting features each of the five main characters in the film, first being Renton who's erratic, dysfunctional personality is clearly displayed in the form him taking heroin within the first few minutes of the film. Renton's friends are also displayed playing football in the establishing shot, this represents their masculinity (supported further by the girls watching) and the control that they have over his life.
Within the football match, the audience are also introduced to the personalities of the other characters. Begby and Sick Boy cheat throughout the game and play unfairly, as they do throughout the film, implying they cheat and bully their way through life. Meanwhile Spud is in goal, and is depicted as clueless but plodding along nevertheless, and Tommy who seemingly appears to play by the rules of the game but evidently finds himself pushed into a corner which perhaps foreshadows his death at the end of the film. It is no mistake that they are presented in this team-like manner as in theory they are just not the most cohesive.
It is also fairly evident from Renton's accent and him running down Princes Street (Edinburgh) that this film takes place in Scotland. As the scene plays out Renton delivers his Choose Life speech, which is used for social realism purposes to make the audience reflect on and decide wether this ties into their own ideology.
Throughout the opening scene their drug usage is almost glorified with the upbeat music and obvious joy from the characters that is displayed as soon as any of them come into contact with heroin, this is made immediately obvious as the scene takes the characters into the brightly lit bandeau. Yet it is not made clear in what direction the lights are coming from, that and their colourful appearance create a theme of hyper-realism similar to that of Alice In Wonderland which has been compared to a very long Acid trip, similar to heroin in it's hallucinogenic properties. Dramatic irony is used within the scene for comedic purposes with Begby stating towards the end of the scene that he doesn't take drugs, but is evidently drinking alcohol and smoking a cigarette as he states this which contextually displays the unfair attitude on recreational drugs, as with abuse both cigarettes and alcohol can kill you the same as heroin. It also foreshadows the death of Tommy as he initially mocks Renton in this scene for his drug usage but by the end of the film dies due to that said drug.
The opening of Trainspotting features each of the five main characters in the film, first being Renton who's erratic, dysfunctional personality is clearly displayed in the form him taking heroin within the first few minutes of the film. Renton's friends are also displayed playing football in the establishing shot, this represents their masculinity (supported further by the girls watching) and the control that they have over his life.
Within the football match, the audience are also introduced to the personalities of the other characters. Begby and Sick Boy cheat throughout the game and play unfairly, as they do throughout the film, implying they cheat and bully their way through life. Meanwhile Spud is in goal, and is depicted as clueless but plodding along nevertheless, and Tommy who seemingly appears to play by the rules of the game but evidently finds himself pushed into a corner which perhaps foreshadows his death at the end of the film. It is no mistake that they are presented in this team-like manner as in theory they are just not the most cohesive.
It is also fairly evident from Renton's accent and him running down Princes Street (Edinburgh) that this film takes place in Scotland. As the scene plays out Renton delivers his Choose Life speech, which is used for social realism purposes to make the audience reflect on and decide wether this ties into their own ideology.
Throughout the opening scene their drug usage is almost glorified with the upbeat music and obvious joy from the characters that is displayed as soon as any of them come into contact with heroin, this is made immediately obvious as the scene takes the characters into the brightly lit bandeau. Yet it is not made clear in what direction the lights are coming from, that and their colourful appearance create a theme of hyper-realism similar to that of Alice In Wonderland which has been compared to a very long Acid trip, similar to heroin in it's hallucinogenic properties. Dramatic irony is used within the scene for comedic purposes with Begby stating towards the end of the scene that he doesn't take drugs, but is evidently drinking alcohol and smoking a cigarette as he states this which contextually displays the unfair attitude on recreational drugs, as with abuse both cigarettes and alcohol can kill you the same as heroin. It also foreshadows the death of Tommy as he initially mocks Renton in this scene for his drug usage but by the end of the film dies due to that said drug.
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