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Trainspotting Representation

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Young People-

They feel alienated from traditional paths like stable jobs, marriage, or consumerism, instead embracing a chaotic and self-destructive lifestyle as a form of resistance. Their drug use and disregard for authority reflect a broader rebellion against societal expectations and norms. Many of the young characters prioritise pleasure and instant gratification, which is often pursued through heroin, alcohol, and casual sex. he male characters frequently conform to toxic ideas of masculinity, such as suppressing emotions and engaging in risky behaviors.

Working Class-

The working class in Trainspotting is depicted as trapped in a cycle of poverty, addiction, and disillusionment, with little hope for change. While the film critiques their self-destructive behaviors, it also portrays them with empathy, highlighting the systemic failures and societal neglect that contribute to their struggles. This nuanced representation offers a commentary on the economic and social realities of the time, making the film both a character-driven story and a broader critique of class inequality.

Addicts-

Addicts in Trainspotting are depicted as deeply flawed yet human individuals, caught in a web of personal choices and systemic failings. The film presents addiction as a devastating and multifaceted issue, blending moments of dark humor, tragedy, and raw honesty to challenge stereotypes and provoke empathy.

Scottish People-

Scottish people in Trainspotting are depicted with honesty and complexity, balancing critiques of societal issues with an acknowledgment of cultural resilience and humor. The film offers a raw, unvarnished portrayal of life in Scotland, highlighting both the struggles and the spirit of its people.

Older people-

Older people in Trainspotting are depicted as symbols of traditional values, societal stagnation, and generational disconnect. While some are shown as caring and concerned, they are often powerless to address the systemic issues faced by the younger generation. Their portrayal underscores the broader societal critique at the heart of the film, examining how intergenerational dynamics contribute to the struggles of addiction, poverty, and hopelessness.

Men-

Men in Trainspotting are depicted as deeply flawed yet human, caught in a cycle of rebellion, addiction, and disillusionment. The film critiques toxic masculinity and societal expectations while exploring themes of vulnerability, friendship, and the struggle for identity. This nuanced portrayal highlights the complexities of masculinity and its role in shaping the characters’ lives.

Women-

Women in Trainspotting are largely represented as secondary characters who serve to reflect and influence the male protagonists. While some, like Diane, show agency and assertiveness, the film primarily explores the struggles and experiences of its male characters. The female characters often embody themes of vulnerability, objectification, and exploitation, with their roles largely shaped by the male narrative. This portrayal is a reflection of the film’s critique of societal norms, including gender dynamics, but it also highlights the limited space for women within the world of Trainspotting.

Representation, Trainspotting

Representation – Trainspotting

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Young People

In Trainspotting, young people are presented in a disadvantaged position. All young people we see in the film are or will be going through something. Renton suffers addiction, Begbie is a violent mess who has to crash in Renton’s London apartment, Tommy goes through a rough breakup that results in his death, etc. Young People in Trainspotting are represented as having little future and little ambition, or so they believe themselves. This changes by the end when Renton runs away with the money and he realises he can make something of his life, which is a positive note to end a movie that often shows only the negatives of youth.

Older People

Older people are not very present in Trainspotting. There are a few scenes involving the character’s parents,. namely Renton’s, Gail’s and Diane’s . From what we are shown, the older people in Trainspotting are represented usually as quite kindly and at least attempt to be friendly. There is the dinner scene with Renton’s parents where his dad snaps at him for his drug abuse, but aside from that, they attempt to help him kick the habit by forcing him to go cold turkey. Gail’s parents are kind to Spud and are understanding of the fact that he made a mess while drunk, and Diane’s parents are very nice and welcoming to Renton. They are represented as a group of people who grew up with more opportunities than the current youth of Trainspotting.

Working Class People

Trainspotting is not a glamourous film, and it’s portrayal of the working class is a good example of this. A lot of the ensemble cast are of the lower classes, explaining their need to go to drugs to feel something in a world where they haven’t been given anything to experience. The only people at the start of the film who don’t do drugs are Tommy and Begbie, who both seem well off. Tommy however loses his comfortable social state when Renton inadvertently causes his girlfriend to kick him out of her house, bringing him down considerably. He’s forced into a grimy looking, very cheap apartment, absolutely nothing inside, not even a proper bed. This display of the poor working class, in dirty housing with little possession, also allows the audience to sympathise more with the character’s reasoning of turning to drugs. The working class are presented as struggling and in need of help, which leads them to drugs as an attempt to get something out of a life they have nothing in.

Scottish People

Due to the story taking place in Scotland, the main characters are obviously Scottish. The movie doesn’t really bring a lot of attention to this, though. The Scottish people are presented as the status quo of the story, and so we are led through normal Scottish lives. There is a scene where they go see some Scottish mountains, which in any other movie would be a big moment of beauty and awe in the characters, but in Trainspotting they really don’t care about it, and don’t see the point in going all the way there to look at them. It would just be normal to them. Scottish people are not represented in a romanticised light, nor in a negative one: what the characters see as normal is presented to the audience as normal.

Addicts

The addicts in Trainspotting, despite making up the main cast, are not presented positively in the film. All scenes of drug taking is not glamorous at all, quite the opposite. They are most often seen cooking up and shooting heroin in a dingy backroom, which looks disgusting and not somewhere people should be. The scenes in which Renton takes drugs are always presented as a low point: he betrays his family and friends by going to get a hit from Mother Superior immediately after being let off a prison sentence under the promise of going to rehab, he OD’s and is treated without any care by Mother Superior who just lugs him around and by the taxi driver who takes him to the hospital, who dumps him on the ground, and when he shoots up in a bus toilet, which is a low point due to him being totally clean up to that point. While not presented positively, the addicts are given a lot of sympathy, like Tommy resorting to heroin to feel better after his life is ruined. Addicts aren’t even really presented in a villainous way either: the worst character in the whole movie, Begbie, is totally clean throughout the entire film. Addicts are presented as human beings deserving of sympathy and care.

Men

Men make up the main cast of characters in Trainspotting, giving us a lot of different representations of men. Trainspotting gives us aggressive men like Begbie or sensitive men like Tommy, etc. There is a lot men have in common in Trainspotting, though. All of them want relationships, which is shown in the scene where the above screenshot is from, where Spud and Sick Boy talk about their gripes with their respective partners, and in the same sequence at the bar Renton gives narration on how he wants company and gets with Diane. Other aspects of male representation is the constant banter between the characters and the stereotypical male pastime of football, but opposed to what these stereotypical representations would suggest, the male characters are allowed to be emotional, like the scene where the aby dies and all the characters are very upset about it.

Women

Women don’t have as much representation as men by a lot. Often the women are restricted to roles of girlfriend, wife or mother. They are given little screentime compared to the male characters as well, but they aren’t totally sidelined. While they usually are in the role of girlfriend to the main characters, they are given moments that characterise them and give them strength, like Spud’s girlfriend Gail saying that she’s been refusing to have sex with him just because she finds it funny that it annoys him. But compared to male characters, there isn’t much representation of women in the film.

Representation, Trainspotting

Representation in Trainspotting

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  1. WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT) Danny Boyle
  2. WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED? (Identify social groups) Heroin addicts in Edinburgh, the parents of addicts, partners of addicts, authority figures, children and regular people.
  3. WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS? People of colour, leading female characters, LGBTQ+ characters.
  4. WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED? It’s shown that heroin addicts/addiction isn’t glamorous, that drug abuse does have its highs of euphoria as well as dark and grimy lows.
  5. WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS? White men, specifically Begbie – he’s aggressive, violent and controlling to whoever is nearby.
  6. DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES? They challenge the stereotype that Edinburgh is the nicer region of Scotland, unlike Glasgow which has been deemed “rougher”. Showing the underbelly of the city and its people.
  7. ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE? No, they’re all unique characters for the black-comedy/drama genre. For example, Creep (2014, Patrick Brice) is considered a black-comedy, and its characters are very different to the ones in Trainspotting.
  8. WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET? The representations shown in Trainspotting tell the audiences around the world that Edinburgh in the late 90s wasn’t always light and friendly – revealing the darker sides of the city and population, how drug abuse flies under the radar for the most part, as well as the destruction that heroin addiction can cause for the user and the people around them.
  9. HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS? A good example of mise en scene being used in this film is when Renton dives into the toilet, searching for his drugs, however it is depicted in a surreal way; transitioning from the disgusting reality of the toilet, into a bottomless body of blue, clear water, this is probably used to visualise the sense of euphoria that heroin can give you. This constructs the representation of desperate, young addicts in Edinburgh. In this same scene, the music used changes when Renton dives into the toilet, going from fanfare to a tranquil ambience, synchronising with the split between reality and euphoria.

For reference, these are the people represented in Trainspotting (in order): Drug addicts, young people, old people/authority figures, men, and women.

This scene depicts drugs addicts in a drug den, shooting up heroin in a social setting. This conveys to the spectators that drug addicts can find a sense of community within addiction, using it as a reason to hang out, it’s an activity for some.

Young people are depicted in this film, specifically this opening scene, as reckless and unpredictable. For the spectator, this provides an alternate perspective on the youth as in most films they’re portrayed in a generic way, such as mediocre acts of defiance, then having a linear life of finding a job and marriage. In Trainspotting, it sways away from that stereotype, presenting us as the audience the darker and grittier side of young people – drug abuse and law breaking.

Older people and authority figures do play a strong role throughout Trainspotting, for example, Renton’s parents. In this scene we see his parents take care of him after overdosing on heroin, despite the disappointment of Renton going against the one condition which the court gave him – to stay clean – in order to not go to jail. This makes the spectator understand that a lot of the authority figures in this film still aim to help the young people despite all of their mistakes.

Men are heavily represented throughout Trainspotting, all leading characters are male. This scene in particular shows them being careless, anti-social (mostly on Begbie’s part) and socialising together.

In Trainspotting, women aren’t explored in depth as characters, they’re only ever shown if they have some kind of relation to the main group of men, either that being girlfriends or parents. This shows to the audience that women are accessories to the story, not the centre.

Representation

Representation

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All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of these representations -All aspects of a film, from performance to story, can portray ideas about different people and societies

Performance

  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Costume
  • Facial Expression
  • Bodylanguage
  • Gestures

Ideology

Ideas and ideals that an individual holds about a concept, group of people, place or thing.

Stereotype

A stereotype is a character based on a fixed and oversimplified idea of a type of person

Countertype

A countertype is a character that is the opposite to what the stereotype would be for that type of person e.g black president

Representation – Sarah Connor

Terminator 1

 

In the first Terminator, Sarah Connor is a very standard representation of a working young woman. She is part of a character type that was present in a lot of movies in the 80’s: young, single, overworked, ditzy, clumsy and average. She’s meant to be a sort of everywoman “normal” character

T2

In the sequel, T2, Sarah Connor is a very different character. She has evolved from the relatable “normal” character from the first film, and has changed from that previous character into a hardened action movie hero style of protagonist. Instead of her first introduction, where she’s late to work and is shown being clumsy and overworked, in T2 she is introduced in a mental hospital doing pull ups on an overturned bed. The character is much more capable and is able to fill the role of the character of Kyle from the first film by herself, and is a much more memorable character than he was. Her outfit has also changed to suit this development, going from her pink waitress outfit to stylish, practical clothing suitable for combat. T2’s Sarah Connor is a more action movie heroine character, a countertype to the working girl stereotype she was in the first film.

REPRENTATION IN TRAINSPOTTING

  1. Who is doing the representation? – Danny Boyle (Director)/Irvine Welsh (Original Novelist)
  2. Who is being represented? – Lower/middle classes in Scotland, drug users, young adults
  3. What social groups are omitted from the representation?- Elderly
  4. What messages about particular social groups are being conveyed? – Drug users have a hard life, everyone needs money, life in the UK is not very glamourous for common people
  5. Which characters or social groups have power in these representations? – Drug dealers, higher classes, court system
  6. Do the characters adhere or challenge stereotypes? – The characters challenge stereotypes, as the drug using characters are portrayed with sympathy and as good people rather than being vilified, and a character that doesn’t do drugs, Begby, is the most villainous character
  7. Are the characters typical of films in that genre? – I think that in the genre that Trainspotting is (black comedy drama), the characters are not typical. The drug users would not be the nice, sympathetic characters they are, Begby would not be the aggressive, borderline evil character he is etc.
  8. What do representations tell us about the time the film was made and set? – The film is set in the same year it was made (1996), and the representations show understanding of drug use and normal people, as well as showing us that there is a lot more understanding about people in general.
  9. How are elements of film form being used to construct the representations? – Boyle uses shots that hold for a long time to create a boring, monotonous atmosphere to make the pubs and streets feel normal and familiar and not at all exciting, like the scene at the London pub after they picked up the money which uses long shots and close ups that hold for a while to make the place feel boring, and more frantic editing is used to show drug use, like the scene where Renton ODs, which uses creative editing of the red carpet framing Renton’s POV shots.

Representation

Representation

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all aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.

Performance– What carries representation

face ,age, gestures and body language

Stereotype-Definition

How I would define stereotype is a particular person of thing is seen as an image in someone’s head of how they are meant to act. for example when people say girls aren’t as strong as boys are as you cannot judge how strong a person is whether they are a girl or a boy.

Countertype– Definition

A representation that actively seeks to subvert and challenge negative stereotypes usually of a person, group or place. For example a black president instead of a white president.

Sarah Conner representation examples-

waitress-

when she was a server she was very unfocused and ditsy , this was shown when she was late to work. you can tell that she didn’t enjoy working there and she wasn’t going to peruse the job for much longer.

soldier-

when she was a soldier she was very fit and ripped and they showed this so that it would take away her femininity. she was handling a gum and she knew how to do so so you can see that she had transformed into this badass.

Trainspotting Representation-

1.WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT) Danny Boyle (director)

2.WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED ? Spud, Renton, Sick boy, Francis and Tommy. who were tragically addicted and affected by drug use.

3.WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS? They are more likely middle class but some would say lower class.

4.WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED? Tells the audience how lower class communities are affected by drug abuse and crime.

5.WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS? I believe that the girls have more power as they don’t do drugs really. Also in the first scene in mother superiors house you can tell that the boys are obsessed with the lady or at least sick boy is.

6.DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES? Glasgow is seen as a ‘rougher’ city and the movie shows depth of the people and the city.

7.ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE? No, as all the characters are different and distinctive for the black-comedy genre.

8.WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET? The depictions in Trainspotting communicate to global audiences that Edinburgh in the late ’90s wasn’t always cheerful and welcoming. Instead, it exposes the city’s grittier realities, illustrating how drug abuse often goes unnoticed and highlighting the devastating impact of heroin addiction on both the individuals involved and those around them.

9.HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM (MISE EN SCENE/PERFORMANCE/SOUND/EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY) BEING USED TO CONTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS? A strong example of Mise En Scène in this film occurs when Renton plunges into a filthy toilet, searching for his drugs. This scene takes on a surreal quality, shifting from the grimy reality of the toilet to a boundless, crystal-clear blue water, likely symbolising the euphoria heroin induces. This helps convey the portrayal of desperate young addicts in Edinburgh. In the same scene, the music changes as Renton dives, shifting from a fanfare to a calm ambiance, aligning with the contrast between harsh reality and the bliss of euphoria.

Representation

Representation

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All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations, meaning that films create meaning and generates response through cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and performance of actors.

performance – age, ethnicity, costume, facial expressions, body language/gestures

ideology – the beliefs which an individual holds about something or someone (could also refer to groups of people)

stereotype – a widely and strictly held view, image or idea of a particular type of person or groups of people

countertype – the opposite type of a certain something or someone, usually goes against a stereotype

example: Sarah Connor (Terminator 1 & 2)

In Terminator 1, the character of Sarah Connor is presented to the audience as a clumsy, young American waitress working at a diner where is seems as everyone is trying to hive her a hard time.

In Terminator 2, is like the audience gets introduced to a completely new character even though it is the same one. This is due to the significant change not only in physical appearance (looking stronger due to muscle definition, having her hair up instead of up, wearing manlier clothes etc.) but also her mindset and personality has taken a turn causing her to seem “crazy”.

Representations in Trainspotting

  1. Who is doing the representations? (Danny Boyle – the director)
  2. Who is being represented? (younger generation of drug users, middle/lower class)
  3. Which social groups are being omitted from the representations? (elderly and very young children)
  4. What messages about particular social groups are being conveyed? (younger people can very easily get addicted to drugs and getting out of the addiction is very difficult to stop unless you have a support system)
  5. Which characters or social groups have power within the representations? (The mother superior and the parents of the characters but also Renton at the end of the movie)
  6. Do the characters adhere to or challenge stereotypes? (when we were first introduced to the characters, they all met the “young drug users” stereotypes apart from Tommy however by the end of the movie, he became like the rest of them)
  7. Are the characters typical of films in that genre? (yes because the characters help represent the youth in Scotland at the time)
  8. What do representations tell audiences about society at the time was being filmed or set in? (the characters show what the normal experience of young drug users at the time and how easily people can start doing drugs but how it can also change your life drastically)
  9. How are elements of film form?
Representation

Representation

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TASK 1: All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity, and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.

^ This means that film creates meaning and generates response through cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and performance.

Performance:

-age, ethnicity, costume, facial expressions, body language/gestures.

Ideology: a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

TASK 2:

Stereotype – a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Countertype – an opposite image/idea which actively aims to subvert negative notions previously enforced by media/society.

e.g. White president of America (Scandal; Tony Goldwyn) and a black president of America (Morgan Freeman).

Sarah Connor Representation:

She is the female protagonist of the Terminator franchise, directed by James Cameron.

She is a good example of a film heroine turning from a small-town, girl-next-door, waitress stereotype in the first film; to being a badass heroine, undergoing an intense transformation (physically) to steer away from the stereotypes, embracing the countertype of the character, making her more in charge of her life in the second Terminator film.

Representation in Trainspotting

  1. WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT) Danny Boyle
  2. WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED? (Identify social groups) Heroin addicts in Edinburgh, the parents of addicts, partners of addicts, authority figures, children and regular people.
  3. WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS? People of colour, leading female characters, LGBTQ+ characters.
  4. WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED? It’s shown that heroin addicts/addiction isn’t glamorous, that drug abuse does have its highs of euphoria as well as dark and grimy lows.
  5. WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS? White men, specifically Begbie – he’s aggressive, violent and controlling to whoever is nearby.
  6. DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES? They challenge the stereotype that Edinburgh is the nicer region of Scotland, unlike Glasgow which has been deemed “rougher”. Showing the underbelly of the city and its people.
  7. ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE? No, they’re all unique characters for the black-comedy/drama genre. For example, Creep (2014, Patrick Brice) is considered a black-comedy, and its characters are very different to the ones in Trainspotting.
  8. WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET? The representations shown in Trainspotting tell the audiences around the world that Edinburgh in the late 90s wasn’t always light and friendly – revealing the darker sides of the city and population, how drug abuse flies under the radar for the most part, as well as the destruction that heroin addiction can cause for the user and the people around them.
  9. HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS? A good example of mise en scene being used in this film is when Renton dives into the toilet, searching for his drugs, however it is depicted in a surreal way; transitioning from the disgusting reality of the toilet, into a bottomless body of blue, clear water, this is probably used to visualise the sense of euphoria that heroin can give you. This constructs the representation of desperate, young addicts in Edinburgh. In this same scene, the music used changes when Renton dives into the toilet, going from fanfare to a tranquil ambience, synchronising with the split between reality and euphoria.


Representation, Uncategorised

Summer Task

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What makes a film good ?

 film which is also called a movie, or moving motion of pictures, is a work of visual art that stimulates experience and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings or atmosphere through the use of moving images. An opinion on a film will change over a wide range of people; this could depend on the genre, the actors and actresses. So the big question is what makes a film ” good”. Normally a film is good by someone’s opinion however these opinions are based on 2 elements. These are micro and macro elements. A micro element is based on editing, mise en scene, sound, and cinematography. A macro element is based on genre, messages and values, representation, narrative, style, authorship and them. A film doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be good, the film has to connote these elements and entertain people while doing that. While making sure lighting and sound is good while filming and making sure the editing is good the most important element is the messages the film conveys. The message the film delivers to the viewers will create a sense in the mind to only think or feel that message making the film feel intelligent, enigmatic and a good watch as it makes viewers see the film through a different light. This may be important but in order to create a film that can otherwise communicate meanings, it it’s important that the micro and macro elements are up to a good standard. For example making sure the genre links throughout the film is the same and the film showcases that specific genre eg romantic, horror, action. Making sure the sound is right, for example sad music in a sad scene or silence in a scary scene. Making sure the representation and the aspects of society eg age, gender and ethnicity are represented to the audiences in a correct and friendly manner. These elements contribute massively to a film and making sure it is contributed correctly will make a film good. Evidently, The human mind assumes because one person likes something we all like that something (reciprocal liking )however we all have our own opinions and not be afraid to like something different. Not everyone likes the same good film but we all know why we like a good film So in conclusion, although the micro and macro elements are important in reasoning why a film is good, it is also very important to understand that our personal opinions and judgements are what makes a film good. The opinions come from the micro and macro elements.