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Trainspotting Micro Elements Task

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Mise-En-Scene

A memorable scene for me, in terms of mise-en-scene, is when Renton enters the ‘Worst toilet in Scotland’, as it is called in film. The disgustingness of the set design in this scene is most likely over-exaggerated by Todd Phillips, to not only make the audience feel disgusted by what they’re viewing, but to also portray to the viewers how damaging drug addiction is, as this character of Mark Renton is willing to use this extremely disgusting toilet, and later on in the sequence dives into the toilet to retrieve some drugs he’d dropped in toilet. The grimy toilet also adds to the verisimilitude of the film as, even though the filth is somewhat over exaggerated, the toilet does appear to be somewhat realistic. The sound within this scene also adds to the horrid scene we are seeing unfold before us, as there is no music, only the sounds of Renton’s relief as he finally goes to the toilet. This obviously adds to the disgusting tone of the scene as the audience has nothing else to listen too, so they are forced to hear this disgusting, yet simplistic, soundscape. The spacing at the beginning of the sequence is really effective. Boyle places Renton in the background, so that the audience can take in all the elements of the disgusting toilet, such as the broken urinals and the just the overall state of the toilet. The low key lighting within the scene only adds to the dinginess and horridness of the toilet scene and the setting of it. Ewan Mcgregor, the actor who plays Renton, ‘s make up in this scene and really the whole film, makes him appear more pale and worn out, due to his heroin addiction. This adds to the versimilitude of the film, as it makes it Mcgregor look like a drug addict.

Sound

The soundscape throughout the film is intentionally grotesque, to not only match the disgusting and borderline disturbing imagery shown in the film, but to also follow up on the film’s key message of showing the damage that drugs can have on people within society. The two key examples of sound that I find the most iconic and memorable is the scene in which Renton overdoses and the scene in which Renton goes to the worst toilet in Scotland. The first example is iconic due to the non-diagetic sound within the scene, that being the song ‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed. This choice of song is amazing for a few reasons, the first being that taking heroin is Renton’s perfect day at this point in his life, as that is all he cares about. Another reason why it’s so amazing is that its ironic because Renton isn’t having a perfect day, as he could die from an overdose from heroin. This is an example of the film’s dark humour, another being Bigbe’s maniacal bar fight, where he lobs a pint glass over his head.

Cinematography

The cinematographer in Trainspotting is Brian Tufano and he uses wide angles and colour manipulation to convey to the audience the trippy psychedelic experience that the characters are under going due to heroin. He also uses wide and low angles, as well as worm’s eye low level movement and framing, to show the audience the lack of ambition and limited perspective that these characters have in their lives. Throughout the film, the way that Renton is framed portrays him as being alone and isolated. A good example of this the bar scene, in which Renton goes to the bar with his family and his mum wins the bingo. The sequence that ensues pictures Renton alone and unmoving, whereas his family, in fast motion, spend the night partying and spending their winnings. This shot/sequence, with Renton centered in the frame, solitary, really portrays how Renton currently feels without heroin in his life. He doesn’t currently care about anything, as he is without the one thing that made him have a ‘Perfect Day’. Heroin.

Editing

Throughout the film, the use of editing creates a particularly stylistic humour, which mainly involves irony and social realism. It also uses montage, such as the montage of London, to show a stylistically excessive representation of London. This may be used to portray to the viewer the feelings that the Scottish characters have towards London and England as a whole, which is that they view London as this place that’s culturally exciting, compared to the lacklustre environment of Scotland and how their culture is described as being old and behind by Diana. It also interestingly uses freeze-frames in the opening to introduce each of the characters in the film.

Trainspotting

Trainspotting First Response

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I have chosen to give this movie 7/1O. This is because I think this movie was heavily impactful as it is based around addiction and how younger people can very easily get addicted to drugs especially heroine and it also brigs attention to the fact that quitting drugs, especially when there is no support system set in place can be very challenging and disheartening to watch. This film also represented different social groups and social classes very well such as the youth, lower to middle class and many other elements of how the youth in Scotland was affected by drug usage.

in my opinion, the most memorable scene was when Renton went to the Mother Superior’s den to get one last hit of heroine before going to a rehabilitation unit and he overdosed. I think this scene was particularly memorable because it caused a lot of suspense upon the viewer as we did not know if Renton was going to live. The way the scene was almost set up as a funeral and made it look like Renton was in a coffin underground also made this scene that much more heart-breaking as he was young with his whole life ahead of him.

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.

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Trainspotting Micro Elements

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Cinematography

The use of an eye level shot causes the scene to become more immersive as the audience feels like they’re sat across the table from Spud and Renton. The angle also allowed a clear view of Spud and Renton as well as the characters in the background which could be used as foreshadowing to the chaos that will soon occur there. This tells the audience that they shouldn’t be focused on only Spud and Renton.

Mise en Scene

The darker lighting and shadows in this scene highlights Tommy’s ongoing downfall as his addiction increases. The use of a small spotlight above Tommy could also reflect how he used to be a sign of hope in the friend group, as he was the only one who wasn’t addicted to drugs and how he used to be in the spotlight due to his spotting achievements but due to his addiction he has fallen out of it. The use of the shadows and lighting makes viewers feel melancholy and pitiful towards Tommy.

Sound

In this scene when Renton goes down the toilet there is music playing which acts as an oxymoron for the scene as the music is very tranquil whereas in reality Renton is feeling stressed as he has lost his drugs down the toilet. The effect of this send the audience to a false sense of security as due to the sound they feel more relaxed but the storyline is no less calm.

Editing

Throughout the film, scenes are split by small montages of the city (either Edinburgh or London). These act like a break from the fast paced film which could also symbolise the come down after a hit and then afterwards taking another one.

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Trainspotting (1996, Boyle, UK)

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Sound- The sound in this scene makes Renton’s leaving more powerful. The sound fades it the actions of him leaving. For example, when first taking the bag, you can faintly hear the music. However, in the moment where he is left, it is loud, and the lyrics are heard. This builds suspense in the scene, for me as a viewer the music added to the scene creating a powerful moment. 

Editing– The montage shows Mutiple aspects of London, showing famous monuments and iconic buildings. For me as a viewer this shows what Renton expects from London but it also works as an establishing shot showing the viewer the area, he will be working in.  

cinematography- this scene shows the perceptive of Renton, and the facial features of over people. For me this conveyed the judgment of the state that mark was in well. But it also showed the viewer that he was still conscious 

 Mise en scene- The overall mise en scene for this scene really stands out to me. The camera remains at a low level for the toilet scene meaning that we can see the actions unfold. The whole set design of the bathroom and water represents how disgusting it was, creating an effect on the viewer. The actors’ outfit appears to be normal and so does his expression, which makes the scene more whimsical.  

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?
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Joker Reflection:

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​What went well?​What Went Wrong​What do I need to do next time to ensure things go better?​
Group Communication/ Role Allocation​Everything went well, all members knew what they where doing and what their roles where.​People were doing more than others.​Give everyone an equal role​
Timing/​Task Completion​We got most of the filming finished. We could of film more but overall we got a good handful.​Did not film as much as we wanted because of the time frame.​-Have some more time. ​-Be quicker on certain shots.​
Understanding the Task​We understood the task well and pulled off shots we had planned.​We had to many ideas and couldn’t pull them all together.​​
Controlling Task Conditions (location etc.)​I think we had the best location in the school for the mirrors and dark lighting.​Because of the mirror the camera man was sometimes in shot so we had to redo certain shots.​​
Skills Required​(Technical)​The communication between us was clear.​Confidence​​
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trainspotting micro elements

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Cinematography was use well in the scene, one of the camera angles used was a birds-eye- view. This camera angle allowed the audience to get a direct view of the characters facial expressions which made the scene feel more horrific. It was also a long shot which made the whole character of Renton visible in the center of the screen, this made him unavoidable which added to the fact that Renton had to get through the challenging part of withdrawals to become sober and move on in life.

Editing is used in this scene in the form of a J cut. the audio from the next scene where Renton breaks into a car is heard in the scene before it. The j cut adds an extra layer of interest t the audience and also shows how badly drugs can effect you since the scene transitions from doing heroin to committing crimes.

Non-diegetic sound was used in this scene with the song ‘perfect day’ in the background. The song added irony too the scene since Renton was overdosing and sent to the hospital, the use of the non-diegetic sound added humor to a disturbing scene which could make the audience feel less tense about what’s happening and also feel more horrified .

Coloring i this scene shows the romance and lust that Renton has for Diane since the red can symbolize romance. The intense red on the walls and Diane’s jacket makes it her stand out in the dress which shows how she’s the focus of attention.

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.