Trainspotting Opening Analysis

The opening scene of Trainspotting introduces each character, bar one, and briefly helps to show and distinguish each character's personality. We're instantly aligned with Renton, simply due to the fact that he's the first character we see and hear, as he voices over the majority of the scene with a monologue that's primarily his opinions and views. As the scene opens, were joined by Renton and Spud, seen running away from what look to be security guards. Renton gets caught up after almost being hit by a car, and a freeze-frame is shown with his name appearing on screen. This simple but effective technique of introducing the characters is seen throughout the rest of the scene, and helps the audience easily grasp who is who within the rest of the film. 

 This technique is repeated in the next shot, as a chaotic football scene introduces Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy, each with a freeze frame that gives a small glimpse at the personality of each character. The football game helps to establish the very haphazard nature of the group, and how each of them has their own defining traits. A shot is shown of Renton getting a football kicked at his head, as his fall is intercut with a shot change tohim fallingin the airy, bright apartment in which most of their drug use sessions take place. It's simple to conclude from this shot, and is made even clearer when heroin is introduced 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Film Form Basics

The Basic Definitions: Cinematography - use of camera and lighting (angles, shot types and movement)                                    e.g. mid-shot, close-ups, zooms, high and low camera angles, pan shot,                                    tracking Editing - the relationship between the shots, how they follow each other                  e.g. cuts, fades Mis-En-Scene - what's in the shot/scene                               e.g. props, costumes, backgrounds, and their significance Sound - music, sound effects and spoken word within a scene (diegetic and non-dietetic) Performance - the performance of the actors and how they add to the scene ...
Read more

DRAFT

Short Film Scene 1: INT car    Open in a car, as if the camera is on the dashboard. We see a child in the passenger seat idling about, humming along to a relatively happy tune on the radio. Warm sunlight comes from the passenger window, saturating her and the bear sitting on her lap. The bear is rather small, and it’s ears are lined with pink felt that’s worn down to reveal the old felt underneath. It’s a small pooh bear that is no longer the golden yellow it should be, and instead is a dirty tan from years of love and affection. The child has a grip on the bear with one of her hands, the other is tapping on the door in time to the music.  Jarring cut to the driver of the car, who is the father of the young girl. His point of view is very dark, there is a lack of music and instead a single low note is playing in the background. He is gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles are turning white, a clear signal of his stress. The lighting turns very cold, missing...
Read more

Shaun of The Dead: Narrative Structure and Genres

Narratively, Shaun of the Dead plays with the conventions of two genres, those being the classic romance-comedy and the popular zombie thriller. Throughout the film, each of these genres twist and intertwine to create the well loved zom-rom-com. Both genres have a starting equilibrium, a major disruption and a new equilibirum, all of which fit with the conventions of both sides.
Read more