Trainspotting

Trainspotting (1996)

*Directed by Danny Doyle- Who also directed Slum Dog Millionaire
*The films age rating is an 18
*The publishing companies are Polygram (which is a British company) and Channel 4 films

This film is set in Edinburgh in the 90s; The economic situation at this time was high unemployment much like today's current economic climate.

The first two minutes:
*Series of shots- these establish the setting and character; at the beginning the directer uses a mid pan backwards shot, this makes you as an audience member feel as if you are running with the actor, also his voice comes in on the voice over which also makes you feel more like you are there. There is also a shot used that I particularly like which is a mid shot of the boy and the shot is framed naturally with the arch way, this I think looked very artistic. The director also chose to do shots from the ground level up this makes the character look almost heroic.

*The soundtrack- It's a song of that period which emphasises when it was set, it's an upbeat fun 'party' song. The general sounds of the street come in before the visual actually does, this gives the sense that things in the story have happened before hand to cause whatever we're about to see.

*Genre- I assume that it is a British gritty comedy from the song choice used, the font was simplistic yet a bubbly-ish font, indicating the age of the characters and also there is a hint to the comedic side of the film, a few of the shots done are generally funny, but I get the sense of the grittiness through the looks of the actors, the lighting choice made by the director- it is very dark, dingy and also quite creepy.

*Lighting- Looks natural; shadows are formed on walls-  which I believe adds to the gritty side of the genre, as the shadows look quite grim and sinister. The lighting is generally dark, this may be as it's night time, but the some of the shots are inside so it's hard to tell.

This film is a representation of childhood/ young adults in Edinburgh in the 90s; and for me as a young adult myself it's quite over done, I feel that people would get the impression that all the kids in Edinburgh behave in this way when only a rare selection of kids in the entire country do act in this manner. To me though I think that it portrays quite a fun party like atmosphere with the alcohol, smoking, friends, laughing; It seems like an enjoyable thing to be doing as a person of that age. It also looks like all kids are energetic with the football and the running. I also get think that these kids are actually quite poor, as they look grotty, the setting looks grotty in the building and the lighting throughout the opening two minutes is very dark and dingy.

The director chose to use a typical British sport of football. This lets you know that it is set in a British town.


This film has a vintage/retro feel to it, with the colours chosen, the soundtrack, the lighting and the costumes worn. This might make the film a bit more specialised for a certain audience. The front of the DVD cover also has this vintage feel, with the orange band across the bottom and the white background, it's simplistic yet still not like many other DVD covers. Also the fact that the picture is the wrong way round (on it's side not vertical- horizontal.) This is different from the rest of the DVD covers which would make it stand out to anyone who walked by it, but, I think this was a risky choice  but, I personally really like it. I think a few people may disapprove this choice and see it as pointless, I think that it is representing the fact the the film isn't any regular film, it's about things that aren't normal. Also the film is about drugs, so it might represent the fact that whilst on the drug the characters may feel like they're the wrong way round, or that drugs turn your life of it's side and as a result drugs are actually bad?