Trainspotting (Opening Sequence)
00:00:00 - 00:06:53
Renton’s opening monologue: states the ideology of the film
Choose life - sarcastic illusion to an anti-drugs campaign within the UK during the 80s; it is stuff that Renton and his friends grew up hearing. Such a ubiquitous campaign that young people subverted this message, just like Renton.
It is a subversion of the societal norms of middle-class aspiration. All these things aren’t aspirations and idealised but what people realistically end up with; also what people learn to understand is fine. But Renton, 18, sees this as a hollow promise - is that all I have to aim for? It begins by listing all these things that compile the normal trappings of adulthood: good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance and leisurewear and matching luggage. It’s almost that, by Renton listing them, he is trivialising them. It is a comfortable life but with no excitement; Renton bulletin-points these things to create a sense of hollowness.
As the monologue progresses, Renton deliberately begins to mock these things - inferring that these are things that you should not idealise, an existence rather than a life. Renton creates the image of a hopeless promise of what life should be, a deliberate subversion of the famous campaign telling people not to throw their life away because of drugs; the way society determines that you have made a life for yourself is through the things that Renton lists, but by doing it in such a way, Renton discredits the value of such things.
The whole monologue is a statement of nihilism, why would you choose possessions, good health and security when you can have heroin? It begins with this nihilist manifesto, explaining why these characters do these things; in another sense, Renton enforces hedonism.
As the film progresses, Renton seems to reject his own ideology of hedonism and by the end of the film, he delivers another monologue in which he embraces all the things explained in the beginning of the film. Renton goes from the state of hedonism to everyday complacency, choosing life.
No good place to pause the film; it is constantly engaging. The non-diegetic compiled score rarely, if ever, cuts in conjunction with a scene. It creates a relentless drive forwards within the film, consisting of these short, impressionistic, expressive sequences, each held together by a soundtrack that dominates and accompanies most of the film. Many of the songs are played in full, which rarely happens on film soundtracks.
Cold open, in media res, to a follow shot of feet running away from the camera on a busy Edinburgh street; the feet his the ground in time with the compiled soundtrack and the sequence is cut to the beat of the soundtrack, creating a rhythm and pace in the film immediately. Iggy Pop was a counterculture, American anti-pop figure of the 1970s and the title of his song “lust for life” immediately ties in with Renton’s opening monologue. There is then a fast-paced chase wherein Renton and Spud, both scrawny and shaven, run down the street chased by security guards.
As there is another follow shot with the two running towards the camera, the things that both had been stealing are seen to fall out of their pockets. There are CD’s and consist of what Renton is listing. As the camera pans and the chase progresses, Renton’s monologue begins, stating his ideology outright. From the opening shots, the film is centred in a British reality, running past M&S and Boots.
Very early into the film (30 seconds), there is a breaking of the 4th wall. Renton, who appeared determined and tough mere seconds ago, now breaks this wall to look directly at the audience. As his name card appears on the screen, he looks at the audience and laughs; this informs the audience of the type of film this is, it is self-aware, postmodern and commenting on its own situation. There is then a cut to analepsis of a representative image of Renton doing drugs.
The sequence of images compiled with no-diegetic compiled score is used to introduce time, location and characters, not dissimilar to a montage. All these characters are introduced through a game of football - communicating that these are average people that would be found anywhere. As Renton is hit on the head with the ball, he goes to collapse and there is a cut to him indulging in heroin. McGregor is young, charismatic and good-looking in this film, making him all-the-more engaging. There is a combination abandonment, dirt and run-down areas with the charisma and humour of the characters. The charisma, soundtrack and pace of the film almost encourages the audience to disregard the squalor around the characters, in reality Renton is an addict but it appears cool.
There is a relentlessness within the film as the camera is constantly moving; it creates a narrative drive. Sick boy is then introduced as thoughtful, funny and intelligent; this is one of the ways in which the audience are drawn into the film - these characters defy addiction stereotypes and appear to just be having fun. Every character appears bonded and close, they look out for one another and there is a sense of camaraderie around their addiction.
There is a contrast within the characters that are recognisable as drug addicts, there is their sense charisma that is juxtaposed with the realistic Mise-en-scéne of the squalor of the flat and the preciseness of taking the drugs. In terms of the narrative drive, there is a careful balance of narration and diegetic speech. The narration pauses to allow the diegetic speech and vice versa; it all contributes to the relentlessness of the narrative drive. The main concept is that they are all sacrificing everything to just have fun. in their eyes, this is better than anything that normal life could provide by sacrificing all that normal people take pleasure in for drugs.
“When you’re on junk all you care about is scoring, when you aren’t….” Being on drugs removes all the responsibilities that come with a life of sobriety. The one-shots and two-shots reiterate and focus on the sense of camaraderie. As a narration states something, there is a cut to the sequence proving and revealing it, contributing to the narrative drive of the film. As Renton states he will get off the drugs, the non-diegetic compiled score ends and there is a run of serious dialogue.
There is narration followed by expressive illustration of what is discussed in the narration, reminiscent of cartoon-like behaviour. This is not real and rather an expressive representation of the fact Renton will not leave the apartment. The classical music helps position the film as being comedic; Renton moves in rhythmic codependence with the music, again establishing narrative drive. The sequence ends with an expressive representation of escape as he smashes the wood to leave his apartment.