Trainspotting Key analysis

Opening Scene

Trainspotting's opening scene displays each of the main characters in the film, first and most importantly being Renton who's erratic dysfunctional personality is  clearly displayed in the form of him taking heroin before the 2:00 mark has even hit the film. Other than Renton his friends are also displayed playing football within the establishing shot, this perhaps represents masculinity (further supported by the watching girls) and the control that Renton's friends have over his life, as they influence nearly his every decision throughout the film. It is also fairly evident from Renton's accent and him running down Princes Street (Edinburgh) that this film takes place in Scotland. As the scene plays out Renton delivers his Choose Life speech, which is used for social realism purposes to make the audience reflect on and decide wether this ties into their own ideology.  Within the football match the audience are also introduced to the personalities of the other characters. Begby and Sick Boy cheat throughout the game and play unfairly, as they do throughout the film, implying they cheat and bully their way through life. Meanwhile Spud (goalie) is depicted as clueless but plodding along nevertheless, and Tommy who seemingly appears to play by the rules of the game but evidently finds himself locked in a corner which perhaps foreshadows his death at the end of the film. It is no mistake that they are presented in this team like manner as in theory they are just not the most cohesive. Throughout the opening scene their drug usage is almost glorified with the upbeat music and obvious joy from the characters that is displayed as soon as any of them come into contact with heroin, this is made immediately obvious as the scene takes the characters into the brightly lit bandeau. Yet it is not made clear in what direction the lights are coming from, that and their colourful appearance create a theme of hyper-realism similar to that of Alice In Wonderland which has been compared to a very long Acid trip, similar to heroin in it's hallucinogenic properties. Dramatic irony is used within the scene for comedic purposes with Begby stating towards the end of the scene that he doesn't take drugs, but is evidently drinking alcohol and smoking a cigarette as he states this which contextually displays the unfair attitude on recreational drugs, as with abuse both cigarettes and alcohol can kill you the same as heroin. It also foreshadows the death of Tommy as he initially mocks Renton in this scene for his drug usage but by the end of the film dies due to that said drug.

Detox Scene

The detox scene depicts Renton as he suffers a comedown from his drug usage, less the overdose and more the lack of usage have brought about the emotions in this scene. His room is detailed to be the same as a child's which suggests either that he left home early or that his parents never re-decorated as they still retain the memory of child Renton when they see him, which allows them to ignore his obvious drug usage for long periods of time.  Here he lies in a limbo of sorts, left alone with his own thoughts and fears as he weans himself of the drug he appears to have a series of hallucinations which references previous moments of the film but on a whole don't explain themselves and leave it up to the audience for interpretation,  this adds to the hyper-realistic themes of the film. One of his visions depicts the underage girl he slept with, Spud in prison wear and Tommy disheveled from the effects of the heroin; these all show his guilt which is evident whenever he reflects on his past for example the dead baby which literally crawls on the ceiling to really hit home that Renton feels almost haunted by his choices in life. Moments from the present are also shown to be warped in his mind, and the line between reality and dreams are both blurred for Renton and the audience which creates an overall fairly surreal scene.

Final Scene

Trainspotting's final scene details Renton's final choice. The film begins with his friends and him, seemingly described as a team but it ends with Renton himself on his own with a bag of money. Both the ending and opening scenes are shot in a face paced up-beat manner but it could be argued that the opening of the film is in fact actually more optimistic than it's ending, with every character at the beginning of the film shown to be happy in their own way, by the end of the film one of the team is dead, and Renton's decision to provide Spud with money as well almost forces their implied separation as it is unlikely that Begby and Sick Boy with their volatile personalities are likely to get along with it just being those two. It is also implied that Renton despite his theft of the money that they all worked to steal together knew that they would not be able to fairly share it as it is shown throughout the film through the characters that life simply isn't all that fair; from the death of the baby to the only character who could really help his life being underage and in school. Renton once again repeats his opening monologue of his 'Choose Life' speech implying that to him now life means doing things his own way and not following his friends or family but making his own decisions.