TrainspottingBy Laura Messider

ENIGMA CODE (Barthes):

• The opening shot from the trailer shows four male subjects running dramatically through a street, however the audience isn’t told what they are running from or why. This shows an enigma code, as they are left to interpret what is happening within the scene, with the help of the dialogue in the voiceover. [“Choose life, choose a job, choose a career..”]. Although this dialogue also doesn’t reveal a lot and the audience never learns any more about this scene in the trailer, this encourages the audience to watch the full film in order to learn what is happening in this scene.

• Earp & Katz – ‘All men are violent’ as it shows that four men are running from some danger allowing the audience to believe they has been some violence involved

NARATIVE STRUCTURE (Todorov):

• The trailer begins in the centre of the disruption, although we do not know what the disruption is (enigma code) as we see the protagonist getting hit by a car. Although he doesn’t get hurt in the accident as we see him get up and run off, it is clear that he is running away from a disruption although what the disruption is, is not known by the audience or ever learnt in the trailer again encouraging the audience to watch the full film in order to learn the cause of the disruption.

• The camera is placed within the car, which creates verisimilitude as it makes the audience feel as if they are running him over. This means the audience has a connection with the protagonist instantly.

CHARACTER TYPES (Propp):

• The first character that we are introduced to within the trailer is Renton, who we assume to be the films protagonist. The intertextuality which appears to tell the audience the characters name and the direct mode of address allows us to determine that he is the most important within the film, as well as the fact that he was the first character to be introduced. Again the audience is placed within the car with the reflection off the car window this medium shot allows the audience to establish a connection with the protagonist therefore, encourage them to watch the full in order to find out more about him.

CHARACTER TYPES (Propp):

• This shot highlights the different character types as we can see Renton (the presumed protagonist) has turned around, as if he doesn’t want to be part of what they other characters are doing, which represents him as the good character linking to O’Sullivan et al’s ‘we know who is good and who is evil’ theory. The character on the far left looks small and insignificant compared to the others, and is also wearing brighter clothing which could represent him as being different or quirky. The mise-en-scene setting of the train track shows good anchorage between the title and image.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE (Todorov):

• One of the final shots of the trailer shows the films protagonist holding a large bag, as if leaving, whilst smiling. This implies that he has escaped the drugs/violence of the city and is leaving to begin a new life. This is reinforced by the dialogue in the voiceover; “Choose your future, choose life.” This suggests that the protagonist is beginning a new equilibrium, however as this only an assumption the audience is encouraged to watch the full film to find out.

BINARY OPPOSITES (Strauss):

• The over the shoulder shot highlights the differences between the two male and two female characters. The dialogue that is used also emphasises this, as when asked what they are talking about the two male characters reply with “football” and the two female characters reply with “shopping”.

• O’Sullivan et al – ‘Masculinity and femininity are socially constructed’ as this scene plays upon the stereotypical representations of gender “football… shopping”. Both these activities are stereotypically linked to the opposite genders.

• Wolf – ‘ Beauty myth’ and Berger – ‘Men act, women appear’ as the women are dressed to impress the male characters

Stuart Hall – Reception Model• Preferred reading – youth as they may personally identify with the characters,

this adheres to personal identity strand of the ‘uses and gratifications’ theory by Blumler and Katz

• Negotiated reading – lower class as they may see Renton’s struggle, but do not it is achievable for them

• Oppositional reading – older people who do not the drug lifestyle of the protagonists. Also feminist as stereotypical represents are heavily used throughout the trailer “what are you talking about?... Shopping”

Use of reviews attract a secondary audience who may only watch the film, due to the good reviews from well-known trusted people and companies for example this one from The New York Times. This is a convention of social realist films as they have a niche audience therefore, need to attract a secondary audience to widen their demographic.