1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

The classroom discussion pointed out the particularly dismal political and social context that
surrounded Edinburgh, Scotland in the 1990s, where Trainspotting took place. A chart provided
illustrated that the UK experienced a peak in unemployment during the early 1990s, spending
well over a year above 10%. The country even held an anti-suicide campaign simply called
“choose life” due to an alarming suicide rate among the nation of Scotland. It was also
mentioned in class that Scotland feels a certain disconnect from the rest of the UK, as they
actively attempt to succeed from it.

Trainspotting shows a direct correlation to this unfortunate state of affairs. The film openly
mocks Scotland’s plea to its citizens to “choose life”, as the manic ensemble of characters frolic
about in a heroin induced frenzy. The characters chose to live a life in debilitating squalor in
subservience to their heroin addiction. A poignant point in the film point is when the lead
character, Mark Renton, aids his mate Tommy in succumbing to heroin use. Tommy had never
used heroin throughout his entire life, but experienced a traumatic breakup that lead him to the
drug as a source of comfort. He later falls victim to a fatal illness caused by his crippling heroin
addiction. Tommy, one who typically chose life, had assimilated to the drug culture surrounding
him and died as a result.

Another telling point in the film is when Renton lambasted Tommy for attempting to go on a
hike and show some appreciation for their Scottish land. Renton’s main point being that living in
Scotland is not something to be proud of and the country is culturally frowned upon. This
directly depicts a real conflict that many Scots may have felt and may have led to a certain
degree of a declination of livelihood that the nation experienced.

2) Find a related article and summarize the content.

"Trainspotting" Movie Review by Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert’s review heavily reinforces the notion that misery loves company. The social aspect
of sharing a substance addiction is vastly underestimated by those who are not within its realm.
A whole subculture of drug users exists and is predicated upon that fact that they love to ritual of
using together. It almost serves as a perpetual justification.

The review described the plot as companions who find themselves in need of each other to
accomplish their objectives. It also claims that the story intrinsically focuses on the cyclical
nature of drug habits, as the plot itself does not move much farther along in a characters moral
growth than when it started.

In essence, Ebert found the cultural aspects of the movie more compelling than the movement of
the plot itself towards to a more meaningfully principled storyline.

Ebert, Roger. “Trainspotting” Rogerebert.com. July 26, 1996. Web. January 28, 2018.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

The article definitely supported how I felt about the content of the film. Substance abuse and the
accompanied lifestyle remained dominant throughout the whole entire movie. The narrative of
events wasn’t as important as the portrayal of how the characters lived their lives. The extremely
graphic nature of what occurs in their life as a result of drug abuse stands on its own merits of
interest, no matter how reprehensible they may be.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the
screening, class discussions, text material and the article.

Trainspotting absolutely illuminated an alternative culture that existed in the UK during the early
1990’s. The context of Scotland in that period of time is largely important in deconstructing the
underlying comment of society that it provides. The youth of the downtrodden area brazenly
scoffs at the idea of a commercialistic lifestyle and doubles down on one of nihilistic, self-
absorbed drug use.

Director Danny Boyle sufficiently captured the raw nature of the content of the film in a way that
resonated deeply with a cult audience. More than two decades after the release of Trainspotting,
it still stands on its own as a scope into a world that most would wince more than a few times
at.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( X ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( X ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly
explain that in the paper.

3) ( X ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used
indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( X ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in
the text of the paper.

5) ( X ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( X ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I
cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( X ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( X ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research
and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Joseph Lanza Date: January 28, 2018