Film Analysis Trainspotting - Term Paper Example

Trainspotting Discuss the scene where they go on a hike to the ‘great outdoors. What is the irony of Markleading this ‘expedition’? What is the significance of Renton’s line: “I hate being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the fucking low, the scum of the earth…” On the surface of it, Trainspotting looks like an anti-drug movie, showing the detrimental and frivolous parts of indulging in a drug habit. On deeper level lies subtle psychological and sociological disturbances that affect the youth of Scotland. The title of the movie, Trainspotting, refers to the habit of sitting by a rail track and watching trains go by, a common activity of wasting time, reinforces this theme of instability, loneliness, depravation and isolation among Scottish youth. Trainspotting is primarily about people’s tendency to feel isolated and an outcast even when you move and live in the midst of millions. It is about isolation tackled in many levels. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is suffering from a sense of loss of identity and rebels against the prevailing emotion by using drugs to escape that reality. He isolates himself from the mainstream society by refusing to do things that ordinary people would do for survival such as having a job and owning materials things to assist them in their daily life. On a higher level, the movie also explores the isolation that "normality" brings to those who seek to be different or who are simply different. It also talks about the isolation that addiction can bring to those who choose drugs and the lifestyle that comes with it. This paper will explore the different levels of isolation that people can feel despite the being surrounded by millions of people. Specifically, this papers will understand how the director explored each level through the use of methaphors such as ‘hiking the great outdoors’ and degrading ironic statements about their own race to heighten the sense of isolation that people can feel. The ‘Great Outdoors’ Sets the Context Trainspotting takes us through the lives of a group of Scottish drug addicts, who differ on many aspects but are bound together by their addiction. The movie starts with a statement made by the main protagonist about choosing to own or do things that are socially constructed as normal or ordinary. Renton states: Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television…But why would I want to do a thing like that? The last line was a clear expression of disdain towards the social convention, a conscious choice to disconnect from things that are owned and utilized by the mainstream society. Mark’s suggestion to take a trip to the “outdoors” was a methaphor towards making an attempt to blend and be a part of the ‘normal’ society. However, Mark’s refusal to conform to social norms disqualifies him to lead the group in their quest to give conventions a try. He lacked the spirit and the willingness to blend in. Feeling like an Outcast Just as When He is Trying to Blend In Renton finally decides to quit drugs and is forced to face the beautiful outdoors. The withdrawal forces Renton to reexamine the different facets of the society he is trying to be a part. This reexamination, as in all the observations he males on different subjects, he makes an observation with a wide perspective. He stated: I hate being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the fucking low, the scum of the earth, the most wretched, servile, miserable, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English, but I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can’t even pick a decent culture to be colonized by. We are ruled by effete arseholes. It’s a shite state of affairs and all the fresh air in the world will not make any fucking difference. Renton feels that his race naturally makes him inferior. However, in order to understand this statement, it is important to delve into Scotland’s history past and its current state of affairs. According to a survey done Andy Wightman, two thirds of the land in Scotland, is privately owned by just 1,000 individuals. Most of those individuals are British, which would seem to denote the feeling of being colonized that Mark Renton exhibited when he made that statement. According to Alastair Macintosh, the level of depravation experienced by Scottish people is not limited to land ownership, it also extends to the social fabric of the community. This history of social injustice goes all the way back to the 16th century, when a decree was passed by King James I, called the Statutes of Iona. This Act declared that Clan chiefs would send their eldest sons to schools in the Lowlands. There, they would be taught by Protestants to read, write and speak in English fluently. The Act also prohibited the bearing of arms and drunken revelry. According to Kenneth Mac Kinnon “When the Act, called the Statutes of Iona, was passed in 1609, the high point of Gaelic society and culture was coming to an end. This act prohibited many things normal to Gaelic culture. In particular, the traveling of vagabonds. This was the name given by the Government to the Bards and Musicians who traveled freely between Ireland and Scotland, from one great house to another, praising the Chiefs who were the very substance of Gaelic society.” This law was later followed by Act of Proscription, which outlawed the Tartan, Kilt, and freedom of assembly and the use of bagpipes. According to Alastair Macintosh (1997), “They destroyed the soul of indigenous society whilst leaving outward authority structures intact. In colonizing minds, the way was cleared to colonize the land and to manipulate the people into tools of Empire building abroad.” This history of Scotland would be the best reason to explain Mark Renton’s sense of victimization and hopelessness. The only way he can deal with this circumstance is to reject his Scottish heritage and go into a self derogatory rant. Isolation as a Justification for Self Destruction But does the colonization of Scotland justify Mark Renton’s behavior in indulging in a drug habit? According to psychotherapist, Paul Fedorowicz, in order to feel tolerated by the society individuals who feel socially ostracized will feel like they are forced to wear a fake persona or a front. But it is the lack of these personalities and not their presence that lead to antisocial behavior and psychological issues. In Mark Renton’s case, he did not possess a wide variety of false personae when he was young, and so when he faced multiple social disappointments he started to see the class distinction in the society. He then decided to put on the mask to fit in order to fit in his lower class environment. In the movie, he takes up the mask of an ambitionless druggy, in order to protect his intelligence and child-like innocence. The only problem with this coping method is that Mike gets so engrossed in his fake personality that he forgets his real one. He therefore develops another front, while he tries to develop another personality. This secondary mask only yields a sense of insecurity and reinforces hiss social rejection and isolation. This is signified by his attempt to quit drugs, but only later to return to it when faced by societal pressure. The Isolation that Addiction Brings The film clearly shows the effects of living a drug addict’s life. We are continuously exposed to the illusionary and filthy lifestyle drug addicts subject themselves to. For example, we see the drug dealer being injected with heroin in the only good vein he has in his body, he’s penis. We also see Tommy move from slight poverty, to absolute destitution once he is fully addicted, wasting away and eventually dies from AIDS. Mike Renton feels trapped in his experience of life. He is constantly reminded of the perils of a drug addict’s lifestyle but still at the same time cannot stand the mediocre lifestyle of the society, when he is sober. Therefore, the only way he can escape it is by taking drugs. There is wisdom in Renton’s opinion about his heritage and how the society works. There is a natural dysfunction that follows a dysfunctional history. It is, however, unreasonable to think that Renton’s opinion on the heritage of the Scottish to be a sweeping generalization of what all Scottish feel towards themselves. Mark has very little self esteem, despite his obvious intelligence and motivation to do better in life, which would explain why he is consistently dropping in and out of his drug habit throughout the movie. Even worse, he has a general antagonist attitude towards most of the things in his life, he does not feel welcome in his own family circle, he does not approve of the behavior of most of his friends and he is also does not approve what he does with his own life either. If the character was able to boost his sense of self esteem and rise above the negative circumstances about his life, he may be able to rationalize the situation differently and see the consequences of his own sense of depravation. Conclusion It is admirable how Trainspotting was able to portray a personal psychological battle of isolation through a large social context. It does so by showing how addicts, or other pervert people for that matter, see the lack of beauty that mainstream society has, the death in routine, the lack of creativity on normal things. Then, it provides another layer by touching on the history of Scotland as a satirical background. This attack on the very essence of the Scottish race makes the whole struggle more valid. It does a good job in exploring the psychosis found on both the mainstream society or on those that are deemed normal by those who are deemed abnormal. The movie successfully explained that isolation, discontent, disdain and loneliness may persist regardless of one’s condition. The only way out of it is a firm decision to be not be isolated, be content and happy regardless of standards, regardless of norms. Renton’s vigor for life is shown in those sections of the movie when he is off drugs and begins to interact with other members of society, beyond his circle of drug addled friends. This ability to function with the rest of normal world, however, does not erase Renton’s feeling that inequality persists and that this inequality pushes people to feel isolated. In an effort to numb those feelings, he chooses the life of a drug addict. Those feelings are reiterated in the film when they go for an outdoor excursion, at which point Mark looks almost sick or uncomfortable for being out there. This confusing and sick cycle clearly explains why people find living a normal and straight life too hard. Renton’s continuous disdain towards his own race serves as a deeper but more detached context of his hatred. There is a prevailing belief that Scottish’s tradition and culture has also been lost, due to past oppressive legislation which deterred their culture and traditional language, from passing on from one generation to the next. These factors have left some Scottish people devoid of a sense of national pride and patriotism. Mark Renton’s statements about being a Scottish and about the pain for being a part of a normal world clearly encapsulate what the movie is all about – it’s all about what is within you. The race one is born into and the society that one is forced to live into is too big for any one person to be controlled. Living a decent life will never assure you that you will not feel isolated but living a dysfunctional life will not save you from the feeling of isolation either. All you can really control is how you feel about your life. Bibliography Macintosh, Alastair. Colonised land; Colonised Mind: People of the island of Eigg Celebrate Their Freedom, Resurgency, 1997. Print. Mac Kinnon, Kenneth. Gaelic: A Past and Future Prospect, Edinburgh, 1991. Print Read More