Critical Analysis of Club Scene In Trainspotting:

 Critical Analysis of Club Scene In Trainspotting:

                                                                                                                                                            

The scene begins with diegetic sound of dance music being played in the nightclub the song is called ‘Temptation’ by the musical group ‘Heaven 17’ the title of the song may have dual significance relating to the characters this being firstly due to the drug addiction and how the heroin tempts them into relapse secondly it may relate to sexual temptation as they are discussing their relationships and are at the club to pursue females.

Renton played by Ewan McGregor is stood in front of a portrait painting of the character Travis Bickle from Martin Scorsese 1976 film Taxi Driver where Bickel takes the law into his own hands by hunting down criminals such as drug dealers this intertextual reference highlights Renton’s drug addiction and how it can often lead to crime and violence. The portrait of Bickel is pointing guns at Renton’s head from behind him almost like and execution for his crimes.

This film heavily uses intertextual references to Taxi Driver as in this clip we see a painting of Jodie foster ‘Iris’ who plays a 12 year old child prostitute which Travis decides to rescue this interlinks with a scenario between Renton and Diane during the end of the scene where Renton becomes romantically entangled with her later to discover that she is only 14 years old.

Another intertextual reference relating to the night club is how it is decorated in a style recreating the milk bar from Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. In this film a gang of violent youths frequently partake in drinking milk laced with a variety of drugs prior to committing brutal attacks. This again might be a reference to the serious consequences to drug addiction.

 We see are shown a two shot medium close up of two girls exiting the restrooms as they make there way to the mirrors. As we know that Gail is reflecting about her dominative relationship over spud. Which is why we are given this shot as mirrors represent reflection and this is what Gail is doing in this scene.  We are then given a similar shot of Spud and Tommy openly discussing how Spud isn’t getting enough sexual pleasure from Gail. We can see a contrast in location of the girls going away to the toilets to discuss the matter and the males shouting it in the club.

We see the girl enter back into the club where they approach the boys and ask ‘what are you talking about?’ in sync where they are given a reply of ‘football’ and the question is then asked to the girls and they say ‘shopping’ playing on gender stereotype because they are both lying about what they were talking about as they don’t want to tell each other what they are talking about when all four of them are talking about the same matter.

We are given a point of view shot of Renton, showing that he hasn’t got a girlfriend as he watches all of his friends in envy. We are shown a couple being seductive to one another which makes Renton envy’s and more desperate to find a partner for the night. In this film we are given narration by Renton making it clear that this is from his point of view which is what accompanies the shot type. Renton was searching through the club looking for a partner using point of view shots of other couples in envy where he spots Diane standing alone at the bar this sequence is deliberately cut to the fast pace of the score creating a montage.

Colour conations of the red building , red lipstick , red coat which is all around Diane symbolises the lust , love and danger of there relationship which peruses in this film. Which possibly suggests danger for Renton caused by Diane as we find out later in the film that she is underage and he has being having sexual relations with her. When Diane’s black mailing come into play.