A-Level Media Trainspotting trailer analysis

1. TrainspottingBy Laura Messider

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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.