What expectations are created for the audience in the opening sequence of Trainspotting?

Danny Boyles Transpotting immediately throws the audience into a fast pace chase scene, where we are introduced to our main character Renton (Ewan McGregor) alongside his other friends, running away from some authorities after a crime he has just committed. This automatically sets a profile of this character up for the audience, showing his reckless nature. We can also see his dirty clothes to portray his messy lifestyle, and his lack of general care for himself.

As well as the everyday sounds of traffic and people talking, to allow us to get a feel for the atmosphere. There is a overlaid monologue from Renton which repetitively says each sentence starting with “Choose a..” This helps to drill in the importance of this message. The style of this monologue is meant to make the audience contemplate their own goals and desires, it also sets the tone for the film to try and get the audience to understand what drives the mindset of a drug addict. Throughout the film the non-diegetic sound of Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust’ is played, which has several mentions later on in the film, as it was popular at the time. The song refers to striving for the best, relating to Renton’s monologue.

A strong range of different shot types have also been used in this short clip. We initially see a close up of the feet of Renton and his

friends running as well as ones of their faces. By paying close attention to these details the audience can get an idea of the high these characters are feeling from stealing and the extreme lengths they are willing to go through to provide for their drug filled lifestyle.

We then cut to a montage of ‘the gang’ at a small football match. One by one we are introduced to each character with a freeze frame of them in action. This fast pace is kept up. We are also introduced to a small group of female fans of the boys who are only seen very briefly to show their secondary role in the film. We can see a contrast in appearance to the opposing team who all have clean kits and look neatly presented from the other five boys who just like Renton have very dirty clothes, but also effectively fit in with the early 90s time era.

As soon as the camera cross cuts to Renton smoking we can start to see the darker side to this narrative, the pace automatically slows down and everything seems much more tranquil, to show the effect of the drugs. This foreshadows what is to come later in the film.

Two key props in this sequence that Boyle has chosen to use are a football and a cigarette. The football shows how despite doing drugs Renton manages to fit this social part of his life in, and how he mixes the two together, to receive different kinds of highs, from the drugs and from sporting activities.

Near the end of the clip Renton begins to fall backwards, after being hit in the head by the football and whilst he is smoking, these two scenes merge together as the clips cross cut. This shows the audience how everything in Renton’s life is falling apart. All these factors help to create an interpretation of what is to come later on in the film.