Abbigail Azirou

Essentially, the first half of the film takes place in the genre of a romantic comedy- the only hint of what's to come is the sound references through film form to the zombie horror genre. In the opening scene the equilibrium of the rom-com genre is set up perfectly- a romantic standstill. The scene  explains Shaun's problems to be: he needs to grow up and mature a little bit for Liz, mend his relationship with his step-father and finally find a solution to ensure Davs and Diane as well as Ed are no longer stuck in the middle of his relationship. The scene opens with a long mid-shot of Shaun smoking in a pub as relaxed diegetic music plays and the camera slowly zooms outwards, establishing our protagonist as well as the setting through the British iconography of  the location- an english pub. One of Shaun's problems is explicitly stated from the offset by Liz. Although we go on to have allegiance for Ed  in a way we agree with Liz. She states "it's ...

The final scene of Shaun of the dead proposes a compromise between Shaun and Liz which enables their relationship to work. However it's important to note that Davs and Diane have to be out of the picture for the relationship to work and for this compromise to be made. Additionally, Ed to an extent. More importantly it can be seen that the disruption of the zombie horror allowed for the resolution of the rom-com.  The last scene begins with a repeated scene of Shaun stumbling into the living room yawning like a zombie, only this time instead of Ed sitting on the couch it's Liz.  In terms of mise-en-scene, there's been a huge compromise. The room has been tidied up, a floral painting is hanging on the wall and a pink pillow and some fluffy throws have been added to the couch. Yet the walls still remain the same shade of blue and the same posters are still hanging up. It's clearly a compromise for both Liz and Shaun. In terms of dialogue we can see that Liz has re...

 is set in post-industrial Leith in the 80's during the height of poverty,  unemployment, low aspirations and an aids/heroin epidemic. Although in the book, Thatcherism and it's policies is explicitly mentioned to influence the main characters- with Irvin Welsh claiming that Thatcher was the "invisible author" of the book- it results in a group that are products of their political and social environment. However in the film, which is made during the optimistic wave of new labour is a bit more ambiguous surrounding this concept. It is evident in the film that Thatcherism is very much in the background of the film influencing its characters. Not once in the film do we see a character working in a traditional work environment in Leith. The only time one of the characters gets a taste is when Spud, the least likely out of the group, secures a job interview. However upon turning up to the interview on speed, he "fucked it up good and proper" as Renton exp...

Tommy's Narrative Resolution Tommy's best encapsulates the narrative themes of drugs and it explores their consequences, which is ironic since at the beginning Tommy seemed the least likely character to explore this theme. Additionally the themes life and death are highlighted in this scene, which can also be looked at as binary opposites.    In the cut before this scene Renton mentions how lucky he actually is to be tested negative right in the middle of an epidemic. The audience then infers the subtext in the next scene.   From the offset this scene is different in terms of the movie's typical bright and surreal colour palette. The framing of Tommy looking out of the window with his hands up against it, distorted from the glass with faeces smeared across his walls and "aids junky scum" highlighted with graffiti is immediately quite grim and depressing. As we enter the apartment the bright and colourful look associated with the characters bedsit...

The worst toilet in Scotland scene perfectly adheres to the nature of Trainspotting as it encapsulates both the most grim and dark as well as the surreal glamorisation. The scene begins with the jaunty non-diegetic music utilised for comic effect. As Renton begins his voiceover the flats he walks by are insanely and very imaginatively colourful, keeping the film very vibrant whilst discussing quite a repellent topic- Renton being "no longer constipated". We are still very much aligned with Renton through voiceover and point of view shots. As he walks into the bar a shaky hand held camera and disorientating white noise is used whilst all the faces stare into the camera ensuring the audience feels the same anxiety Renton is feeling. Furthermore his luxurious description of his ideal toilet heightens the sense of disgust when we soon see the worst toilet in Scotland. The colour palette in this scene is extremely dull at this part of the scene and the cinematography is not nece...