TRANSPOTTING OPENING

CHOOSE LIFE

Trainspotting is undeniably the most iconic film of the 90's, with its brutal, satirical drama, it's known to be probably the most realistic depictions of drug abuse in the film industry. 

The opening scene of the film is often referred to as the 'Choose life' clip - this is a monologue given by the main protagonist; it is actually a scene from later on in the film but is used to foreshadow and give the audience an insight to the film. The establishing shot of a busy high street on a normal day, is immediately obstructed by two characters running through the chaotic scene whilst being chased the by the police. This lays the foundation of what we can expect to see within the film, illegal actions that may occur. The non diegetic sound we can hear is 'Lust for Life' by Iggy Pop - who is referenced many times throughout the film highlighting the popularity of him at that time period. The music is used as a backing track as the narrator, also the protagonist, begins his monologue (still non diegetic sound). This extremely fast paced opening is conventional to a thriller/drama, and includes scenes such as dark eerie locations. 

This POV shot when the protagonist runs into the car, gives the audience a strong sense of danger as we can predict something may jump out infant of him. This causes the audience to feel tense and at ease as we know something the character may not. This also emphasises just how fast pace the scene is and how the protagonist may not view his life as precious in some sense; and the fact that he gets straight back up after being hit by a car suggests he's not fazed by anything. Each character is introduced in this opening scene and their names freeze on the screen for a second, allowing the audience to have a clear sense of who is who - making it easier for them to follow throughout the film.