Aesthetic of Trainspotting - Questions

What are the conventions of Social Realism?
  • Location Shooting - not in a studio - real life places (Council Estates, Parks, etc)
  • Wide shots (So that the audience gets a good understanding of the setting)
  • Non-professional actors that the audience will not recognise (More real)
  • Semi-improvised scripts - to make it seem more realistic (Realistic dialogue)
  • Humour and seriousness combined (To see both sides of life)
  • Wider social issues explored via emotional and dramatic individual stories (Example: unemployment, gang culture, homelessness)

What kind of political ideologies are most associated with this style of film making?
  • Social Realism draws attention to the everyday conditions of the working class and to voice the authors' critique of the social structures behind those conditions.
  • It brings attention to very real problems that many people choose to ignore.

What is Hyperrealism?
  • "Trainspotting is hyperreal, it goes beyond simple photorealism in its style and presentation of social issues. It achieves this through its Colourisation, Set Design and Use of Music."
  • Hyperrealism is a genre.
  • It tries to be as true to real life as possible.

Examples of Social Realism films:
  • This is England
  • Fish Tank
  • London to Brighton
  • Submarine
  • Kidulthood
  • Kes
  • Billy Elliot

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