Trainspotting: Context Flashcards
What was the ‘Poll Tax’?
A system of local taxation introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government.
It meant that each taxpayer was taxed the same fixed sum with the precise amount being set by each local authority.
What was the consequence of the Poll Tax?
It hit low-income families the hardest, having them pay a higher % of their income than higher-income families.
People rioted and had demonstrations in oppositions to it.
Where was the Poll Tax first introduced and why?
Scotland.
This was because it was perceived as a testing ground for policies being introduced into England.
What did Thatcher promote in terms of economic freedom?
Free markets, de-regulation and privatisation.
By allowing individuals to own property, run businesses and compete in a free market, Thatcher believed people would have greater control over their lives.
What is a quote Thatcher said about society?
‘There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families.’
Why did Thatcher disprove of welfare programmes?
She believed that it created a culture of dependency and stifled individual initiative.
Why did Thatcher support privatisation?
She believed that state-owned enterprises were inefficient and that private ownership would lead to more profitable businesses.
Key industries like British Gas and British Airways were privatised.
What quotes show Thatcher’s view on individualism?
‘It is our duty to look after ourselves’
‘We have gone through a period where too many children have been given to understand “I have a problem, its the government’s job to cope with it!”’
What does neo-liberalism mean?
The belief that greater economic freedom leads to greater economic and social progress for individuals.
Favours free-market capitalism, deregulation and reduction in government spending. It promotes self-reliance.
Why was there a lot of miner’s strikes during Thatcher’s running of government?
She had closed down local mines, leading to mass unemployment.
What type of union was Thatcher against?
Trade unions
What was ‘Trainspotting’ made by?
Channel 4 Films
What did Channel 4 Films’ film subject matter tend to be?
Controversial, left-field
What was the budget of Trainspotting?
£1.7 million
What is the definition of an ‘art film’?
A typically serious, independent film aimed at a niche market.
“A film genre with its own distinct conventions’” - Bordwell
How is Trainspotting an ‘art film’?
Produced by Channel 4 Films and cult novel roots suggest high-cultural ambitions are cast aside in the desire for bigger audiences.
How is Trainspotting more closer to American Art Cinema?
It is very striking and stylised
How much was spent on the marketing campaign for Trainspotting?
£850,000
What was Trainspotting based off of?
Irvine Welsh’s novel ‘Trainspotting’
What was the Welsh’s novel written in?
Working-class Edinburgh dialect and multiple narratives.
What was the dominant ideology of the times?
Individualism, free-market capitalism, Thatcherite
What is a ‘yuppie’?
A fashionable young middle-class person with a well-paid job.
(Renton when he moves to London)
How can a film be defined as a ‘British film’?
Passing the terms under the ‘Films Act (1985)’
- Maker test
- Production cost test
- Labour cost
- No more than 10% of the playing time should comprise a sequence of visual images from a previously certified film or from a film by a different marker.
- Satisfying the terms of an international co-production agreement in which the UK is a party.
What are the requirements of the ‘maker test’?
The film must be made by a company that is registered and centrally managed and controlled in the UK, in another state of the European union/European Economic Area or in a country with which the European Community has signed a Association Agreement.
