Political Context of Trainspotting

The Poll Tax

The Community Charge, commonly known as the poll tax, was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of domestic rates in Scotland from 1989, prior to its introduction in England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the local authority.

The abolition of the rating system of taxes (based on the national rental value of a house) to fund local government hd been unveiled by Margaret Thatcher when she was Shadow Environment Secretary in 1974, and was included in the manifesto of the conservative Party in the October 1974 general election.

Comments

'With close reference to two scenes from 'Pan's Labyrinth', explore how cinematography and mise-en-scène create meaning.'

' P an’s L abyrinth ' is one of the most profound contemporary films. Comprising so many symbols, themes and ideas, it presents a genuine masterpiece bequeathed to the film industry by a magnificent Mexican director, Guillermo del Toro. Released in 2006, it was critica lly lauded with 3 Academy Award wins in 2007 for Best Makeup, Art Direction and Cinematography. It is widely regarded as Del Toro's definitive film. A key scene in the film is when Ofelia meets the Faun, as it is the beginning of her fantasy adventures and he gives her the book which inspires her to complete all the tasks that he sets. The scene begins when the fairy leads Ofelia to the Labyrinth. The fairy itself changes its form to what Ofelia imagines a fairy should look like – according to her story books. This suggests that the whole world that Ofelia is about to enter is based upon her own imaginations and p...

How far does Blade Runner reflect the auteur signature features of Riddley Scott?

Riddley Scott is seen by many as a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production gives a film its personal and unique stamp – this is known as an auteur. Scott is known for his notable films such as 'Alien' (1979), 'Gladiator' (2000), 'Prometheus' (2012), and of course 'Blade Runner' (1982). One element of Scott's films that contributes to the auteur theory is his narratives are often stories of Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, or historical events. 'Blade Runner' is undoubtable a Science Fiction/Fantasy film but interestingly further includes conventions of Horror as well. All his films center around a pivotal event, mostly on a short timeline, that surround escaping or finding something. For 'Alien', it's escaping the alien planet and the Xenomorph, in 'Gladiator', it's escaping slavery and avenging his family and 'Blade Runner' follows the narrative pattern by trackin...

Review 'Lolita' (1997) Arguab ly one of the most controversial films of its decade, Adrian Lyne's 'Lolita' is a captivating adaptation of the highly acclaimed Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel of the same title. Comparing Lyne's adaptation to the earlier Stanley Kubrick's 'Lolita' of 1962, I was rather surprised to much prefer Lyne's take on the story. C onsidering how sexual a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films are, his version of Lolita is restrained in the sexual aspects of the story, failing to go where its story begs for it to go to. It fades to black in key sequences, and lets the audience imagine what is happening between Professor Humbert and Lolita. I feel as though director Adrian Lyne decided he wanted to do another take on Nabokov’s novel, taking the detail further and really showcasing the powerful dynamic between the characters, and allowing the audience to fe...

Elise Booth Film Studies

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