Hey David (Question About Edinburgh)

Real Pink in the Inside · Thu Feb 06, 2003 10:53 pm

Is the portrayal of Edinburgh in the film Trainspotting rather accurate?

mongoose550 · Post by **mongoose550** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 11:29 pm

wasn't trainspotting about glasgow...?

Real Pink in the Inside · Thu Feb 06, 2003 11:40 pm

It's set in Edinburgh and London.

http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=A135870

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 11:54 pm

Trainspotting focuses on the working class element of Edingburgh and not their society as a whole. In particular, it focuses on the lower end of working class Edingburgh and, as such, is not a true reflection of the depth of art, culture and variety of the people of that city.

bong · Post by **bong** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:00 am

You're just saying that so that David isn't mad at you

WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GOING TO BOVINE UNIVERSITY.

BN22 · Post by **BN22** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:32 am

THAT'S THE SIMPSON'S RIGHT?

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:33 am

is Edinburg in Scotland or England? sorry, not too familiar with European Geography

bong · Post by **bong** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:43 am

DaveMatthewsFan wrote:is Edinburg in Scotland or England? sorry, not too familiar with European Geography

Scotland.
My grandfather was originally from Edinburgh I believe.

Prkl · Post by **Prkl** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:58 am

Hey David, who do you support; Hearts or Hibs?

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 10:02 am

As a result of an catholic family background i have to say i'm a Hibs fan, although in all honesty Hearts are the better team anyway.

Trainspotting is set in Einburgh yeah but its filmed in Glasgow. Although the people of scotland are in many ways similar to the those in Trainspotting. You can barely walkm down the street without hearing someone swear, and there's a LOT of junkies roaming the streets.

As Keith said though its just the lower end of edinburgh it focuses on and fails to mention all the great art and culture the city has along with the typically great scotish scenery.

Better than London to.

flashback · Post by **flashback** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 3:07 pm

There are a lot of people with Scottish ancestors in Kentucky.There also a lot of towns with Scottish names.If I remember right the Scottish Highland Games were held in Ky a few years ago, 1st time ever outside of Scotland.We also had the most bagpippers ever outside of Scotland,I belive last year.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 3:32 pm

flashback wrote:We also had the most bagpippers ever outside of Scotland,I belive last year.

what a scary thought!!

quicksilver · Post by **quicksilver** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 3:35 pm

My cousins wife grew up near Oban, Scotland and she goes back from time to time. I haven't seen her in a number of years but remember her talking about how beautiful the castles are.

flashback · Post by **flashback** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 3:39 pm

I like some bagpipe music,it is really an acquired taste though. Everybody isn't suited for it.I also like native Irish music,I just like a lot of different types of music except pop which some people say isn't a art form at all.

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 6:02 pm

Ok, now an extension upon my last answer (i wrote the short reply in school so that's why it was short) about scotish representation.

There's 2 steryotypes for scotland, either the fat ginger guy in a kilt with bag pipes or the wife beating junkie dressed in Kappa. Well Edinburgh has one of them. Guess which.

Edinburgh has one VERY rich area known as The Grange where the upper middle classes live, to this respect no Trainspotting is not a good representation. These rich people are just like normal rich guys and don't speak anything like the people in trainspotting.

Now if you mean the book trainspotting rather than the film the style it's written in is what we call Chav culture up here. These people are largely working class (i HATE generalising.) The book and film are set in leith which has a lot of those people, and in all fairness some of them are just like they appear in the film.

You do get a lot of Begbie style people down at the bar just putting up a false image as escapism from their life (that's how i interpretted it anyway) down in Leith, but that's not everybody. People like that are in every country, just with different langauge (none of the chav stuff in America) and a diffferent dress sense. I refuse to beleive anyone here lives in a place without scummy people.

Now in conclusion, yeah it's a good representation of the minority of people, although irvine Welsh who wrote the book worked with these people for a living. I think he was a councallor, i can't remember.

But anyway, i reccomed you lot to visit Edinburgh anyway, come for a visit. Not all the people are like that, although if you're near Leith then expect to see some.