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    Truman Themes 2+ Effects of Camera Positions

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    Truman Themes 2+ Effects of Camera Positions

    Uploaded by

    pk2jfwn2nj
    4 views2 pages

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    4 views2 pages

    Truman Themes 2+ Effects of Camera Positions

    Uploaded by

    pk2jfwn2nj

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    9e E SB

    The Truman Show – major themes

    Useful vocabulary I want to


    remember to talk about the
    major themes

    Limits of Simulated Reality


    Truman has grown up on Seahaven Island and despite the fact that
    every single person around him is a hired actor, his reactions to his
    world are completely real. Therefore, "The Truman Show" blurs the
    lines between reality and fiction, which, according to its creator,
    Christof, is why it is so compelling. The problem is that as Truman starts
    to explore his natural human instincts and desires, the show must try
    to keep up with him. It is much easier for Christof to exercise this kind
    of emotional power when Truman is young and impressionable, but as
    he nears 30, he knows that there are answers beyond what he sees in
    front of him. Therefore, the simulation starts to fail, because ultimately
    - there is a limit to the fakery (the wall of the dome).

    Commercialism
    During his "TruTalk" interview, Christof explains that "The Truman
    Show" is funded by product placement and that everything on the
    show is for sale. Weir invokes commercials from the 1950s and 1960s,
    as characters like Truman's wife, Meryl and his best friend, Marlon,
    turn straight to the camera and showcase an item they are being paid
    to endorse. This reminds the viewers of The Truman Show and "The
    Truman Show" that Truman's entire life is actually a commercial
    venture; Truman himself has become a commodity under Christof's
    gaze. Weir's film posits the world portrayed by commercials, and their
    promise of that world, is false.

    Rebellion
    The most valuable asset that Truman possesses is himself. After 29
    years of living his entire life on television, Truman is a priceless entity.
    Without him, "The Truman Show" would be nothing. When he decides
    to break free, though, Truman exercises this power, acting out the
    ultimate rebellion against his overlord, Christof. Truman is actually
    willing to die to get off Seahaven Island, and Christof is forced to
    confront his creation and beg him to stay. Just as Eve could not resist
    the temptation of the apple, Truman cannot quell his curiosity to see
    what lies outside of Christof's Eden. The film is a bit of a coming-of-age
    tale, as Truman's illusions about himself are shattered. The quest for
    truth is worth the risk of the unknown.
    9e E SB

    Useful vocabulary I want


    to remember to talk about
    the major themes

    Authenticity (Reality vs. fake)


    [The Truman Show] is just as - if not more - relevant as it was when it came
    out in 1998. With the growing popularity of the reality television genre
    and the habitual "over sharing" that comes with access to social media, it
    has become increasingly difficult to differentiate what is real about a
    person and what is a construction intended for the consumption of an
    audience, no matter how small. While Truman Burbank has grown up in
    an entirely manufactured environment with actors playing the roles of all
    his friends and family, his reactions and emotions are real. Christof cites
    Truman's "authenticity" as the reason that so many people love to watch
    him, but it is also the most difficult aspect of the show to maintain. It takes
    thousands of people and nearly 5,000 hidden cameras in order to give the
    viewers the authenticity they love in Truman. However, over the course
    of the film, Weir makes it clear that even though he lives under
    surveillance 24/7, Truman's emotions and dreams are his own. "You never
    had a camera in my head," Truman tells Christof before leaving Seahaven
    Island for the first - and last - time.

    EXTRA: Living in a perfect world? (Utopia/Dystopia)


    Christof created Seahaven Island in his vision of utopia (a community or a
    society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities). However, this
    vision of utopia is only "desirable" if everyone living there shares the same
    definition of "perfection." Christof's vision, though, is his alone - he tells
    Truman that Seahaven is better than what exists outside it, but Truman
    has not seen enough to make this decision on his own. Truman spends
    the entirety of the film looking for the truth about what exists beyond the
    horizons of his world, and it becomes abundantly clear that he will do
    anything in his power to escape Christof's grasp. Christof might see
    himself as the creator of a utopia, but he is really a despot. Therefore,
    Christof's utopia is Truman's dystopia (which is the opposite of a utopia -
    an environment or community that is undesirable or frightening).

    EXTRA: The Power of the Media


    The Truman Show is a satire. […] Christof is a mysterious character with a
    God complex who uses his omnipresence to control Truman - both
    physically and mentally - for the sake of ratings. Weir […] brings viewers'
    attention to how far the media is willing to go to gain an audience. Weir
    has said that he was editing The Truman Show during Princess Diana's
    death, and while he certainly blames the paparazzi who drove her off the
    road, he asserts that the audience who consumed her public identity was
    just as complicit. Similarly, Truman's audiences are complicit in his
    entrapment, as Christof (a symbol of the all-powerful media), would be
    powerless without their attention.

    Adapted from: https://www.gradesaver.com/the-truman-show/study-guide/themes (13.03.2019)

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