''We've become bored with
watching actors give us phony emotions.We are tired of pyrotechnics and special
effects.While the world he inhabits is, in some respects,counterfeit,there's
nothing fake about Truman himself.No scripts, no cue cards.It isn't always
Shakespeare,but it's genuine.It's a life.''
- Christof
The Truman Show is a
satirical sci-fi movie directed by Peter Weir and released in 1998. The protagonist of this movie
is Truman Burbank played by Jim Carrey. You may have already seen this movie starring
Jim Carrey and you will agree with me if I say it's a funny movie. But that’s
not all it is, funny, I mean. It's an intriguing and charismatic movie that
will make you think about various issues. A thought- provoking masterpiece.
This is a movie several
serious issues are dealt with from the
manipulation of reality by the media to the power of advertising, from the value of privacy to what the limits
of simulated reality are. If you haven't seen this
movie yet, keep reading. Don't worry I won't spoil the end of the movie for you!
PLOT
As I was saying the
protagonist is Truman Burbank, an ordinary man who lives with his wife Meryl
in Seahaven Island. There's nothing
weird so far, isn't there? Truman
doesn't know that everything around him is fake and that his entire life is a
tv show. The Truman Show has
been created by Christof to demonstrate that though everything
around Truman is not real, his emotions
are genuine.
So everything and everyone
around him is acting, from the people who are part of his life to the entire
city, which is a giant tv studio under a dome. The sun, the moon, the sky, the
seaside are fake and the people are only playing a role with the aim of
manipulating Truman’s decisions
according to the needs of the production.
'' Good morning, and in
case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night! ''
- Truman Burbank
As the days pass Truman feels alienated and he starts
understanding that something strange is happening in his life.
Everyday he meets the same
people, he lives the same situation and he does the same stuff as the previous
days.
One day he meets a girl
called Lauren – she's an extra in the show- and
he falls in love with her. He’d like to elope with her. Obviously, he can't escape the city, otherwise the show
will end. So Christof fires Lauren from the cast and she's sent to Fiji.
From this moment Truman wants
to run away and he wants to go to Fiji but his aquaphobia stops him from
leaving.
As I told you before I won't
spoil the finale, so if you are curioius to know how the story ends you should just
watch the movie!
- THEMES
Christof says that The Truman
Show is financed by product placement and everything in the show is for sale,
from the beers that Truman and his best friend Marlon drink together to the
houses or the cars.
His wife and his best friend
exploit him to advertise products but Truman has no idea of what they're doing!
The manipulation of
reality by the media
Everything is an illusion,
nothing is real except Truman's feelings. I think this movie can be
connected to Orwell's 1984 because Truman is watched 24 hours a day with
the exception that he doesn't know he's watched by lots of people.
The value of privacy
The
fact that Truman is not aware he is being filmed puts the audience in the
position of voyeurs who watch the private actions of someone else.
Truman
doesn't know he 's observed by millions of people but, after 30 years of living
his life on television, he understands
someone is manipulating him and finally he decides to change his life
overcoming his fears.
DID YOU KNOW IT?
1 It was originally called The
Malcolm Show and the first draft of the script was written in 1991.
2 There is a psychiatric condition called The
Truman Show Delusion. It refers to people who are convinced that their
lives are a tv show.
3
A lot of people are convinced that
Christof is the representation of God
(Christ-of) who controls Truman both mentally and physically. He created
Truman.
4
Jim Carrey ( Truman ) and Ed Harris (
Christof ) have never met while shooting on set because Carrey finished filming
before Harris was brought in.
5 The
location of the dome where The Truman Show is filmed is in Burbank, California.
Have you already heard this name? Yes, exactly! it's Truman’s surname.
Have you already seen this
movie? Did you like it? If you haven't seen it, you
must do it!
MARIA VITTORIA
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