By: Leah
Edited by: Wan Nur Amrina
The Truman Show is truly ahead of its time. Premiering in 1998, the film features Jim Carrey as the main character, Truman. In general, the film calls out the dystopian reality where a man’s entire life is capitalised in the form of 24/7 live broadcasting. The life of Truman is set in a water-locked town called Seahaven, which enables the director to isolate Truman and avoid potential bump-ins into the real world. Every aspect of his life since his birth has been televised, without Truman’s knowledge. Even the director of the show seems unable to see the out-of-pocketness of this, as seen when he states to his subordinates that he is determined to capture the first-ever televised conception.
Every aspect of his life is broadcasted and controlled. His high school sweetheart, Meryl is introduced in such a way that he is unable to not notice her, despite already being enamoured by this other girl named Lauren. Lauren is eventually written off as having moved to Fiji since she attempts to tell Truman the truth about Seahaven. The director also instills the fear of water into Truman as a child by putting him in a storm while on a boat with his father. His father dies at sea, and Truman from then on avoids the ocean, harbouring him in Seahaven.
There’s a subtle uncanniness to the film in and of itself. From the get-go, other characters in the film are eerily cheery and seem to know Truman, despite him being very mundane. He is an insurance salesman, living in a very typical suburban neighbourhood. There isn’t much that allows Truman to stand out as significantly as he does. As the film trudges along, I begin to notice the nuances of the characters when they interact with Truman; how they greet him, how they speak (even to each other), and even how they move around him. You’ll later find out that the actors are instructed through the radios (and I’m also presuming in-ear monitors) where they should be throughout Truman’s day-to-day life. There are several shots throughout the film where streets and buildings are left abandoned when Truman is not in the area. This signifies that Seahaven essentially revolves around Truman’s presence.
As the movie comes to a close and Truman escapes Seahaven, the audience of this reality show is seen grieving the sudden loss of the show. Many viewers have been committed to this show for as long as Truman is alive, glued to their armchairs (and in one case, a bathtub), fully invested in the ins and outs of this random man’s life. However, the security guards can be seen immediately seeking a new show to watch after the broadcasting ends. This is rather ironic, considering the importance of the show to the creator and his perception that the show is important to the audience as well. This indicates that in the end, the show does not hold that much of a significance in the audience’s lives.
Personally, the film embodies a dystopian world that is slowly seeping into reality. The powerful desire to become famous and viralise anything and everything has become more prevalent in today’s world. Parents exploit their children for views, lie on camera for pity, and even go as far as to perform dangerous stunts. There’s a certain disconnect between media and reality, which I believe many have gotten accustomed to. Despite the fact that this film was created in 1998, the morals of the film only grew with the rise of the digital age.
Comments