The Truman Show

How were camera shots used?  Camera shots were used effectively throughout the entire movie. Camera shots  were taken from all angles and all levels. There would be a camera in a mirror,  which focused directly on the face of Truman. There would be a button camera,  which focused from someone’s button up to Truman. We would get camera  shots from above, we would get camera shots from below, and we would get  camera shots from straight on. These camera shots were used to increase the  feeling of Truman’s confinement within the show. At certain parts the audience is  eye-level with Truman; we could see his emotions, and we would feel connected  to him. At other times, we would be looking up at him, seeing his character from  an entirely different angle. We would sometimes be down on him, showing his  weakness and his lack of knowledge. At times, the director would have a close  up of Truman, only to quickly pull away. The TV audience gets caught up in  Truman’s story, only to have it artificially refocused.

How was lighting used?Lighting is used very effectively through this movie. The sunlight was perfect for  setting a happy atmosphere. In Truman’s world, almost everything was very well  lit. The sun lit his days, and at night there were lights in his house. In other  parts, however, emotional parts, there was little light. For instance, when he was  reminiscing about when his father drowned, it was dark, only a little light from the  moon and the lighthouse were illuminating him. Another example is when he  was struggling with Meryl, when he finally grabbed the shears from her and  pulled her into another room. Through this part it was dark, making Truman  appear shadowy, seeming as though he was very angry and depressed. Another  good example is the lighting used when Truman and his friend were looking at  the sunset. They were staring out, being “inspired”; dreaming of better things -  and the light was beautiful. At all times, however, the lighting was strong,  whether it was suggesting brightness or darkness, adding an unreal, cartoon-like  “wash” to the movie. And, of course, Truman’s life was like living in a cartoon –  everyone was stereotyped, and, “on a loop”. 

How was music used? For the most part, the music within the Truman Show was classical and  instrumental. By using classical music, more than one emotion could be  conveyed at once. In the mornings, there would be a lively upbeat tune which  signified the “beginning of the morning”. In emotional parts, the music would be  deep, sad, and thoughtful. The music was used very effectively to create mood  and reflect Truman’s emotions. It could be sorrowful and melancholy, or light-hearted and cartoonish. It could even suggest tension.

How can we tell that Truman is in a contrived reality?  There are many blatant clues that Truman’s reality is contrived – the twins who  speak to him every morning push him closer to a camera and a print ad, in order  to get the best camera angle. A heavy camera light falls from the sky, his radio  malfunctions and we hear about “extras”. During a rain “storm”, the rain is  localized only on Truman, and not very effectively at first. Frames within frames  are used to suggest entrapment. The many reflected images and use of mirrors  might suggest illusion. The obvious manipulation of Truman for product  placement in advertising hints that this is not reality but a television show. The  images shown by the hidden cameras suggest surveillance. The eyes of the  characters give away when they are acting and when they are experiencing real  emotions. 

How is conflict introduced?  The first clue that Truman is experiencing a conflict is when we see him ripping  eyes out of an advertisement in a magazine. He is hiding the fact that he is  doing this from his co-workers. This makes the audience wonder why someone  would hide such actions – what is so wrong with tearing an ad out of a  magazine? Almost immediately after this, Truman is sent out on a short  business trip, where he has to leave Seahaven Island on a ferry. He is deathly  afraid of water, and we learn that his father drowned while boating in a storm with  Truman, when Truman was only eight years old. Truman is later positive that he  sees this “dead” father, who is, of course, briskly whisked away from him. We  also learn that the eyes form a composite of Sylvia, the girl he longs for. He  thinks if he could only go to Fiji he could find her. These incidents set up the fact  that Truman is unhappy with his job and the island. He wants to leave, but his  wife pressures him about mortgage payments and starting a family

What did Truman begin to do to manipulate his “world”?  Truman does many things to manipulate his “world” in order to discover his real  situation. He upsets his regular work routine and stops cars that are moving on  the street. He tries entering another building and sees people behind an elevator  – how is it possible to be behind an elevator? He tries to delay his wife from  going to work, and then follows her there, to see if she really is a nurse. He  watches the people around him, and notices that those outside in his  neighbourhood are on a “loop”. When he makes up his mind to leave the island,  he is told by a travel agent that there are no flights available for a month! He  then tries a bus, but the driver grinds the gears so badly that everyone is forced  to get off. When he drives, a “traffic jam” is instantly created, cutting off his  escape route. When he does manage to get out of his neighbourhood, he first  has to navigate the bridge, only to face a “fire” at the other end of it, followed by a  road block, due to a convenient leak at the nuclear plant. Truman realizes that  there just aren’t that many coincidences in the world. 

What does Truman’s name represent?  When examined, we see the name Truman Burbank has a deep meaning. His  first name, Truman, is basically a play on words, meaning True Man. This  represents that he is not an actor, but really just a “regular guy”. His last name,  Burbank, is the name of the studio/corporation which legally adopted him.  Burbank, California, suggests Hollywood, plastic, fake, movies, etc. So his last  name is signifying that this is just another television name. He is a “true man” in  a fake surrounding

What do bridges with no end suggest?  The bridges with no end suggest that Truman is trapped, in his world or his own  reality. He has many dead end roads, and he is often searching beyond the end  of the bridge. They suggest to Truman that there is no escape from the island;  they confine him to his tiny world.    How is Truman trapped?  Truman is trapped physically by the confines of his world. He is trapped mentally  and emotionally, as no one in his world is real. He cannot trust anyone – not his  wife, his mother, or his best friend. He feels like everyone is “in on it”. He is  being manipulated in his world and he knows it. And every avenue of escape  bangs shut with a loud clang.    How are we trapped?  We are trapped in situations of our own design. Perhaps we are living for our  job, or to please a significant other. We may be trapped into conforming to meet  the standards of society. We may be trapped by marketing and the media.  Perhaps we are unable to see past the routines of our own reality and realize that  there is something else out there for us. 

When does Truman decide to break free, and how does he begin to do this?  Truman decides to break free from his contrived reality once he looks at the  photo album with a magnifying glass and sees his wife’s fingers crossed. From  that moment on, he decides to find a way out, although at first he doesn’t know  exactly what he is getting out of. He realizes that Meryl has been lying to him,  and he then realizes all the strangeness happening around him. After  unsuccessfully using mass transit, and even his car, to leave, Truman knows he  has to devise some other means of escape. We soon see him in his bathroom,  drawing a spacesuit helmet in soap around his reflection, playing at being an  astronaut, landing on some-far off planet. He dubs the planet, “Trumania” and  tells his “reflection” – “that one’s for free”. In hindsight, this is Truman’s good-bye  to his audience, and to this “world” that he has inhabited his entire life. Meryl  moves out of their house, he moves to the basement, and then orchestrates his  escape by digging out – disguised as gardening! 

What does the producer of the show, Christof, suggest about our situation with what he says?  Christof’s words “If he was determined to find the truth, there is no way we could  prevent it,” suggests that if we really want to find out everything that is going on  and if we really want to take control of our own lives, it is possible. If we are  really determined, we can stop people from trying to take control of us. We can  stop listening to others and following others and we can stop being lead by  others. But, like Truman, do we prefer our safe, perfect, “known” cells? 

What are the contrived and real obstacles that have prevented Truman from escaping?  There have been many obstacles which try to prevent Truman from escaping.  First, he has been set on an island, surrounded by water, of which he has been  made terribly afraid. The actors and extras on The Truman Show are paid to  keep him there – in fact, their jobs depend on it!! When he decides to physically  leave the island, this becomes impossible, whether by plane, bus, or car. He  also has to conquer his own fear of leaving his safe, perfect world, for the great  unknown. This is a fear which paralyzes many of us!

Film Features

Truman Unaware

Truman Becoming Aware

Truman Breaking Free