Module B Truman Show - Lecture notes t1-4 PDF

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Module B Truman Show - Lecture notes t1-4...

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Text Type Creator

Film Peter Weir Focuses on the completing and authentic representation of intense emotions while often leaving views with a distinct sense of disquiet about the human experience at the end of his film.

Social, Cultural and Historical Contexts

The Truman Show reflects the postmodern late 20th Century society of developed countries such as the USA with its growing interest in reality television and the powerful influence of the mass media and advertising. Television was firmly established as a central part of the American family and social lifestyle and this is reflected in the Truman Show where the audience connect with each other via television.

Purpose of the text

The film is an overt criticism of the immense influence of the media in our lives, specifically television and advertising. Shows such as Big Brother had not yet been made, it ultimately reflects the growing fascination with representations of ‘authentic’ human experiences and emotions. Through Truman's desire for the truth and freedom the film ultimately communicated the lack of authenticity in the media and the problems that arise when people seek the ideal version of the real.

Product Design

The wild Truman inhabits constructed reality, despite being enclosed in the largest soundstage in the world, it is a universe conducted to look entirely like the world outside. Town of Seahaven is overly idyllic, the buildings are all clean, well maintained and perfect. Buildings are all unnervingly unblemished, all a bland shade of yellowy-beige and all identical. Seahaven is a town where all the buildings are virtually identical, the town itself is also highly idyllic, all the lawns are perfectly mowed, the pavements perfectly swept Town is idyllic to the point of even including a harbour and a traditional marble bank Film makes a clean distinction between on-stage and off-stafe environments are over-lit, overly clean and synthetic looking, off-stage environments such as the basement of Trauman’s home, and the room we see behind the elevator shaft.

Interiors of the houses are also highly constructed, garish, bright and synthetic. Introduces the notion that everything is for sale, that this is a designed, artificial world that has been created, the rooms look like the pictures from catalogues for model homes, minus the happy families eating breakfast at the kitchen table. Rooms look highly matched and coordinated, with the tablecloths tending to match the drapes. Characters costumes are also artificial Truman’s wife, Hannah, works as a nurse, and her costume is slightly camp, and highly stereotypical All of the characters in the film dress archetypal ways, always with perfect hair and makeup, this reinforces the idea that the characters in this film are actors, and that they are playing roles. -

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Andrew Niccol’s screenplay deals with the last few days of a live television program which ran for every 29 years - 24 hours, 7 days a week Jim Carrey wasn’t available for 12 months and believing him perfect casting as Truman I settled down to wait We could ad-lib for hours, in their actor persona (Marlon was “Louis Coltranse’, Meryl, “Hannah Gill”), and with me playing, rather naturally, a director on the show. These ad-libs helped remind us of the Schizophrenic nature of their characters, amd kept us in touch with the lie that was the heart of their relationship with Truman The documentary was abandoned as a promotional idea but some scene found their way into the movie at least one version of the trailer

INITIAL RESPONSE: 1. What are the key themes of the film? The key themes of the film are: Fear, Love and Joy 2. What ideas does the film present about the media? The ideas that the film presents about the media that Truman is always being watched. As well as, the media is scripted and has two different lives, Society for example gets a different newspaper compared to Truamn. The newspaper that Truman buys is specifically designed for Truman. Another reason is that the television, the society and the whole entire world are watching where some people conform with the show whereas others against the whole idea that his whole life is a lie and that everyone is constantly watching it. It also presents that the media can be very scary as they can manipulate anything just to get the viewers to watch. Since it was live television every day for 24 hours a day they were also advertising a brand within the show as an example of the coco. 3. How did you perceive Christof by the end of the film? Consider his actions trying to keep Truman from leaving in your response. I personally found that by the end of the film that Christof was being evil. Especially when the whole entire crew was telling him that if they made the weather conditions worse than what they already were then he would die. In response to this Christof had said “We saw his first steps and now we can watch him die”. This gives an evil tone and gives the audience a sense of tension as the audience did not want Truman to die. Lucky by the end he did not die and Truman overcame it. By the end, Christof finally lets Truman live his only life and lets him experience the real world instead of living in a bubble. 4. Do you think there is any way Truman could be conceived to stay? Give reasons for your response. I don't think that Truamn would have stayed even if they had tried to convince him. Truman had been living in a world where he was constantly being watched and actors were on standby. In the film, he expresses how much he wants to go to Fiji and everytime he wants to go he keeps being stopped. Throughout the film he had many suspicions that his life was fake through the advertisements, people warning him and his father coming back after 20 years when he should have drowned. This is why in the end Truman wanted to live his own life and make his own decisions without anyone standing within his way. He finally wants to live his own life and find the woman that warned him from the beginning. 5. Why did Truman bow at the end? What is he saying about his life on the Truman Show? Truman at the end bowed to show to everyone thank you for helping him be the best person that he can and for constantly sticking by his side. He is saying about his own life on the Truman Show that he is grateful that he was able to help people when Christof told him that he had saved people's lives and that he is an inspiration to this world through the use of his personality and for always having a positive outlook on life. This shows about his life on the show that it has been a real honour but a rollercoaster.

THE OPENING SEQUENCE:

Opening Christof: - “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 is here trying to justify his reasoning behind the show - He feels he is creating a “real” text because Truman is not scripted

Actors: - The actors involved in the Truman SHow are interviewed in their ‘real’ personas - ‘Meryl’ states that there is no difference between her real life and her life on the Truman Show- her life is her life. She refers to it as ‘blessed’ and ‘noble’- seeing herself as performing some kind of public service - ‘Marlon’ states that it is real, but “controlled”

CHAPTER 1:

Truman: - Truman is role playing in his bathroom mirror - His imaginary scenario is that of an adventure trying to climb a mountain - This demonstrates that- despite Christof’s lifelong manipulations- he has a desire to explore and longs for adventure - However, he is restricted so much in his personal life that the most he can do is indulge in his private fantasies in his bathroom - Truman's reluctance to go to work suggests his dissatisfaction with his life What do we notice about the credits? - Abrupt direct address start- Christof speaks with wonderful sincerity and conviction, yet does not look us directly in the eye; he does not connect with us. His words double as an introduction to the film about ‘The Truman Show’ and the TV intro to the show itself. Ot is a strong, simple and powerful image- black against grey, with the lunar texture behind him. His characteristic black clothes, wire- framed glasses, beret - Lines on screen indicate the picture is a TV/ hidden camera image. Change of colourpinkish= warm, unlike the cold initial image. Truman wears striped pink pajamasintroduces the stripes that are so obvious throughout - Introduces the motif of ‘eyes’ that will be so significant. Immediately there is an irony that Truman’s eyes are not seeing the truth about his world and his life - Truman is ‘framed’ by the mirror edges (a double frame) and by the shape of the door behind, which creates the effect of a portrait, emphasizing the idea that he is on TV and that he is an object to be looked at - The green ‘LIVE’ on screen tells us this is a live telecast - Eliminates immediately that awkward question of why people would want to watch a 24 hour non stop broadcast when the guy has got to sleep - Irony herep the reality of Hannah;s life as Meryl’s wife is shown to be not as idyllic as she implies. Her supposed honest appraisal of her life is as false as everything else- this is an advert, part of the promotion of the show and to justify and protect her job

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Truman's fantasy of climbing a mountain and risking his life (to the point of cannibalism) reflects his clear frustration with the routines and unchallenging life. A significant signpost. Is Marlon’s expressed affection for and loyalty to his ‘best friend’ fake? Note the striped collar on his shirt The title of the film is also the title of the TV show. There are no real head credits for the film, only the TV credits Only now we realise he has been talking into a camera in the mirror Day 10,909 makes Truman 29 years old, nearly 30- as is mentioned during the film

What major thematic ideas are we being introduced to in this scene? - Media manipulation - Reality vs controlled life - The role of the media in people's lives - The importance of choice - Restrictions vs Choice CHAPTER 2:

How is Truman filmed as he steps outside? What does this tell us about the nature of the Truman Show? - Direct shot from across the street - This shot demonstrated the constant surveillance Truan is under - The world he live in was specifically designed so he could be tracked at all times

What impressions are created for us by the business costume worn by Truman and by his mannerisms? - Coordinates with the house re:colour - Pastels, light colours - Stripes- ongoing motif-symbolism he is a prisoner - Behavior - develops a character: Public Persona, Friendly and Enthusiastic What impressions do we have of the neighbours and what does this suggest about the street and the town in which they live? - Friendly- greeting one another, traditional values - Housing- traditional, picket fences - Neat and Tidy - Perfect- Too perfect? - Feels false Light Falling: - Day 10,909 signifies that Truman is 29 years old- almost 30 (reaching a milestone age like that can often lead to people reflecting on their place in the world and what they have done in their lives) - Up until this point, Truamns world has run seamlessly - That is until this day when a light falls from the sky- the first fault in an otherwise seamless production that has kept the reality of Truman's world hidden from him until at this time - Significance of the light- it was labeled “Sirius 9 Canis major” - Sirius 9 Canis major is a real star- representing the brightest star in the sky, the one travelers use for guidance, and symbolized the beginning of Truman's adventure within his own world - Its fall is symbolic of the collapse of Truman's world, amd at the same time suggests Truman will in fact ‘see the light’ - Straight away there onto it about the light falling → News flash “Here's a new flash just in. An aircraft in trouble began shedding parts..” - Reaction to the error: Straight away work goes into hiding the mistake through the use of the radio program listen to with the DJ expanding the unusual event - This serves two purposes: Explain the unusual action of alight falling from nowhere and Reiterate the dangers in travel- planes= dangers, therefore why leave Seahaven?

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The mirror image radio station number son the screen indicate that he is being filmed by a camera in the radio Irony. It's not unusual for people to respond aloud to a radio- but here Truman's words elcit a genuine response One of the many ways Truman is persuaded not to want to leave Seahaven

Seahaven Town Square: - Idyllic in appearance - Obviously designed to be visually appealing- colour coordination of buildings - This scene demonstrates the scale of the shows, with so many extras hired to make it look like an authentic town square - Fashions are all retro- they belong in the 40s and 50s: dresses with big skirts and waists; women in hats and men too. They help suggest this ‘ideal’ world is a hankering for the past- and a mythical past at that - The other noticeable thing is the colour coordination of the clothes- and everything else in Seahaven. Freeze on any Seahaven scene and you will see the same few colours, all toning Fiji: -

This is the first time Fiji is mentioned Truman is searching for a woman in Fiji- he uses two different names, creating a sense of imagery Garland is not her real name, and she does not live in Fiji- this was a fiction to ensure Truamn wouldn't try to find her. She actually lives in Hollywood, as we learn later And the directory service he calls for the number isn't a real number but another part of the fiction that is Seahaven

Subliminal Messaging: - Truman is being constantly manipulated by Christof - This is because Truaman has a sense of adventure, and continually wants to explore the world - The newspaper is used as a tool of propaganda- why would Truamn want to leave the place that has been christened “The best place on Earth?’ Motif- eyes: - Eyes are continual motif throughout the film- the film opens with Truman's eyes, and Truman's obsession with the fashion magazines is to search for a particular set of eyes (He's trying to make a picture of that girl) Why this job? - Truman's boss insists that Truman takes a job across the bay. He at first resists thiswhy? - He is threatened with losing his job so he does take it - Christof is adware that Truman is starting to feel restless and so he wants to remind him that he is unable to cross the water that surrounds the island

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And the movie audience needs to know early on why Truman seems content to stay when is not really happy

CHAPTER 3: Fear of water - This is another key motif - We see through dialogue (Thought i might have missed it) and body language how reluctant Truman is to go on the ferry - We can see through the shots that the cast members are aware of this and are openly gawking at him, trying to see if he would ‘make it’ on this occasion Motif- Sunken Boat: - When he goes onto the ferry he sees the boat that his father drowned on, it is there to remind him of the fear of his water and why he doesn't go near water. The camera angle is the overhead shot of the boat and then you have the mid shot when he is collapsing when he is seeing the boat - Through the sound we gain a sense of tension as Truman slowly and reluctantly approaches the ferry - When he sees the sunken boat he physically reacts, bending over in fear, as well as crying out. This was deliberately left there to remind Truman of the ‘death’ of his father therefore confining him to life in Seahaven, as he has such a deep fear of water What impression does this chapter give us of the way Truman is treated by Chritis and Omnicom (Media company)? - While they realise that he has the desire to leave Seahaven, they need to establish way to keep him there - Therefore they set him up to fail by reminding him of his father's death and his fear of water - This is emotional manipulation How would this chapter appeal to reality TV viewers of the Truman Show emotionally and socially? - Voyeurism - As viewers, there is a desire to see raw emotions- e.g. Survivor, Im a celebrity - There is the sense of ‘will he be able to do it’ this time- in the original script, the workers make bets over whether he will make it - Promotes ‘watercooler discussion’ - did you see it last night CHAPTER 4: - Designed town- all matching in design and colour - Merly coming “It's a chef's pal. It's a dicer,greaters, peeler, all in one” → Advertisement it is a clear display of item, sales pitch

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Comedic shot of Truman when he is doing the gardening- only one in the ‘world’ who chooses his own clothes, so he doesn't look as well put together as the rest of the cast

How would you describe Merlys dialogue with Truman in this scene? - Tone- over the top, bright and bubbly - Resprents Melts fasle manner and behaviour - Advertorial- the Chefs Pal- full spiel about the benefits of the product - End of the scene- punchline ‘you misses a spot’- false nature of the dialogue Comment on the mise-en-scene of the shots with Truman kneeling in the garden bed and of Truman mowing the law. How are they intended to affect us as viewers of the film? - Close up on Truma- his backside is at the foreground of the frame, creating a moment of humour - We feel he’s being embarrassed for comedic effect- manipulation of Christof to keep his audience interested - Costume- very bright, over the top, comedic effect CHAPTER 5: ‘You can't get any further away before you start coming back’. What does Fiji represent to Truman and what does his desire to go there tell us about him?’ - Fiji represents freedom to Truman. He has never left Seahaven and has a desire to explore - It represents the exotic and wild- it is the furthest you can get away from Seahaven - Fiji symbolises Truman's desire to expand beyond the world he has known, inwardly as well as outwardly - This tells us that despite Christof’s manipulations, Truman has a very definite and determined personality - We also later learn that it is where he thinks Sylvia/Lauren is Marlons dialogue with Truman looks like a perfect blend of artificial and sincerity. What comments are Peter Weir and Andrw Niccol making about advertising? - Marlins dialogue appears at first as mere conversation “That is a beer” - However, we realise through the deliberate posing of the beer can that it is in fact an advertisement - This symbolises the ability for the media to manipulate viewers without their knowledge. This related to product placement throughout television shows and film, which still occurs today CHAPTER 6: - Flashback- we find out the origins of Truman's fear of water - “I don't like the look of that weather, son I think we should head back”- Boyd language demonstrates his anguish at the loss of his father - Close up shot when he loses the hand

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Second production error- fault in the weather system Truman's realisation when he plays around until the error is fixed “You're soaked. Where have you been?” → Note the book- Dream Machine- link to non-reality, Seahven is Christofs dream world “I thought we were going to try for a baby. Isn’t that enough of an adventure?” Fulfilling the American Dream family- high school sweethearts married with kids “That can't wait. I Want to get away". Despite Christof's manipulations, Truman still yearns for a different life- to explore the world rather than staying trapped in Seahaven

How are Meryl and Trumans lives just like anybody's life in a real, modern suburb? - Married - Live in a typical house - Traditional roles- he has an office job, she has a traditionally nurturing job as a nurse - She is the nurturer in the household- cooks - He maintains the gardens

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Suspicious appearance draws Truman's atte...