Truman Show ...Ah, now I get it

[MargeB]

I thought this was a film about TV and the BigBrother state (watched it once on and off on a plane). It's not! It's very philosophical! About life, very existentialist. Am I right? Or did I read it wrong again?

[georgit79]

The way I read the film, the fake landscape Truman lives in is our own media landscape in which news, politics, advertising and public affairs are increasingly made up of illusions. Like our media landscape, it is convincing in its realism, with lifelike simulations and story lines, from the high-tech  sun that benevolently beams down on Truman to the pretend sincerity of the actor he mistakenly believes is his best friend. And it is seamless -- there are almost no flaws that give away the illusion -- at least until things start to go wrong.

Truman's fear of leaving this invented world, once he realizes it is a fraud, is similarly like our own reluctance to break our symbiotic relationship with media.

Love this film, so very clever, and it showed that Carey can actually act, as well as being able to pull very goofy faces...

[jenky]

sounds about right . it seems to be scoffed at because of the people involved but I think it's surprisingly good - better than 'lock-up' that was on another channel!

[Englishbird]

I think it's a really good film and i can't stand Jim Carey.  My only 'problem' with it is that it feeds into my 'it's all a big joke on you' (me) neurosis! That secret fear that everyone else knows something that i don't .....

[georgit79]

My answer sounded like a book review, didn't it? Sorry I'll try and dumb down, not used to sounding normal.

[jno]

why georgit you're really smart when you put your glasses on!

[MargeB]

That's what I was thinking..great post. Way to go girl.

[kags]

I think that perhaps georgit79 is cleverer than the director - I don't think the film was as well thought out as that actually. I wasn't sure who I was identifying with - the viewers shown in the film were probably deliberately chosen to be not very attractive, but still I could identify with their voyeurism. And yet I also identified with Truman, and really the 2 should have been contradictory?? At the end I had mixed feelings about wether he should leave - part of me was saying yes, go for it, BUT I think that was only because of the love interest - if Lauren/Sylvia had not been a character, would I  have been so keen for him to leave? Probably not I think. Overall, I think it was less about the environment around Truman, and the fact that it was someone else's idea of reality, than it was about the urge inside us all to feel we are in control. The fact that he felt out of control made him instictively want to get out, despite the fact that a rational summing up of the situation might have led him to stay. So yes, quite existentialist, and rather enlightening, for me at least.

[ludwig]

I think what makes it good is that everyone can get different things from it each time they watch it, as you have done Marge, each one perfectly valid. It's one of those films that works on loads of different levels, from a straightforward suspense story about a guy trying to escape from a film set, to a complex examination of the relationship between god and man, or man and the media, or a person and themselves or whatever else.

[georgit79]

Aw shucks, thanks guys.

[MargeB]

Ludwig, I'll confess to being very startled to read your response. The last bit you wrote: 'a person and themselves' was precisely what I thought it was all about, but never figured anyone else would ever think that.

I won't expand on it here cos it'll probably come across as very dull!

Thanks for all your help peeps.

Loved 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' too! Maybe Carey can play straight!

[georgit79]

'Eternal Sunshine...' is a brilliant film too. Hey, maybe we can rent it one night, Marge...?

[MargeB]

Am sure we will. Meet me in Mauntak. :-)

Actually moved me enormously that film. Memory's my business so I guess it was up my street. :-)

[georgit79]

Can't you just come round to mine? I've just painted my toenails so can't go anywhere for a bit.

Off out tonight?

PS: Need help in your PetBank thread....

[georgit79]

God I'm an idiot. Only just got your 'Meet me in Mauntak' reference. Didn't know that was how you spelt it...now, off to find this pesky cat...

[jno]

Montauk, technically speaking.

In answer to kags, I think this ambivalence was part of what's good about the film; it didn't make it too easy to identify with any one character. Simple black-and-white stuff is for Schwarzenegger movies.

[MargeB]

yep, i stand corrected.