Review of Truman Show, The

Introduction

1998`s The Truman Show can be seen, with hindsight as prophetic. Take a look at any TV schedule and you`re bound to see a Big Brother, Survivor or Castaway doing a cut-price job of entertainment. Ironic really, when The Truman Show was meant to be a warning of the invasiveness of the TV camera in modern culture. When you hear talk of models wishing to give birth live on the net, then this film becomes less fantastic and maybe even a little mundane. At the time, the idea of a TV show following a person, 24 hours a day was a pure flight of fancy though, and as such was enjoyable.

Truman Burbank goes about his life, pretty much like any other man. He has a job in insurance and lives with his beautiful wife in the idyllic seaside town of Seahaven. He is blissfully unaware of the fact that he is the most watched individual in history, and has been since his birth. His every action, his every move is scrutinised by the public, as he is the star of the biggest TV show ever, The Truman Show. His friends, his family are all actors playing parts, his town is a TV set so large that it is the largest building on Earth. All that happens to him has been carefully scripted and controlled by the show`s creator Christof and the world is hooked. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Truman Show beams down to TV sets globally, but all that changes when Sirius falls out of the sky to land at Truman`s feet. Can he become aware of his circumstances and how will he react if he does?

Video

Peter Weir directs The Truman Show well. The Truman segments are filmed as if from hidden cameras. The film is also interspersed with scenes of addicted viewers living their own lives vicariously through Truman`s existence. The world of Seahaven is a wonderful creation. To protect his star, Christof wanted an idyllic world and the film designers have taken this to heart, creating a sanitised world, most reminiscent of 50`s and 60`s TV. The music is all sanitised and `safe` and the world clean and shiny. All the families are happy and there are no homeless or destitute. Families all eat together at home around the dining room table, wholesome food of course. Nothing dangerous is on the television and the lawns are always well tended. Revenue for the show is earned through product placement and it`s funny when one of the cast pauses to endorse a product. Seahaven is an idyllic paradise, and certainly looks it on screen. The film is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer and is fairly well done. However for such a recent film, there are a few moments where scratches are evident, and the storm scene seemed a little messy.

Audio

Burkhard Dallwitz provides the music and it is a gentle unobtrusive score that builds the tension as Truman comes closer and closer to the meaning of his existence. For your linguistic desires, you can listen to this film in DD 5.1 English, German and Czech along with Hungarian and Polish in Dolby Surround. The sound is gentle and ambient rather than flashy and the film gently envelops you as the sound is used to set the moods.

Features

As for extras, this is a Paramount disc. `Nuff said

Conclusion

Oh my God! A Jim Carrey movie that I don`t find irritating. It`s fair to say that Jim Carrey is not my favourite actor. In fact, when his out of control antics begin, coupled with his inane gurning, I switch off rapidly. But in the role of Truman Burbank he is restrained, even dignified. He acquits himself well as a man who slowly comes to realise his life is a TV show. The gradually encroaching paranoia and frustration as he tries to understand his existence is never overplayed and always well handled. Also in this film is Laura Linney as his wife, Meryl who plays it exactly as a primadonna actress who`s trying to be `professional`. Noah Emmerich is the best friend, Marlon, who Truman turns to in time of stress and Natascha McElhone is Truman`s lost love Lauren, who was removed from the show, when she left the bounds of the script and tried to tell Truman the truth. However it is Ed Harris who steals the show as Christof, the creator of the show. He is powerful in the role and this is essential when the inevitable confrontation between Truman and Christof occurs. Christof as the creator of the show has been orchestrating Truman`s world since his birth. The relationship is one of God and his creation. Christof`s God is a vengeful one and controlling one, who cares deeply for Truman, but ironically can only express affection for his creation through the TV screen.

The Truman Show is a brilliant idea, that doesn`t quite make it. It`s not helped by repeated viewings. The first time I saw it I really got into it and when the film ended, I was disappointed and yearned for more. Then the message sank in that I was watching a film that decries the ubiquitous nature of modern TV, yet I felt that I had to know what happened next to Truman Burbank. This mixed message left something of a sour taste in my mouth. Also I feel that for such a short film, it seems terribly long. The big problem is that when the film really gets going and Truman is confronted with the falsehoods in his world, you get the feeling that he is going to explode with paranoia. Just then, his best friend Marlon shows up and gives him a shoulder to cry on, and convinces him that nothing is going on. This slows the pace right down to a crawl again, and all the emotional investment that has been made in the character up to that point is wasted, leaving you to start again. Christof has contrived to keep Truman unaware of his reality by instilling him with fears of water and dogs and placing him on an island. Yet by the age of thirty, Truman is still blissfully content in his life and has never questioned the strangeness of his life. This is glossed over with a throwaway line to the effect of "A man accepts the reality he lives in", but the initial premise is hard to believe. While the idea of the America utopia of sitcom land, Ma staying at home to raise the family, while Pa goes to work at the office is explored here well. The town of Seahaven is a shining example of bland, but the theme is far better developed in the vastly underrated Pleasantville of the same year. However, I`m not saying that you should give up on the Truman Show. While there is a degree of schmaltz in the story, there are some very funny moments and the relationship between Truman and Christof is brilliantly observed. Also by the time this film ends, you`ll be emotionally involved enough to benefit from payoff at the conclusion of the story.