The Truman show

28-Apr-2020               

               My favourite kind of movie is one that is rich in allusion/metaphor. I watched three such movies recently, and loved all of them: Zootopia, The platform, and The Truman show. While watching The Truman show, I simply couldn't shut up - I kept exclaiming about stuff I thought the movie was alluding to, despite the many side-eyes my siblings (who, for reasons I cannot fathom, like to watch movies wordlessly 🤷‍♀️) threw at me. But I had to tell someone, hence this post.

               Spoilers abound.

               - Reality television: The Truman show is a TV reality show (i.e. entirely contrived) that revolves around Truman, the protagonist, who is adopted by a corporation when he is an infant. Truman has lived his whole life on a Hollywood set, unaware that his every move is broadcast live, throughout the day. Even more perverse is the fact that every single person in his 'life' is in on it.

The creator of the show, writes/controls every aspect of Truman's life - who his parents are, who he marries, every word that every person in his life speaks - essentially playing God, so to speak. Playing God!

               - God/Religion: Truman's losing his father in a storm, and his wife's leaving him - all the suffering in Truman's life that Christof manufactures, reminded me of this quote attributed to Jules Renard:

I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't. 

And also this timely meme:

And I chuckled hard. (Probably going to hell for that, hehe.)

               Also, the little speech by Christof in the end, when Truman is about to leave the set (probably a metaphor for abandoning theism), to keep him from leaving, sounded very similar to godmen/holy scriptures that suggest that surrendering to God will keep Man safe/sheltered.

               - Psychoanalysis: Psychotherapy, in cases where phobia is involved, advocates (mentally/otherwise) revisiting the source of such fear in order to manage it/heal from it. Truman sails through to freedom by conquering his fear of water.

               How Truman eventually comes face to face with the same conditions that made him aquaphobic - a storm while at sea - reminded me of one aspect of attachment theory: that we tend to subconsciously recreate familiar scenarios from our past, though they might be undesirable.

               - Theological determinism vs. Free will: Truman's leaving the set, could be construed as his turning his back on fatalism (everything in his life is predetermined by Christof), and embracing free will.

               - Maya/Illusion: This poignant exchange reminded me of how religions suggest that the real world, as we perceive it, is illusory:

               Truman: Was nothing real?               Christof: you were real.

               - Ego: At one point, when he suspects that he's being watched, Truman remarks that it seems like everything is about him. It reminded me of the psychoanalytical 'ego', which in its crude form, perceives slights where there are none, takes things personally, and makes everything about itself.

               - Simulated reality: The sunset and the moon, like everything else in Truman's world, are made up. It's quite a moment when Truman reaches the literal end of his 'world', which reminded me of the theory that we live in a simulated reality. And, the endlessly fascinating thought experiment: Does the moon exist when you're not looking?

               In this, the movie bears themes similar to that of the TV series Westworld. (Fun fact: Christof is played by the same person who plays the mysterious 'Man in black' in Westworld.)

               - Curiosity: Truman's character seemed to embody some of the best things about human beings: a constant quest for knowledge/understanding about the world around them - the same spirit that would've pushed hunter-gatherers to invent, and migrate; the sort of thing that would've inspired the idea of exploring what lies beyond our planet/galaxy.

               Aaaand, it's a wrap 😁 If you'd like to gush about this movie/if you have recommendations for allegorical movies/books/shows, I'm all ears :)