The Truman Show
The Truman Show: A Cinematic Exploration of Control, Freedom, and Modern Media
By Arya Meshram
It is difficult to believe that centralized power can take control and observe all our actions, decisions, and deprive us of our moral and natural freedom. This authoritarianism thus facilitates our everyday life to be observed by a generously large audience composed of millions from numerous countries all around the world, while one is unaware of the absence of their privacy and liberty.
The same is the main plot for 1998’s psychological drama film The Truman Show, in which the leading character, Truman Burbank (played by Jim Carrey), is the center of attention at the stage, which is a man-made pseudo-real coastal town called Sea Haven.
Sea Haven is depicted as an enormously large studio set that bears a strong resemblance to the real world. The sheer size of the set is even further exaggerated when the creator and director of The Truman Show, Christof, comments that the structure could even be seen from space, similar to the hyperbolic statements made about the Great Wall of China.
Truman Burbank had been in the limelight since the moment of his very birth in a setting where everything revolves around him. He spent his life oblivious to the fact that his existence was a spectacle for entertainment—broadcast to the entire world. Additionally, all his relations were orchestrated as the people in his life were merely a set of actors, including his mother, wife, and even father, who all followed structured commands that they received from a team of cameramen.
The film is a mosaic of multiple philosophical and psychological themes that interconnect and layer to establish a dramatically strong base for the premise of the plot. A list of these themes presented by the film can be easily recognized in our everyday life. Some are more obvious to spot than others, but their relevance in the present times is still assertive.
However, before delving deep into the roots of these dynamics, it is crucial to recognize the primary symbolism of confinement, a role played by the stage set of Sea Haven. As previously mentioned, Truman had been restricted to the strict walls of Sea Haven, despite his eagerness to step out of the small coastal town and explore the rest of the world—an unwavering desire for freedom that could not be extinguished by his mother and wife, despite their best efforts. The idea of Sea Haven does not solely refer to the wall that looms over the town, but also the cast of actors that gives a sense of reality to the illusion of a real world. The united efforts and disregard for their sense of conscience to keep Truman grounded in Sea Haven for entertainment symbolise entrapment.
Commonly, when one tends to realize that the freedom they assumed they had was fictitious, they tend to make amends to restore that freedom to make it fit their initial belief. This desire for freedom was first noticed in Truman when his close ones attempted to dissuade him from traveling outside of their “coastal town”; eventually, his pursuit to leave Sea Haven exposed slight irregularities in the facade maintained by the actors of the show. Furthermore, when Truman becomes aware of the reality of the situation, it fuels his drive to escape and achieve his objective through alternative methods and repeated trials. Truman’s efforts served as a metaphor for the human urge to reject constraints, challenge authority, and demonstrate unwavering determination to achieve one’s goals.
Other than the themes of confinement and liberation, one that was impossible to miss was the manner in which the majority of the audience seemed to simply not question the morality of the show, a result of how the production team and related industries controlled popular opinions through the glorification of the show and subtle deception.
Similar concerns regarding the media resurface from time to time in the same manner today. The audience of The Truman Show was extremely ignorant regarding the fact that Truman's privacy was being neglected and that his entire life had been a source of entertainment. It was the least of their concerns. Not only a reflection of the casual attitude of the media, they were kept entertained and satisfied. What more could they ask for? In today’s age, social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, etc. keep us occupied in the same manner by providing cheap and easy ways to trigger the release of dopamine through social validations. The Truman Show’s viewers’ ignorance of the real impending problem resembles our current attitude towards environmental, social, political, and even personal issues. We tend to focus more on the nuance of the next reel we scroll by than on what really requires our attention. The rise of social media influencers only aggravates the problem by giving a boost to insecurities and making people feel good about themselves through more social validation in the form of likes, comments, and reposts.
At the end of the film, Truman concludes his journey as he discovers the door to freedom and chooses to open it after having spent his life in a fabricated version of reality. He bids his farewell in a typical 90’s show manner, accompanied by a bow and his popular catchphrase, "In case I don't see you, good morning, good afternoon, and good night." His positive attitude can be seen as a reflection of acceptance of the fact that he must let go of Sea Haven to never see it again and commence his life in the real world. The audience, on the other hand, seemed to take no moment to absorb the fact that the show they had been attached to for so long had ended, reacting in an unexpected manner. Instead of analyzing their emotions and discussing the long journey of the show, the watchers shook it off and tuned in to watch other channels and shows. A similar phenomenon of disconnection from meaningful content to receive a continuous supply of happy hormones is discernible in the current times, saturated with 30-60 second reels and other short-form content, where short-form content dominates the media due to the oversimplification of matters.
The movie ends with Truman taking a step towards freedom and closing the door to his shackles forever. It’s a fulfilling closing scene, yet it leaves the Doylist audience with numerous theories, interpretations, and queries spiraling around inside the mind. The Truman Show possesses many layers of ideas, all compiled into a 2-hour film.
