The Truman Show (1998)
Directed By: Peter Weir
Written By: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, and Laura Linney
“It’s all true, it’s all real. Nothing here is fake. Nothing you see on this show is fake. It’s merely controlled.”
-Louis Coltrane/Marlon
The Truman Show is a 1998 drama/comedy that covers this very subject. It tells the story of a man named Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who has unknowingly spent his whole life living in a completely staged reality show, where millions of people watch his day-to-day life for entertainment. Over the course of the story, he becomes more and more aware that his whole life has been a lie. Throughout the completely manufactured town of Seahaven are hidden cameras that help millions of viewers follow his every move. This helps make the cinematography the film’s greatest asset when it comes to storytelling.
While not every shot in the film uses these cameras to tell the story, when they are used, they are always used deliberately. For example, the very first shot that we see of Truman is of a television screen with a live broadcast of the titular show, displaying a static shot of Truman talking to himself in the mirror, with the hidden camera inside his mirror. This is interspersed with interviews with the “cast members” who describe the experience of working on the show. These shots are composed in a way that makes them look like they’re part of a documentary. This gives the audience a quick rundown of the world of the film and make it have a greater sense of verisimilitude. It also gives the audience a taste of what watching this show would be like.
From that point on, whenever there’s a camera watching Truman, there’s usually a iris shot or a fish-eye lens that will often zoom in on him to get a better look. Other signs include static sots at angles close to the ground or on the side of a building. More conventional and natural camera movements show the audience that this is from Truman’s perspective, and not the hidden cameras.
Here’s an example of a “natural” shot.
Another scene that demonstrates this is when a younger Truman falls in love with an extra named Sylvia. Since she doesn’t want the show runners to catch them being together, she leads Truman along a pseudo-chase scene, where she fools the cameras that are watching them. They walk behind a column, then quickly run the other way, disorienting the camera. The film then cuts to a camera looking at a parking lot, then zooming in as it finds Truman and Sylvia. This demonstrates to the audience that the cameras and the system of the show is not infallible, and can be beaten if possible. This makes Truman’s escape in the climax appear more believable to the audience.
Later, when Truman attempts to fly to Fiji, the camera focuses on posters on the walls of the travel agency, with pictures of crashing planes and text that says: “Have You Bought Enough Travel Insurance To Protect Against: Terrorists, Disease, Wild Animals, Street Gangs”. This shows the audience the ludicrous lengths the show runners go to prevent Truman from leaving. It also adds more humor to the viewing experience for perceptive viewers.
In the final scene of the movie, after Truman evades the cameras that have documented him his whole life, only to hit a wall painted like the sky, with a set of stairs next to an exit door. As he walks up the stairs, the cinematography looks like he’s ascending to a higher plane. When he opens the exit door, it lead to blackness, signifying the unknown world that awaits him. Desperate to convince Truman to stay, Christof decides to speak to him through a microphone. As he speaks, the camera is angled up at him, with his face filling most of the screen. It then cuts to a shot of the sky, alluding to his godlike position. Conversely, Truman is shot downward, making him seem smaller in comparison. Another shot shows Christof looking at a monitor with Truman on it, which he then strokes, as if he’s trying to comfort him. As he tries to persuade Truman, the later remains facing towards the door, showing that he’s defying his god. After a series of shots of viewers watching the event, Truman says his catchphrase, bows, and exits the show, disappearing into the blackness of the hallway. This is the last time we see Truman, which leaves his fate up to the audience’s imaginations.
Using cinematography, The Truman Show was able to add verisimilitude, suspense, humor, and nuance to the plot. Without it, the story of Truman Burbank would be a lesser movie by far.
Sources:
- The Truman Show. Directed by Peter Weir, Paramount Pictures, 1998.
- Barsam, Richard Meran., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. 5th ed., New York, NY, W.W. Norton & Co., 2016.