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 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. It has great acting, entertaining humor, and a well-written message, but this film’s real strength is in its cinematography. Throughout the completely manufactured town of Seahaven are hidden cameras that help millions of viewers follow his every move. This element is one of the diegetic elements of the story, meaning it takes place within the world of the story. This helps make the cinematography the film’s greatest asset when it comes to storytelling.
While not every camera used in the film is diegetic, when they are, they are used deliberately and expertly. 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, the hidden camera presumably inside his mirror. This scene is intersperced with interviews of 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 behind-the-scenes documentary. The film also continues a similar trend by adding shots of random viewers watching the events of the film play out. They hold “Truman Show” merchandise, go to Truman-themed bars, and even watch it while they take a bath. This gives the audience a quick rundown of the world of the film and makes it have a greater sense of verisimilitude. It also gives the audience a taste of what watching this show would be like.
From the first full scene with Truman, whenever there’s a camera watching him, 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 shots at angles close to the ground or on the side of a building. On the other hand, more conventional camera movements and angles show the audience that they are nondiegetic, and not the hidden cameras. For example, when a stage light falls from the sky in from of Truman, he picks it up and reads the label. The following shot shows that the label says “Sirius (9 Canis Major)” in reference to the star. Within the same shot, Truman looks to the sky. This shot is one of the few natural shots in the film, and it makes visual his budding suspicion and confusion of the world around him.
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 different camera looking at a parking lot, then zooming in as it finds Truman and Sylvia. This shows the audience that the cameras (and by extension, the whole system of the show) are not infallible, and can be beaten if possible. It also makes it clear that the cameras are the main antagonists of the film. Sure, there are people controlling the cameras, but Truman’s not trying to run away from those studio employees. He just wants to be free from being watched and controlled his entire life, and the hidden cameras symbolize that force throughout the film.
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, Truman evades the cameras that have documented him his whole life, only for the world as he knows it to finally come crashing down around him as he reaches a painted wall and an emergency exit. As he walks up the stairs, the cinematography looks like he’s ascending to some sort of afterlife. When he opens the exit door, it lead to blackness, signifying the unknown world that awaits him. Desperate to convince Truman to stay, Christof, the creator of “The Truman Show”, 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. They are the observers, the antagonists, and they are the saviors of Truman’s journey from being controlled to being free. Without the attention to deatail that the film makers put into the cinematography, The Truman Show wouldn’t be as highly regarded as it is to this day.
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.