Reality and "The Truman Show"

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the film "The Truman Show" directed by Peter Weir. Specifically, the writer discusses how the film raises the issue of appearances differing from reality, and how that affects the skeptic and the true believer in all of us. The writer maintains that Truman Burbank is a true innocent in this film, trusting those around him and his own perceptions to be the truth. However, they are not. The writer notes that Truman is actually the victim of an elaborate hoax, and has been his entire life. The writer discusses that the film makes the viewer think about reality, and how one perceives reality, and it raises questions about beliefs, skepticism and trust.

From the Paper:

"Reality is at the core of this film, and it illustrates that what is entirely real for one person can be another person's fantasy. The film makes the viewer question how they see reality, but also, the core theme is what is reality, really? Truman's life is entirely real to him, and until he begins to question his surroundings and some of the things that are happening, he is totally happy and secure in that reality. Underlying this theme is the question, what would we do if we were in the same situation as Truman? Would we be able to deal with it as effectively as he does? In essence, when he realizes that something is not right in his perfect world, his response is not really to flee, but to discover, and there is a big difference between the two. He wants to find out the truth, but also find out what lies beyond the massive soundstage that has been his home for his entire life. The audience has to feel that if the same thing happened to them, would they react in the same way"

More papers on Reality and "The Truman Show":

• Essay # 58686 : "The Truman Show" Opening Sequence"
• Film Review # 62614 : "The Truman Show" and Free Will"

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