Lesson Four - The Truman Show

Introduction

Lesson Four - The Truman Show
Duration - 3 blocks (3 x 80 min + homework)
"It's all truth. It's all real. Nothing here is fake. Nothing you see, on this show, is false. It's merely controlled." -  Marlon, in "The Truman Show"

The Truman Show is a major film by Australian director Peter Weir. It sets up the conceit of a 'reality TV' show about an innocent called Truman Burbank, who doesn't even know that his whole life is a carefully scripted fiction, beamed out to millions of viewers around the world. When the truth dawns on Truman, he challenges the god-like creator of 'The Truman Show', and makes his escape into the real world. This fascinating satire on media manipulation is both engrossing and relevant to contemporary trends.

The Truman Show is a commentary on modem society. Many of the issues which arise in this film were considered in the previous lesson - issues such as the media's influence on individuals, the individual's acceptance of the world with which he or she is presented, and even what is real.

Resources

NOTES
The Truman Show Analysis

VIDEO

Lesson

In order to complete this lesson, you will have to find the movie on Netflix (or other) or borrow a copy from the school or library.   The movie is entitled:  The Truman Show. Check the discounted bins at places like Wal-Mart if you wish to purchase a copy.

Viewing the film (one day)

• View The Truman Show in its entirety to get a fluent sense of the film.
• Read the analysis of the film.

Responding to the film (three days)

• View the movie a second time, paying attention to the moments where Truman begins to become aware of his situation.
• Make notes of these incidents which illustrate Truman's gradual awakening.
• During these incidents, what is he thinking? What is he discovering about his situation? What is he discovering about himself?

Assignment

To start this assignment, spend some time thinking about how Truman is exploited in his environment and draw parallels to this exploitation with our own world and reality television.

Create jot notes about your ideas.  Feel free to consult others to help you with ideas.

You are not required to hand this assignment in, but you will use it when you start to write the essay.

Conclusion

"We've become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions. we're tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there is nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts. No cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life." - Christof, during the opening credits of The Truman Show

Think about what we, as a society, are doing when we watch reality t.v.  What makes our lives so  dull and uninteresting that makes it a valuable use of our time to watch other peoples' realities?  How are the people on reality shows treated, how are they manipulated by the producers and how are we, as viewers, manipulated?  These are all moral questions to ponder.