Describe one way that a charecter changes in the text. Explain how this change was important to the text as a whole.
In ‘The Truman Show’ directed by Peter Weir, Weir uses visual tecniques to develop trumans charecter throughout the text and show how he is changing, and teaches us as an audience why this change is important to the text as a whole. At the begginning of the text, Weir illustrates how naïve Truman is, and how he had no intention that anything was wrong. At the turning point, weir develops trumens charecter, and shows us how he’s changed from the begginning of the texts, and illustrates how important it is for the text. At the end of the text, Weir has shown us how truman changed, and he highlights how important that change was in the ending. Trumans mindset, and personality changing is very important to the text, and is also relevant to the theory platos cave, which truman represents throughout the truman show, as he changes throughout the text.
In the begginning of the text, weir sets up trumans charecter using film tecniques, and begins highlighting how truman subtly changes throughout this section of the text, and begins illustrating how this impacts the text. Truman is naïve at the begginning, and is completely unaware that he is being filmed in live TV. Weir illustrates this by using the quote said by truman ‘In case I don’t see you, good morning, good evening and goodnight!’ this quote is extremely ironic, as he is being filmed on live television, so of course people will see him, at all times. Weir uses this to show the severity of trumans situation, as truman clearly has absolutely no idea he is being filmed, and weir is highlighting how ignorant and naïve he is, and what a trusting person he is. Weir is teaching us through the charecter of truman how its normal to accept your reality, as truman wouldn’t have suspected anything is wrong, as he grew up in sea haven his entire life. Weir then begins to show us how truman changed in the begginning of the text. We see a close up on Trumans face as a stage light comes crashing down, and we see his confused facial expression as actors deter him away from the scene. Weir is highlighting how this is the first ‘clue’, of many, as we see truman change and become more curious about the people in his town. Truman is genuinely interested in the stage light, and weir is illustrating that truman isn’t as naïve, and even though he goes on living his normal life, he isn’t as ignorant as he was before, because he has changed and knows something is going on. At the very start of the film, truman had accepted his reality of his cliché small town life, and was ignorant and naïve to the fact that he was on live television. However as the stage light fell, we see more of trumans charecter as he fought to see what was going on. Truman had accepted his reality for so long, the stage light falling is a shock, because it’s the first clue that his life isn’t normal, and why he starts questioning his own reality. Weir is teaching us, through this strange setting, that truman thought was normal as he had created this simulation in his head that his town was ‘normal’ which the stage light ‘broke’. Ultimately, in the begginning of the film, Weir is illustrating how important Trumans change in attitude from ignorant and naïve, to confused, and interested in his reality, is to the text as a whole.
While the beginning of the text showed us trumans change in attitude due to the falling stage light, the turning point illustrates how truman became suspicious and really started to wonder what’s going on, which is an important change for truman. We see Truman begin his quest for truth, after finding sylvias (his ex-girlfriend from high school) red cardigen, which then results in a flashback Sylvia saying ‘get out of here and come and find me’ which results in trumans quest to flee to fiji. We see trumen change, as he remembers sylvia in the dark basement, and in the turning point see him change from confusion to the moment of realisation as he realises that he must get out of the town and move to fiji. Weir is showing us here that truman has been made to forget these memories about sylvia, and has always gone back to the life he was used to. However weir illustrates how truman has changed, as finding sylvia has become his quest for truth, despite what his reality thinks. Weir also illustrates that truman is intent on knowing whats going on, as he realises he has the power to stop cars on the street, as he finds out he’s in ‘control’ of his distorted world. We see this when truman says “I don’t
understand…What’s going on? I really would like to know what’s going on!” Weir is showing us that truman has changed and that he’s no longer ignorant. Truman has come to terms with his weird reality that he accepted his whole life, because of the flashbacks that he was made to forget. This is important, because with truman now aware that his reality is a simmulation that he convinced himself was normal, truman has the courage, reasoning and motivation (sylvia) to go on his quest of truth, due to the curiosity about the truthful dark basement when he found the cardigen. Weir is illustrating in the turning point, how darkness symbolises truth because it’s away from the cameras, and wee see truman uncovering the truth in the dark. The camera and non-diagetic sound also draws attention to the colour red of sylvias cardigen, standing out against the darkness, which could symbolise love, but also how love is a red flag (warning) for truman in this world as his reality wouldn’t accept trumans loe for sylvia. This cardigen and the flashbacks that come with it, as well as being no longer ignorant to his weird society is the motivation for truman to step out of his theoritical ‘cave’ like the soldier in platos cave. Truman spent so long making simmulations of reality in his head, and therefore convincing himself that they were real, which in fact, they aren’t, until he got triggered into remebering sylvia, and then had the courage to fight back against his reality which is important to the text. In the turning point, weir is illustrating how truman changes from naive and confused, to the moment of realisation where he is detrimined, and starts observing his weird world around him, when his whole life thought it was normal, which then motivates him on his quest for truth.
The begginning and the turning point showed us how truman changed, and the motivation truman had to realise the truth, while in the closing scene, weir develops trumans charecters and illustrates why it is important that truman realises the truth. Weir highlights why it’s important that truman changes thrroughout the text, to find his own truth so he can thrive as a person and be at peace. Weir represents truth using a sailing boat, as we see truman escape his society on his quest for truth, weir uses a mid shot of truman in the natural light as a ‘hero’ shot, showing us how detirmined Truman is to escape from his society. As a storm comes in, the colour fades to a grey, and it’s a wild and rough sea. Weir is illustrating how trumans journey to truth is uncertain through the grey and darkness, but showing us how detirmined and courageous truman is. Because of trumans change, going from confused to detrimined, he is able to sail on his journey of truth. Weir also shows us how truman has realised that someone is controlling him, and how he’s ‘giddy’ from the freedom he is creating for himself when he says ‘is that the best you can do?! You’re going to have to kill me!’ this powerful quote shows us that nothing can come between truman, and finding out the truth for himself. After this scene, and the natural light of the sun comes out, triumphant music plays in the background. The natural light of the sun is showing us how there’s no over saturation, and therefore no fakeness around truman now. Weir is illustrating how truman put everything at risk to find his own truth, and these film tecniques have illustrated how truman has finally found it. Truman had changed which lead him to find his own truth. Truman had the courage and detirmination to step out the theoritical cave that his reality was. He had the courage and detirmination to realise that the simmulations he created in his head were not normal, and because he had enough courage to step out of the cave and discover truth himself, despite what his society thought of him lead to him being able to discover his own truth. In the very last scene, Weir shows truman opening the door, which is the way out of the cave. Truman can see his shadow touching the wall, which is a simmulation of reality, illusion of life that truman can now see clearly opposed to the beginning mirrors, and closing doors at the begginning of the text. Truman makes the couragous and detirmined decision to step in the darkness, and create his own reality. Weir shows us how important creating your own reality and finding the truth is for truman, and how he stepped into the truth and left the cave despite what his society thought of him. Weir illustrates the importance of truman changing and creating his own reality to create his own truth through film tecniques and symbolism in the closing scene.
In conclusion, to develop trumans charecter, illustrate how truman changes through the text and show why it is important to the text and to help truman find his truth and create his own reality, weir uses symbolism and film tecniques to convey this. At the begginning of the text, weir introduces trumans charecter, and shows us how truman is ignorrant, but confused. In the turning point weir shows us how truman changes and has his moment of realisation, then changes to try and find his truth, using sylvia as motivation. In the closing scene weir illustrates the importance of truman changing (in the turning point) and so truman can create his own reality and find his truth. Peter weir illustrates using film tecniques and symbolism how, and why truman changes, and how he stepped out of the theoritical cave, and let himself remember memories, and stopped simulating his reality to appear normal, despite what his society thought and created his own reality. Prehaps, what the truman show is really about, is finding your own truth, no matter what your society thinks. Peter weir is teaching us it’s okay to change, and step out of the cave we know as society, and create your own reality, and find your own truth.
