So, I watched The Truman Show two times this weekend in preparation for making my trailer for it. (trying to be a good reader) And anyways, while i and a few other awesome girls on my floor were watching it, one guy walks by and says "great movie! oh, did you guys get the hidden meaning yet?" I felt kindda ticked because it felt like he was showing off that he had somehow figured it out or knew some secret or something. Besides, I already had seen this movie and I hadn't seen some deep, alegorical connection to anything.
While I can see the connections, especially in the director's name (Christof), I don't like to accept these conclusions because (1) I don't like it when people try to say they "know what the film's about" and (2) I really like The Truman Show and don't want to believe it's really a slam on people like me. However, I have hope because even though that may have been one of the intended meanings, to me The Truman Show is ultimately about finding freedom from fakeness.
We all deal with fakeness in our lives, whether in lies we are told by the world around us or our own self imposed fakeness. sometimes we don't realize that we are believing a lie, but other times we hit that false sky with our little sail boats. And then we have the choice to escape through the exit door, or to keep pretending that our world is normal, that our spouses are supposed to spout off advirtisements during an arguement and that lights are supposed to randomly fall our of the sky...
The word "hidden" carries with it some implications. Everything in the movie is very out in the open. It reminds me of all the deep analysis papers people have done on The Matrix. The two are essentially the same movie; guy in box wants out of the box. Just because the filmmaker decided to use some of the symbolic colors from the Bible's crayon-box doesn't mean that he was trying to make a statement one way or the other. In fact, I think it says more about your mindset that you'd come away with that particular meaning, than the mindset of the director. Then again, I wrote a blog about gay dragons, what's that say?
ReplyDeleteSo basically, sometimes a movie is just a movie.
But then again...as Miles pointed out. A movie is Never JUST a movie. I hate the idea of a "hidden meaning" as if you stared at it long enough or played it backwards it would turn out to be a portrait of Hitler...or Jesus. But for anyone willing to dig around in this film there are layers of meaning. Some more intentional than others.. Certainly Christof is a God-like character and critique of those who would abuse religion, power, and unquestioned authority. As I recall Jesus leveled the same critique in his day.
ReplyDeleteI interpret Trumans story as the ultimate conversation experience. He doesn't rebel against God (authority) as much as he responds to the truth revealed to him no matter the cost.