Characterisation

Truman Burbank

Truman Burbank is the star of the fictional reality TV show. Truman was chosen at birth to be the 'star' of this show, which has documented his life on Seahaven Island (an elaborate TV set) for twenty-nine years.

Meryl Burbank / Hannah Gill

Truman's wife. Meryl is played by actress Hannah Gill and she has been in the show since she was in high school, where she became Truman's girlfriend. Meryl represents the 'ideal' wife with her effervescent personality and love of consumer goods.

Marlon / Louis Coltrane

Truman's best friend since childhood. He is played by actor Louis Coltrane. Marlon is a supportive friend to Truman but is complicit in Christof's manipulation of him.

Christof

Christof is the creator and director of the show. Having dedicated thirty years of his life to the program he has become controlling of the show and of Truman's life. Truman does not know he exists.

Laura Garland / Sylvia

Lauren is played by Sylvia, who was initially an extra at Truman's high school who he fell in love with and they had a very brief romance. Truman wanted to marry her but Christof preferred him to marry Meryl, so he removed Sylvia from the show. She is committed to ensuring Truman is freed.

Angela Burbank/Alanic Montclair

Alanic Montclair plays Truman's mother. She is contrived as the devoted but superficial mother who adheres to social stereotypes. She is eager for Truman and Meryl to have children.

Kirk Burbank/Walter Moore

Walter Moore plays Truman's father. He is a devoted father but Christof uses him as a vehicle to create Truman's fear of water by having Kirk supposedly drown while out sailing with Truman. Kirk sneaks back on set by pretending to be a homeless man and ultimately reunited with Truman, claiming he has had amnesia for twenty-two years.

Simeon

Simeon is the control room director of the show who follows Christof's commands even though he feels great emotion for Truman and does not wish to see him hurt.

Truman

Analysing the opening sequence

Let's watch it together. As we watch, make notes so you answer the following questions:

1.How does Weir use dialogue to make responders aware that Truman's life is not entirely real?

2. How are camera angles and camera movement used?

3. Interviews with actors from the show are intercut with shots of Truman talking to himself / acting out a scene he is improvising. What is the effect of these editing choices?

We are introduced to Truman Burbank through the use of this mid shot. The camera is positioned on the other side of the mirror, and we can see from the ‘LIVE’ stamp that the image is broadcast live to TV.

This mirror and other mirrors in the film become important symbols that are used repeatedly. It symbolises his yearning for a true ‘reflection’ of himself - his authentic self to come forth. At the beginning he is his most true self when speaking to the mirror. But it is also the time that he has the greatest emotional appeal for the audience because he speaks directly to camera.

The mirror looks back through a hidden camera. This shot is framed by a camera monitor.

Several realities are framed in this shot: the fictional world of the television show 'The Truman Show', the external world of the television studio staff, and the outside audience of Peter Weir's film (us).

We can see the use of vignetting (a reduction of image's brightness or saturation toward the periphery compared to the image centre.) This imitates a hidden camera, and lends a voyeuristic feel to the scene.

Peter Weir introduces the character of Truman as he stares into the bathroom mirror. The audience is positioned to be viewing Truman through a hidden camera installed behind the mirror. This image is then displayed on a camera monitor. Thus, we are presented to Truman through several ‘frames.’ The deceptive mirror of his false reality, the concealed camera of the television studio (which is the hidden truth of his reality), and the image that is then broadcast to the rest of the fictional external world of ‘The Truman Show’. This is further framed by the screen presented to the viewer as a film. These devices all serve to demonstrate the constructed nature of Truman’s reality, but also provide metacommentary on the nature of filmmaking itself, reminding the audience that Truman exists within a fiction within a fiction within a fiction.

Good afternoon, Good evening and Good Night

Questions

Let's watch it together. As we watch, make notes so you answer the following questions:

1.How is Truman portrayed in this scene?

2. What techniques does Weir use to communicate that Truman is likeable and affable?

3. Write down all of the examples you see of unusual / askew camera angles. What does the choice of angle tell us about how that shot was filmed? What is the effect of that on the viewer (responders)?

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