The Truman Show

Classical Hollywood Narrative and The Truman Show The Truman Show (1998) directed by Peter Weir, tells the journey of Truman Burbank, a man who has been living a directed and staged life since he was born. It follows Truman as he slowly starts to find himself and discover the world he lives in. This movie follows typical Hollywood narrative, however the movie has an aorist ending. It leaves the audience imagining what is going to happen next, in this case it is if Truman is going to get the girl he loves. The film uses the 3 part narrative and also mise en scene is very important in this film and can play a big part in creating meaning for the film.
As the film uses polarised narrative it follows the 3 act narrative. It starts with Truman living his life like he has done his entire life. Until one day he sees a homeless man that he believes is his father, this is the catalyst event, it is the point in the story where Truman begins to get suspicious that everyone is revolving around him and is always watching him. From this point it starts the disequilibrium, Truman starts to become wiser he notices people doing the same thing every day at the same time and he starts to break the pattern of his everyday life. This is clear in the movie as he says this line to his neighbours “Oh in case I don’t see you, Good afternoon, good evening and good night.” We see this multiple times at the beginning of the movie until the catalyst event where he doesn’t say it and this gives the viewer hints that The Truman Show would not be the same. This is followed by the climax, the part of the film where Truman is determined to leave and causes the creator to become very anxious and do anything to keep him there. Then this leads to the restoration stage, where Truman understands his life and the world he lives in is fake and finally leaves The Truman Show. The 3 act narrative allows the viewer to create an emotional attachment to Truman and gives the viewer hope that he will leave. This is something that is very common in classical Hollywood narrative.
This film is all about how Truman is oblivious that everyone watching him, every second of everyday and how he slowly starts to figure it out. Has it follows classical narrative it is obvious that the protagonist (Truman) is goal oriented. He wants to leave his little town and see the world, but ever since he was little people tell him that there is no where left to explore or there is no point. So throughout the movie you see people constantly crashing his dreams in order to get him to stay and it is clear to the viewer the emotional journey he goes through and you can feel almost everything he must be feeling at certain points throughout the film. Also links with the fact that it uses omniscient narration. This is known as the ‘fly on the wall’. This is where the viewer can see what Truman is doing throughout the day but also what the outside world is doing and this can make the viewer a little angry as you see what the creator is doing and how he feels about the show. This also shows classical narrative as you wish the best for the protagonist and hope the antagonist (the creator, Christof) and the show fails.
Mise-en-scene is very important in the film. In the opening scene it is shot of Truman in his bathroom looking into the mirror (photo above) and it gives you a seek peek as to what the TV series The Truman Show is. However the way the bottles are placed around him, he has very little space to move. This symbolises his life, he has room to move and explore. This happens throughout the film, he constantly restricted until the end of the film, where he is standing at the edge of ‘his world’ and it is an open space painted as the sky. This gives a very clear indication that he is no longer trapped in this little world, he is free to explore and travel. The soundtrack that accompanies the entry of Truman is non-diegetic and it is soft and calming. The music gives viewer the sense of peace and perfection. At the end of the movie the music is calming and peaceful and has a viewer it makes you realise that the life Truman was living at the beginning wasn’t peaceful and wasn’t right and the music can really sum up the fact that this is the end of The Truman Show.
The Truman Show, shows very clear signs that it follows classical Hollywood narrative, from the way the movie has catalyst events and disequilibrium and then everything is resolved at the end. And the way the protagonist goes through and emotional journey, these are points that follow classical narrative.