Looking+at+Truman's+Emotions+and+Reactions

superficially happy Bored Fearful Secretive Naive/ignorant/bliss fully unaware || ** 2 ** || ** The Truman we see at the beginning of the show is likeable, but the audience only gains an impression of him. We find out obvious things like, who he is and what he does, which only makes us vaguely familiar with him. ** || Curious/suspicious Sentimental / sensitive/ self aware Irrational/erratic Cunning/deceptive Determined ||  || ** In the middle of the story the audience is given more details about his personality. He is a deeper character than we first suspected, having a sense of loss about a girlfriend and father who were taken from his life. He is also curious and probes the reality he lives in, questioning beyond all reason whether it’s valid or fabricated. He challenges his wife’s relationship with him, which leads to a personal crisis. So the viewer connects and sympathizes with Truman throughout the middle of the film. ** || satisfied frustration anger bewilderment motivated ||  || ** In the end, along with the television viewers and Sylvia, we the audience are in complete support of his endeavours to have true meaning in his life. Moralistically, the Director Peter Weir makes this easier for us, as he shows Christof challenging Truman’s attempts to seek the truth and Sylvia, by creating a horrendous storm that almost kills him. This allows the viewers to see the complete picture that there is a ‘hero’ and a villain in the show. It makes us feel betrayed, just as Truman must have and therefore sympathetic towards him. His optimistic personality at the very end seems to reinforce his ‘hero status’ in the audiences eyes. ** ||
 * ** HOW DID THE CHARACTER OF TRUMAN DEVELOP? ** ||
 * || ** ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE HIM ** || ** SCENES AND FILM TECHNIQUES THAT SHOW HIM (Write the number of the example that goes with the adjectives.) ** || ** WHAT EFFECT DOES THIS HAVE ON THE VIEWER? ** ||
 * ** BEGINNING ** || Routine /
 * ** MIDDLE ** || Fearful
 * ** END ** || Rebellious/Defiant


 * Beginning scenes ||
 * # High angle shot of the dog. Reaction low angle shot of Truman’s fearful face.
 * 1) Longshot outside his front door, dressed in middleclass tidy, casual clothes and brown jacket. Dialogue “Good morning and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight.” Spoken to ‘cute’ family directly opposite him neighbours with a smile.
 * 2) Midshot of him at work coughing, close up shot of a magazine page on his lap under the desk – he’s ripping the page out with the model’s eyes.
 * 3) Close up shot of him in mirror in prologue imagining his wish of a challenge...’I’m not going to make it...You’re going to the top of this mountains broken legs and all.”
 * 4) He confides to Marlon his desire to get out of his job and go to Fiji. ‘don’t you ever get antsy, itchy feet?”
 * 5) High angle shot over the shoulder shot of him looking at Sirius the light that has fallen from the sky, then looking up into the sky. He seems to be unconcerned about it and moves on with his day. ||
 * Middle scenes ||
 * # An neutral over the shoulder two shot of Truman and Meryl – in the car at the bridge, Meryl’s patronizing voice “ Oh Truman, you knew this would happen.You know you can’t drive over the water.” And later, a low angle two shot through the air conditioning vent of Meryl with her hands on the steering wheel and Truman with his eyes closed, shows them driving over.
 * 1) Cut into editing of him remembering a yacht trip with his father when he died.
 * 2) Series of mid shots and long shots of Truman being observed by Christof’s cameras around the inner Seahaven town area, tying his shoe lace, behind a pole, observing people at an outdoor café, and a birds-eye-view of him stopping the bus and cars on the road – as Truman observes the strange familiarity of the people and scene around him. Later he confides to Marlon “it’s when I’m unpredictable that they don’t, they can’t…” (react to me is what he meant)
 * 3) A silent scene set in the basement of his house shows him intently looking through photos which a close up shot determines are of his father and a young Truman. Later he cuddles a red cardigan, a motif in the film that shows his heart belonged to Sylvia – a former ‘flame’. (Editing wise the cardigan provides a link between the cut in memory scene of his budding romance with Sylvia) He also puts his magazine eyes in the back of a photo frame of his wife – which shows he is piecing together a resemblance of Sylvia’s face.
 * 4) Truman goes after Meryl with the new knives Meryl has advertised. ‘Who were you talking to? Talk to me. Stay where you are…” he says as Marlon enters the house. A mid shot of him holding Meryl and a knife out at Marlon shows him looking irrational – wide-eyed and confused.
 * 5) ‘Why wasn’t I told. Any unpredictable behaviour has to be reported.” Christof to staff. Over the shoulder mid shot of Christof watching Marlon find a snowman in Truman’s bed.
 * 6) We see a mid shot of the “hero’ of the show Truman in a sailor cap and jersey. A close up of Sylvia’s photo collage shows he is going off to find her. ||
 * Ending ||
 * # A vignetted midshot of him shows him enjoying the sailing. As he lifts his chin to feel the breeze on his face, the viewer understands his fulfillment and sense of freedom
 * 1) “You never had a camera in my head”
 * 2) Over-the-shoulder shot of Christof looking at Truman on a screen.” Was nothing real?’ he asks.
 * 3) A mid shot shows Truman holding onto the mast after rescuing himself from the storm. He yells to the producers “ Is that the best you can do…you’re going to have to kill me…” The dull blue grey lighting suggests the danger from the storm. Although his silhouette shows him barely visible, his voice is loud and determined.
 * 4) He grunts to show the strain of pulling up the sail in order to return his boat on course. Several midshots and high angle shots of him show this. Soft piano music gives a sense of the anti climax and denouement.
 * 5) He sighs an annoyed ah to show his realization. A mid shot of his back shows him beating the canvas set that imprisoned him for such a long time.
 * 6) A long shot shows him bowing to the audience as he leaves. A mid to close up shows him smiling. Happy to look forward to his real life and find Sylvia. ||