PRESENTATION - TRUMAN SHOW
• Storyline
• Creators
• Setting & costumes
• Dystopia & influence
Storyline // What is it about?
Truman Burbank is a normal man, living in a normal town. He’s an
insurance salesman, living in a perfect town called Seahaven. He has
an ordinary life, an ordinary wife and ordinary friends.
What he doesn’t know is that his entire life is one big lie. Since his
birth, his life has been broadcasted and actually is the most popular
live show in television history.
—————
In fact, the entire island of Seahaven is a complete fabrication; If you
look closely you can tell that the horizon isn’t a straight line but in a
curved shape.
This is because the live show producers have built a massive set sur-
rounded by a protective dome that produces the most sophisticated
effects and imagery to mimic the sky, weather, and temperature of the
real world. the dome is run by a massive staff hidden just beyond its
barriers and managed by the Director, Christof.
Christof has filmed Truman since just before his birth and sees the
project as a ray of hope; a way to truthfully portray a person's life non-
stop while maintaining their innocence.
—————
On Day 10,909 (ten thousand nine hundred and nine) of Truman's life,
things begin to change. As he's getting ready for work, he greets his
neighbors across the street, with his traditional greeting of, "Good
morning! And in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening,
and good night", before a mysterious object falls from the sky and
lands near his car. When Truman looks up, however, the sky is clear
and offers no explanation for the object, which we can see is obviously
a studio light.
As he drives to work, the radio reports that an aircraft flying over the
island shed parts which leads Truman to believe that was the source of
the fallen object. This is an example of how the director keeps Truman
‘in the unknown’.
—————
, Throughout the movie Truman starts to notice more strange patterns,
like how the same three people show up at the same time everyday or
when he tries to leave Seahaven traffic suddenly appears. When he
tries to talk to his best friend and wife about it, they remind him how
good life is in Seahaven and disregard his feelings completely.
When he finds out they’re in on it too, he decides to leave the island by
boat. Truman’s father drowned on a boat trip the two of them went on
years ago.
This traumatic event has led up to Truman avoiding the ocean at all
costs. Or at least until now…
Creators || Who wrote it and when?
Andrew Niccol (nickel) is a New Zealand screenwriter, producer, and director.
He completed a one-page film treatment titled The Malcolm Show in May 1991.[12]
this draft was much darker and more science fiction like, with the story set in New
York City. “The main character had a drinking problem. He was cheating on his
wife with a prostitute—of course, he didn’t know that it was the worst-kept secret
in the world, since the affair was being televised. In one scene, he fails to inter-
vene in an assault on the subway.
This is when director Peter Weir (Wir) stepped in. He asked “why would millions
tune in 24/7 to something grim and depressing?” He came up with ideas to make
to script somewhat lighter and more fun. He wanted to make it more likable
instead of science fiction.
Niccol wrote sixteen drafts of the script before Weir considered the script ready
for filming. The overall look was influenced by television images, particularly
commercials: Many shots have characters leaning into the lens with their eyes
wide open, and the interior scenes are heavily lit because Weir wanted to remind
viewers that "in this world, everything was for sale".
