A great movie about sense of reality, fatherhood and desire

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2000)

I think this is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen and I'll tell you why.
The argument is about a guy, Truman (Jim Carrey) that lives a simple life, with no surprises. He grew, married, works every day, that's it. Just common and anonymous life like any other. But what his life definitely is not is anonymous, as the whole world watch every step he makes, every blink, every word, every snort. His whole world is a TV set built just to give scenery to his life. That means he lives in some kind of show being the only actor who does not perform. He really lives. The other ones are part of the set, a huge one. The purpose of this is to make a unique and completely naive show about a person's life, some kind of media true show / experiment. At one point, he became suspicious and tried to run beyond the scenes. Would he make it?
There is not so much comedy in this picture, at least not when a take a reflective angle on it. Yeah, there are some scenes, here and there, and all throughout the movie wanders the sense of irony and ridicule. Still, the drama performs since the beginning.
I always demand a good movie for show me the reality in the day by day and some perspective in a world that very often seems too shallow to worth analyze it. Reality and perspective, I've found them both here.
Under the argument, original itself, there are two major "themes" that began to develop. The first of it, is the reality and solidness of the world we live. The other one is the fatherhood. And lingering all around, a third tune in this melody, the desire.
Reality... How you define reality? Is reality what you touch, you smell, and especially what you see? Do the relations with the other human beings define reality? In Truman 's case the reality is a fake. Because he lives in a fake scenery, in a fake city, with hundreds of fake persons, all actors that perform all the time, but live not life at all (at least at the stage, of course). But the point is, doesn't does happen, in a lighter degree, in everybody's life? Because in one hand, we see what the TV and Internet shows, we trust that as THE source of information. They shape our vision of things. The media are OK for the show, the big entertainment show. However, can they be reliable to define reality? On the other hand, how honest about our feelings and thoughts are we in our normal lives? How much of what we are we show to colleagues at work, or fellow students, or friends, for that matter, or even our couples? How many times do we split appart what's happening inside and outside? Half and half, even less than that may be? So, if we define reality through our senses and relations, and those are not fully trustable, how can we know in what world are we living in? And that question remains all over the film.
What made Truman discover the truth, that is that he was being cheated? Well, he started to watch carefully around, and began to question and test. At some point, he started to do so not because he was mistrustful, curious or just stupid. He started to search because he couldn't believe he would not be able to live his dream, to accomplish his wishes. Which were not other than to meet a girl his girl (Sylvia). Oh, yeah, Truman has his sweetheart. Took away from his life for the major of all sins, trying to tell him the truth. So his desire led him to the discovery of the truth, and so this is also a movie about desire. It's his desired what set him free at the end.
Fatherhood... Why do I see that as a major theme in the movie? Well, Truman is an orphan, adopted by the company the director of the show rules. So he does have a father, and that is Cristof. He is legally and morally his father. But what a father! He can do with Truman everything many fathers dream to be able to do with their kids. He can supervise him every time he wants with countless video cameras. He designs his environment. He decides who he relates with, even who exist in his life, and manipulate Truman as deep as he wants to obtain the exact results in people interaction. He can take away the characters he don't like (Sylvia, his "dead" father). He can even order night and day in his son's world (literally). And all this, without paying any price at all. I mean, a father should suffer the reactions, critics and oppositions of his sons, but not in Cristof 's case. He doesn't have to suffer that because Truman doesn't know his life is being ruled, arranged. Oh, what a relief make all he wants with his son's life without suffering all the nuisances and the complains. Without any exposition at all.
And at the end, what a furious father had Truman to face at. When the knowledge came, the rebellion followed. How could he dare? To rebel at him, the master, supreme power that make all decisions in his life. If he don't yield, Truman should be punished, with no remorse at all. Even killed, if necessary. And Cristof had the power to kill him indeed. This father is not just a father, he is a god. And who will prevail in the relation between this man and his personal god-father (!)? Is he just a puppet or a free man?
Truman reminded us, no matter how it cost, freedom worth's it. His desire took him from his golden cage to a dangerous, unpredictable, tough world, but still a place within to be free. It's worth the price, no doubt at all.