A Classic Movie with Modern Themes

Rating: 9/10 (14 September 2015)

At first, this movie comes across as quite comedic, with very few hints as to what the underlying theme truly is. Truman Burbank, played by Jim Carrey, is a happy and well known denizen of a coastal town called Seahaven. His neighbors and co- workers are all great colleagues and friends, and he appears to have no enemies. After multiple uncanny events, he soon becomes paranoid and believes that he is being watched (which is dramatically ironic considering the circumstances that he is being watched). As he learns more and more about the reality of his world, he is quick to attempt an escape. Consequently, the actors playing as the rest of the inhabitants of the island try to sway him away from his beliefs, but fail in their efforts. Towards the end of the movie, he flees from the view of the cameras, and tries to sail to freedom. In a conflict between ethics and profits, the producer tries to kill Truman before he can reach the exit. Reluctantly, he is able to break out of the lie of the world that he lived in.
As the plot developed, the true purpose of this movie emerged. The director of this movie inflated the issue of what the media does in a (desperate) attempt to increase their viewers. The fictional producer adopted an unwanted baby, which is good, but in hindsight, they enslaved him for the entertainment of millions. In note of the producers, the satire also addresses the argument of utilitarianism. Very few people rebel against the philosophy of entrapping an individual within a made-up world because the benefit of the majority is valued more than that of the individual. Even though this movie was released in 1998, its themes can still relate to modern day society because the media constantly goes beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable in broadcasted entertainment, with an ever-increasing acceptance of explicit and inappropriate humor and criticism.