One of the films for which the Nineties will be remembered

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2000)

I believe that, in the future, when the 90s are looked back upon, The Truman Show will be seen as one of its truly representative films, not only for its high quality but for its unerring evocation of one of the most prominent themes of our times: the out of control nature of the media, and its invasion of our personal lives. Think about how many movies over this past decade have used this theme as a jumping off point: Natural Born Killers, Mad City, Wag the Dog, To Die For, The Cable Guy, Quiz Show, EdTv, . . I could go on, but you get the idea. The Truman Show towers over all these films because instead of being a polemic, it casts its story in the form of a fable; you're free to buy what's happening as "real" or simply metaphorical, and the story works equally well either way. Because there's no direct reference to any current media images (no MTV or CNN or Jay Leno monologues about Truman and his life) the story exists outside of time - it could take place either in the future, a fictionalized present, or an imagined past: it's never made clear and it doesn't matter. By not trying to be up to the minute, The Truman Show succeeds in being timeless.
However, that is only one of its many successes. The story manages to be involving on the levels of drama and comedy simultaneously. Truman's dilemma is always achingly real to him, and yet as spectators we can't help but see how funny are the preposterous ways in which the situation is kept going (the posters in the travel agency, for example, or the teacher telling Truman "You're too late, everything's been discovered already."). To be sure, it's a sinister humor, one that chills at the same time it amuses. It reminded me at times of the coldness and bemused misanthropy pervading such Kubrick films as Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, and 2001. And yet, amazingly, at the same time it also had - through Truman - a hopefulness and a wonderment that was reminiscent of the very best of Spielberg. Now, I can't think of two directors who are more different from one another, and by evoking both, the film shows an almost unparalleled range and vision.
I'd like to say Jim Carrey was a surprise here, but in fact he wasn't, not to me anyway; from the time I saw him in The Mask (in his Stanley Ipkiss scenes) I always suspected he had a role like this in him. He's effective and believable in a more toned-down part, although I believe that the role is such a gem - and so assured of audience sympathy - that nearly any actor could have played it and been equally effective. The true star here is the director, Peter Weir, who after this and Fearless must now be considered in the genius category. Not only does he create a compelling and totally believable world, but he uses camera angles in a sly and totally original way to subtly indicate to the audience the depth of surveillance involved in Truman's world. And he comes up with a cornucopia of unforgettable images, all slightly surreal and menacing, while at the same time containing a strange and gripping beauty: the "sunset" scene where the sun and moon hang next to each other in the sky; the nighttime image of all the actors on the set, arm in arm, searching for Truman with guard dogs and flashlights (definite shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers); the final scene of Truman, at the "ends of the earth" seemingly "walking on the water" (an image Magritte or Dali would have been proud to have painted); and, perhaps most memorably, the supremely surprising yet totally brilliant moment when the moon metamorphisizes into a giant searchlight. Even out of context, these scenes have a stunning visual power, and add immensely to the film's overall subject and theme.
But even if you're not in the mood for a serious message, or a meditation upon the popular media and its role in our lives, it's possible to enjoy The Truman Show on just the most basic level of an interesting story, well told. It's a "quest" film, but because of the way it's set up and its sly humor, it can also be enjoyed as a *parody* of a quest film (after all, it's "only" a TV show). Its "major themes" can be taken as a parody of a movie that would like to have "major themes." The film achieves this dual effect (significant and yet not significant) because of the way it refracts everything through the television lens - which, as we all know, trivializes every subject it encounters: yes, even a man's quest to discover the meaning of his life and start entirely anew. The very final shot of the movie, which some people complain is too glib and abrupt, is actually perfect because it emphasizes this point with such deadly satirical force.
The Truman Show: entertaining, thought provoking, eerie, sad, triumphant - just about the most complete movie experience you could ever have. Definitely one of the classics, not only of our time, but of ALL time.