Review of and Satirical Techniques in The Truman Show

Rating: 9/10 (13 September 2016)

To quickly explain the movie for those who have not seen it or don't know the basic plot, Truman is a a huge celebrity on a TV show, unbeknownst to him. Everyone in his daily life, even his mom, wife, and best friend, are all actors on the show. Throughout the movie he begins picking up on clues like actors telling him "it's a TV show", the same actors walking around the block over and over again for no reason, and the fact that somehow, everyone seems to know what he's doing, where he's going, and stops him whenever Truman does something that's out of his "character".
I personally thought that The Truman Show was a fantastic movie, for many reasons. I find it interesting that the movie is so unlike any other movie I've seen, for the movie itself almost appears to be The Truman Show. While it messes with your mind a little, it really makes you think about what true reality is. I also liked the overall theme of the movie, that we accept the reality that is given to us; it's an interesting concept that could be applied to our lives today, making it a great movie and theme for people even today.
Not only did I like the movie for those reasons, but The Truman Show is also an excellent example of satirical techniques and devices. It's easy to identify dramatic irony in the beginning, as the audience knows that Truman is in a TV show while he does not. It's also ironic that the character Truman seems to have a sense of freedom, although he couldn't be more confined. The audience can also see deflation and inflation, two very important satire devices. Deflation is apparent through the demoralizing of human life in comparison to corporate success, and inflation is obvious through the exaggerated use of props (in once scene a forest fire is instantaneous, in the next there's a sudden meltdown at a nuclear plant, showing that the producers will do literally anything to stop Truman from leaving the island). I would highly suggest this movie for anyone that wants a fun and interesting movie to watch, or examples of satirical techniques in media. The Truman Show is, in my opinion, a great movie for anyone to watch, especially those who feel "trapped in the world they're presented with".