The Truman Show

[Johnno]

THERE ARE MANY WISDOM STORIES but very few wisdom films. Readily coming to mind are Peter Brook's Meetings with Remarkable Men and Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. (1) Others, such as Being There, the screen adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel; Ground Hog Day; and, more recently, The Apostle and Dark City; have promising premises but either circle their subject, drop it immediately, or become consumed with character. Now comes The Truman Show, a true, full-bodied wisdom film, a modern Ulysses minus any Joycean cerebral negativity and spiritual myopia. Director Peter Weir, best known for Picnic at Hanging Rock and the Dead Poet's Society, depicts the completely hermeticized, conditioned and scripted life of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who lives in a perfect place in a perfect world with everyone's attention focused completely on him. Every egotist's dream come true, it is an all-consuming dream whose only problem is—it's all phony.

More here:

http://www.gurdjieff-legacy.org/40articles/truman.htm

 

[alchemy]

I agree with this selection (The Truman Show); at first I was a bit disappointed as I had been conditioned to expect "obvious yet slightly hidden esoteric details" ala The Matrix, in a movie of this type. However, this was my problem, not The Truman Show's, so once I got past this I enjoyed it very much along the lines outlined in the Gurdjieff-Legacy article above.

Another review:

The Truman Show – 1998. Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris.

Unbeknownst to Truman Burbank, (Jim Carrey) his life is actually the subject of a reality TV program, complete with actors and sets, watched by millions around the world. His friends, his coworkers, even his wife, are just hired actors playing a role. Adopted as an infant by a corporation, Truman (True Man) has been raised in the world’s largest artificially created city, underneath a dome so big it can be seen from space. His entire life has been monitored by cameras and broadcast on TV since he was still in the womb. He never realizes anything is amiss until a series of “reality glitches”, coinciding with unhappiness in his marriage, cause him to start questioning his life. Once he begins questioning things, there’s no turning back.

On the surface level, The Truman Show represents society’s current obsession with voyeuristic “reality TV” and TV in general. People put their lives on hold to obsessively watch their “favorite TV shows.” But like all the movies I look at in this section, there’s always another layer to it…


Key elements

Glitches – Part of what helps to initiate Truman’s awakening process are a couple of “reality glitches”, (production mishaps) which cause him to begin looking closer and questioning things. A lighting fixture falls from the sky out of nowhere and lands in the middle of the street; a voice on the car radio seems to be tracking Truman and describing the exact route that he is driving; the rain that only falls (or rather, dumps) on Truman…and then follows him and tries to keep up with him as he gets up and begins walking!; Truman spots his supposedly dead father walking on the street, looking like a homeless guy…and right as Truman approaches him, several strangers swoop in and shove his dad onto a bus in a moment of chaos; and the best of all – when Truman discovers that the neighborhood happenings run on a loop. If you sit there long enough you can watch the same scene repeat itself, over and over and over, all day long.

Manipulated phobias / manufactured deterrents – The producers of the show manufactured a series of events to create phobias that would later control Truman. His father was killed in a boating accident when Truman was a child, which created a fear of water, and thus ensured that Truman would not be inclined to leave Sea Haven Island – because that would involve having to cross a large body of water. Anytime Truman has any funny ideas, something pops up to deter him, or to forcefully reaffirm the reality that exists around him. Which leads to…

Friend with the beer – I liked this one, because it’s so accurate. But every time Truman was posing a threat by asking too many questions or acting unpredictably, his trusty best friend would be sent by the producers to distract Truman, toting a six pack of beer…at all hours of the day or night, to the point of hilarious ridiculousness. It was of course to steer Truman back into the sheep pen. Hang out, drink a few brews, talk brother to brother, and forget all those silly ideas and questions he’s got floating around in his head.

The man-behind-the curtain – Christof is the God-like figure who oversees the Truman Show and calls the shots. At the end of the movie, Christof’s voice appears almost like God himself as he talks to Truman, his voice booming from an unseen microphone. “I am the Creator –- of a television show that gives hope and joy to millions.”

The moon – The studio where Christof works and where the show is produced is located in the domed city – in the moon itself. The moon has figured prominently in myth and lore as that which governs our emotions and controls the mechanical aspects of man. See this article for more information on the moon.

The domed city – Classic “Brotherhood” (Illuminati) style architecture. Domes are used to capture energy for those in the esoteric know, such as Freemasons and other Brotherhood groups. The dome city is a common symbol, also seen in “Logan’s Run”, which is reviewed later on.


Summary: Analogous truth contained within The Truman Show involve the moon as governing control mechanism, (again, refer to article mentioned above); the fact that our reality is not what they try so hard to convince us it is; there are behind the scenes controllers manipulating things, “glitches” happen that can clue us in to this if we’re paying attention, and, if we truly wanted to wake up and learn the truth for ourselves, they can’t stop us. Freewill, after all. Most don’t want to wake up however, and prefer the illusion – a fact that was also mentioned in the movie. In addition, when people do start to wake up, the Matrix Control System has a habit of sending in the troops to swarm around the sheep posing a threat in order to steer them back into the pen with the other obedient sheep. And on a side note, I’ve known people who’ve supposedly witnessed reality repeating on a loop, like in the Truman Show, with “people” that were nothing more than background characters. Makes you wonder.


Key quotes of the movie:

Christof:“We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.”

“If his was more than just a vague ambition, if he was absolutely determined to discover the truth, there’s no way we could prevent him.”

 

[atreides]

I loved DPS. O Captain, My Captain

 

[anart]

I admit that I too loved DPS - and "O Captain, My Captain". - must be a past life thing.

=)

 

[Guest]

Did anyone catch the symbolism at the end where he had to climb the "staircase" to reach the door leading out of the controlled matrix? I would highly recommend that anyone interested in "The Work" watch this movie as I could pick out many things related to it throughout from my understanding (especially after reading some of "Gnosis" and "The Wave"). I think it is definitely up there with "The Matrix". :)

 

[melatonin]

One of my favourite films.
I thought what he said right at the start was intresting (looking into the mirror).

" If i die before i reach the summit, be sure to use me as an alternative source of food ".

 

[Stranger]

Did anyone catch the symbolism at the end where he had to climb the "staircase" to reach the door leading out of the controlled matrix? I would highly recommend that anyone interested in "The Work" watch this movie as I could pick out many things related to it throughout from my understanding (especially after reading some of "Gnosis" and "The Wave"). I think it is definitely up there with "The Matrix". :)

Indeed. Also of interest is the fact that those who are in total control of the world operate out of the moon.

 

[Z...]

I remember when i first saw this movie I didn't have a clue about Matrix, Work or anything. Yet I experienced very strong emotions and was on the verge of crying.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

I remember when i first saw this movie I didn't have a clue about Matrix, Work or anything. Yet I experienced very strong emotions and was on the verge of crying.

Same here. I love this movie

 

[Skipling]

I felt really angry when I watched this many years back, I felt totally like the central character, to the point of over-identification perhaps. Reading about this film irked me inside just now. I think it really struck a nerve.

I think I need to see it again, it has been about seven years since my one viewing.

 

[Keit]

Just watched the movie in it's entirety for the first time (yep, a bit late, I know) and really loved it. Packed with symbolism, that's for sure. And what was really apparent especially now, is how it is similar to the Odyssey! The narrative is different, of course, but the main elements are there. Also, made the search on the web, and found college essays on this topic as well.

Now will have to rewatch "O Brother Where Art Thou" and keep that in mind. :)

 

[Psalehesost]

I had previously watched The Truman Show a number of years ago, and came to watch it again yesterday - the first time after learning all I have in recent years. And it had quite an impact.

The sheer lies and manipulations which constantly bombarded Truman were enough that my mind was at first unable to emotionally process it.

As the movie ran on TV, there were frequent breaks by necessity - advertising, etc. So I took the time to go away and contemplate - which was much needed, as it all stirred things deep within.

An incredible lot of bitterness came out; to give an analogy, it was somewhat as if a boiling cauldron of half-solidified, putrid mud was slowly tipping over inside - very old, stale bitterness. It made my mind unable at times to think fully straight when contemplating the significance of it all - I had to repeatedly bend it back into shape; what I'd been reading here was then of great help.

A pervasive feeling afterward emerged, a fuller recognition of something I have sensed before - while not quite as literally, I'm living in a bubble. It's as if there are bubbles around almost everyone, and everyone is held back within, and in a way that - when symbolically seen - is much like what Truman is subjected to.

This bubble must be broken - and it will require great inner force. There is an infinite cosmos to be found outside it.

In our lives, people in general seem to play the role of the actors/agents, though not consciously, allowing a limited freedom so long as one remains in the bubble. The point is that blatant "agents of the Matrix" are only a small part of the picture of active control; often, few "direct" actions are needed, because there is the constant, gentle "steering" from every direction - from all manner of active and dynamic influences in which we are submerged - that keeps one in the bubble.

What was more abstract and theoretical became somewhat more tangible in contemplating and watching this.

 

[Etevarran]

I love The Truman Show. One of my faves for sure. And now that I've read about all the symbolism people have explained here, I love it even more!

 

[Lynnda]

One of my favourite movies and I recommend it highly!
It set my mind at very early age to pay more attention to those elements in real life.
I always felt like Truman but I was afraid that that's just very egoistic of me.
Matrix and other movies were great too, but those were also "just movies".
I found David Icke very interesting although he sounded a litlle bit crazy with reptilians.
So I continued searching and Cassiopaeans helped me accept that, understand and a lot more.