Philosophical Theme: Alienation in Society – Martin Buber

In his book, I and Thou, philosopher Martin Buber discusses two modes of human existence, the I-You and I-it. According to Buber, the I-You and I-it are two separate attitudes present in every human being. The I-It is the mode of experiencing things in order to utilize or understand them. In the I-it there is a present boundary between the subject and the object; they do not interact or engage with one another. The I-You is the idea of actively participating in something or engaging in a relationship with another object, instead of merely observing it or knowing it like in the I-It. Buber suggests that humans tend to ignore the I-You mode and focus on the I-it which creates a very individualistic and isolated society. Instead, Buber suggests that humanity should concentrate on the I-You and become more open to encountering relationships with others rather than just the experience and object of the I-It. Actual involvement and relations with others will prompt a genuine investment and fulfillment in life, which remedies the alienation caused by the I-It Mode.

Buber’s theory is demonstrated in The Truman Show through the alienation of Truman Burbank in a communal society. Truman falsely believes he is experiencing sincere relationships with fellow members of the community (I-You), however these “members” are masked performers compensated for their acting on Christof’s reality show. While these actors may appear to be authentic to Truman, it is simply the charade of Juilliard finest students. They just see Truman and his life as a job or experience with no true emotional or sentimental attachments (I-It). This creates a blanket of loneliness and seclusion for Truman and a false sense of fulfillment. In order for Truman to truly achieve a meaningful life, he must be able to generate legitimate relationships with other things and people and have an exchange or interaction with them. This will hopefully be the outcome for Truman when he steps off the set of the disappointing, I-It society in The Truman Show.

Charlotte Gelfand

Character Analysis – Truman Burbank

The tragedy of Truman Burbank’s life is about the only thing real in Christof’s artificial reality show. Truman Burbank, a jovial and easygoing member of Seahaven’s community, is unconsciously living under numerous cameras, an enormous set, paid actors, and in front of an audience of millions of people. Truman’s whole life is a fabrication of reality. The show’s director, Christof, has formulated and molded Truman’s whole life into a series of entertaining episodes focused on the reality of one man’s life since child birth.

Truman has been blissfully ignorant and unaware of the recording devices and even suspicious behavior of his actor wife, who always pauses to introduce a sponsored product to the audience when she goes shopping. Marlon, Truman’s hired “best friend” on the show, describes the project as, “not fake, merely controlled.” And he’s exactly write but it isn’t just the show that’s controlled, it’s Truman himself. Christof, who dubs himself the “creator” acts as an oppressive, dictatorial figure who influences every aspect of Truman’s life all with the click of a button or a command through his headset. Christof’s manipulation of his “star” Truman’s life works negatively against Truman by depriving him of privacy and fooling him into believing he has the freedom to make choices when he’s actually in situations formulated by Christof.

The inability to exist in an authentic life leads to Truman’s experience of the I-It, as philosopher Martin Buber would describe it. The I-It society is a culture of experience rather than that of genuine engagement with objects or people. This draws a parallel to Truman’s life, which is filled with actors he simply “experiences” for TV ratings rather than having real relationships and interactions with actual people. In order to remedy this, Truman must find a way to escape the TV set and enter into an engaged society where he can pursue a satisfied life.

Charlotte Gelfand

The Power of the Media

This article talks about the true importance of media and how aggressively it impacts the public. The public gets so caught up in a fake reality that they start believing it is true. The director of The Truman Show, Christof, proves this theory and creates a worldwide phenomenon that changes everything and also conflicts with many personal lives. Truman does not know how to live on his own because everyday he does the same routine, living with people who act the same exact way. There are no conflicts or change of scenery, making it hard for Truman to realize that everyone around is working against him. Truman has no way of knowing how to be any other person besides the person he was made up to me by the description Christof created for him. Buber portrays this speculation through his writing, I and Thou. There is only once consciousness and it is Truman’s, there needs to be some sort of fight through dialogue. There cannot only be life through one human being’s mind.

http://www.transparencynow.com/trusig.htm

“Our lives are unsettling. There’s a quest for the truth, an escape, betrayal, a love story.” – Director, Peter Weir

‘Peter Weir on “The Truman Show” Article by Karen Jaehne

Here is a link to a fascinating article featuring an interview with director, Peter Weir. In this Q&A session, Weir discusses: philosophical elements of his film, illustrates current societal issues similar to those present in the film, how it was working with actors such as Jim Carrey, and more! Click here for some more insight into The Truman Show.

Charlotte Gelfand

Character Analysis: Marlon

Marlon, played by Noah Emmerich, is Truman’s best friend in the movie. Although he maintains a close relationship with Truman, he is actually extremely disloyal and dishonest. Throughout the movie, Marlon goes along with every idea of the Truman show, whether it is morally good or bad. His dedication to the show often supersedes his faithfulness to his friend. He constantly finds himself lying to his so-called best friend, Truman, for the sake of the show. For example, Christof, the director of the show, is repeatedly in Marlon’s ear feeding him a script of what to say. In addition, Marlon, along with many other of Truman’s loved ones, leads a fake life to hide reality from him. He even convinces Truman to stay in Seahaven, despite knowing his desire to leave. Throughout the movie, Truman constantly confides in his friend about his unhappiness, but Marlon sacrifices his companion’s feelings for the good of the show. Marlon’s betrayal to his best friend depicts how much this show’s success really means to him.

This movie illustrates how reality can be perceived through several perspectives. Truman’s life was viewed from his standpoint, his loved ones’ perspectives, the show’s crews’ perspectives, and the audience’s perspective. This movie is also a good example of Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza’s theory of imagination and reason. Marlon is so infested into the movie that he sometimes forgets what is really going on. His imaginative life, living in The Truman Show, is now his own reality because it takes up all his mind power and strength. Marlon and Truman are best friends in the show but no one will ever know what Marlon’s reasoning was to put his best friend through this in the first place.

Chelsey Howarth

How Does Philosophy Contribute to a Richer Understanding of The Truman Show?

At its surface level The Truman Show may seem to be a comedic story about a reality show gone wrong. The hilarity of Truman and the absurdity of some of the scenes keeps viewers actively engaged and laughing. From the unrealistic moon, the freak rain that showers only over Truman, and the ridiculous product placement it would be easy to accept the film as a comedy. When viewed through a philosophical lens, however, The Truman Show has much more to say. When using the ideas of philosopher’s such as Buber, Descartes, Spinoza, and James one can gain a deeper understanding of the film.

Throughout The Truman Show, the concepts of free will, reality, and the true self are developed and show a much more complex analysis of what happening throughout the film. Philosophy can be used in many ways to develop a further understanding of these themes in the context of this movie. Philosophy teaches people how to ask questions and think in a way that challenges many norms. In the Truman Show, for example, analyzing the film from a philosophical standpoint, one can see it for more than just a comedy. The sadness and harsh reality that Truman really has no control over his life can be seen as a tragedy. He has been deceived for the entirety of his life and is unsure what reality truly is. Everything he believes to be true and all the knowledge that he possess are false. He is a alienated, and unsure of his reality, which are themes explored by Buber, Descartes, Spinoza, and James.

The Truman Show is also an example of how reality is different depending on the perceptions of each individual. However, Truman has a special circumstance because his reality is purely synthetic. This can be compared to the philosophical theme presented in Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’. In this story, the prisoners trapped in the cave experience reality only as shadows of people outside passing by. Although this is not cohesive with the traditional concept of reality, the shadows the prisoners see are all they know. Like the prisoners and the shadows, all Truman has ever experienced is life on the island of Seahaven. He is not aware that his family and friends are actors, and that his community is a giant bubble.

While the execution and comedic aspects in the Truman Show create an entertaining movie, thinking about the philosophical implications are important. They help to show the severity of Truman’s situation, the confusion he faces, and a resentment he may feel for his isolation. The philosophers help us to view the film in a critical way to realize not only the sadness of Truman and Seahaven, but also to consider our own realities. The Truman Show shows us Truman’s difficult journey to try and discover true knowledge and find his own reality.

Katie Gallagher & Christina Dell’Orto

‘The Truman Show’ reviewed by famed critics, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DvUypXtV5M

Charlotte Gelfand

‘Truman Show’ director, Peter Weir discusses his film

Director, Peter Weir, discusses the adaptation of Andrew Niccol’s script, his cast, and Jim Carrey’s transformation from a comedic actor to a more serious one in his film The Truman Show.

Charlotte Gelfand

Truman’s Final Bow

This clip highlights the pivotal scene in The Truman Show when Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) ascends the steps towards actual reality and leaves behind the constraints of his scripted life. This moment marks the first time in Truman’s life where he has the genuine opportunity to choose what he wants to do without the influence or control of creative directors, producers, screen writers, tv corporations, etc. Truman finally “exits the stage” and says, “Good afternoon, good evening and goodnight!” to his old life of distorted realities and oppression.

At the beginning of the scene, Christof attempts to brainwash Truman into believing that he is unable to live independently without the show by telling him that “[he is] afraid” and saying “You can’t leave Truman. You belong here…with me”. Truman disappoints Christof’s expectation of conformity by bowing and exiting the show’s set and entering true reality.

Charlotte Gelfand

Reviews

The Truman Show is both an entertaining and thought provoking film. Its philosophical themes bring up important issues about what reality truly is, while its comedic approach keeps the audience laughing. The acting of Jim Carrey and Ed Harris add an extra element of enjoyment as they portray their perspective roles. The movie will keep you thinking, laughing, and begging to know what life holds for Truman. If you want a more extensive review from audiences and viewers check out Rotten Tomatoes.

 

Katie Gallagher