Do you remember Yify torrents? Well, I do. I’d just seen Mask and Liar, Liar! on HBO or something one random morning. Found Jim Carrey to be awfully funny and figured I should watch more of his movies. I was also high on Adam Sandler around this time, but his was a different niche xD. And that’s how I ended up watching Truman for the first time. Damn, it’s been over 10 years since I first watched this!
Last month, I had a chance to revisit this film at a screening. By then, I’d forgotten most of the narrative. Except for one crucial plot point, which also doubled up as a fear sometimes — What if someone’s always watching you? xD. Be it God or Big Brother. Or rather, in Truman’s case, the whole wide world!
Going Ads-Free? No can do!
Oh, I hated this girl’s role. Playing with poor Truman’s feelings. But, kudos to the actress on nailing the role, I guess! Shit, I’m diverging again. But hold on, that’s exactly what the film does. Speak about being ahead of the times. This was, in fact, one of the most interesting things to me. I thought non-skippable, product placement ads were a thing OTTs and YT creators came up with in the last decade, as we were paying to skip ads. But after watching this film, I’m thinking why was this not done before?!
I do know we have product placements and hoardings, and other ways films promote things. I’m just wondering how the capitalists have not capitalized on Black Mirror-style ad-spam campaigns?! Anyway, moving on.
The Satire
What with the product placements, the travel agencies vividly describing the different ways you could die on a flight? Or the clockwork morning routine and catch phrase greetings that keep recurring throughout the film. The depth of the film was cleverly veiled beneath this facade. And who better than Carey to pull it off? Suffice it to say, when I watched it as a kid, it was more akin to Mr Bean. Only in retrospect, and rewatches did this film truly hit me.
Right. In. My. Gut.
Who are you when no one’s watching?
Think about this. What if every interaction you had, every friend you made, grades you got, life you live, food you eat, your partner, your parent, your house, your car, and every other thing that Tyler Durden would condemn, was actually pre-fixed for you? And you had no say in what you did. You’re basically a non-playable character in your life. Does that sound messed up? Well, as I write this, I also kind of think that’s what destiny sounds like :P. But hey, there was no God or cosmic being here. It was an asshole who had a God Complex, manipulating a kid all his life.
The Puppet Master
This fellow was named Christof in the film. Apparently, that name means ‘Christ-bearer’. His god complex only made me think he was a Christ-off! I thought Ed Harris could not be more notorious than he was in Westworld. But man held his beer much earlier in his career!
This fella struck Truman multiple times and gave him PTSD for life. All for the sake of character development and “for the plot”. (Geez, the more I think about this film from back then, the more relevant it feels to today’s state of affairs!). But there was one scene in which he seemed to genuinely care about Truman. As if he were his kid.
But hey. God pulled the wool over my eyes. Within the next ten minutes, it was clear that what he cared for was his creation. Not Truman himself. But his story. Look at him smiling so joyously here!
And the truth shall set you free!
So if every moment of his life was manipulated — Was Truman ever really Truman? It’s a scary thought, to be honest. But hey, my man dropped the most iconic line in the film to deliver himself from this evil stepfather of a show-runner!
It’s such a hopeful moment. And a liberating one too. I hope you like the film as much as I did.
I promise to write better next time!
and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!
