I just assumed Sylvia was planning to gently and slowly break the news to Truman over the course of their evening together but when they are interrupted and it becomes clear she's got seconds left with Truman she goesfor broke and tries to tell it all at once. The bar manager is the best of all the audience members. The end of the show will spell the end of his business but he's running along the bar high fiving the cheering customers, giving free shots out. He either really supports Truman or he's excited about his impending retirement.
that makes sense to me too. because if she just started telling him everything, he'd probably just dismiss her as a conspiracy theorist, but slowly and gently explaining it after him falling for her in a way that he's more likely to take her seriously is way more effective
It's possible that Silvia wasn't that engaged with the politics until she met Truman. She was an extra, she was just supposed to be in the background but then she meets Truman and has a genuine moment of connection with him. That sort of thing can change your perspective, especially when the powers that be start to interfere to prevent him from making his own life decisions. Obviously she knew in the abstract that they were breaking the rules but I think Truman radicalised her.
Oh yeah I think Christopher was assuming she planned it all, was already part of the resistance. Not the case by my reading of the film and at that age and with the problems of sounding crazy if she just let slip she had to try and get to somewhere with less people so she wasn't dragged away instantly. Looks pretty unplanned and I like the idea of Truman basically converting her as an extra to wanting him to leave. I don't know if I'd even call it love but someone wanting to free another human shouldn't be looked at so duplicitly I feel.
Yes, my interpretation is that she didn't realize the extent of control the production had over Truman's life before meeting him herself. She got radicalized against the show after her expulsion but I think she started as just another actor doing her job.
I read the script over 20 years ago and in it, Marlon sees Truman stealing the boat to sail away at the end and I believe Truman sees him too, then Marlon turns away and rejoins the search party, saying he didn't see anything. That also proves he was truly Truman's friend and cared about him.
Was a deleted scene too. I have a feeling it was cut so it was clearer Truman had such a head start he wasn't even on the island when they searched for him. Flows better.
I believe it was cut bcos in the movie everything inside the set it's from the cameras' pov, so if is shown to us in the movie it was cought on camera and the crew would have known sooner
I always knew that she despised Truman. Even if she didn’t for arguments sake, she’s almost certainly doing it to reinforce to Truman that leaving the island is bad.
I watched it last night and when she said that I immediately started to question their narrative of what happened or if they gaslit Truman into believing their version of events
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the deleted scene where Marlon notices Truman sneaking off, during the search party chapter-as Truman sneaks toward the docks-and he keeps quiet as if he saw nothing.
Man, too bad they removed that. It really adds to his character. We only truly see one side of him. The betrayer. The one that lies directly to Truman's face. Yes, there might be some guilt behind it, but he still does it. He choose to go along with the manipulative action despite knowing it is wrong, so all I can ever see him as is a betrayer. A man that sold his best friend for his job. Keeping in a scene where he allows Truman to run away gives him way more dept without taking away from his horrible actions. I would hate if they suddenly had him make a 180 and go out of his way to save Truman, but choosing not to give away his location even knowing it might mean he lose his job REALLY adds some dept to him and makes him way more sympathetic.
Sylvia doesn't spill the beans to Truman immediately because she doesn't know she wants to do that. From her point of view, she got this gig to be an extra. She's not supposed to meet him, talk to him, or even look at him. If she wants to continue with this sweet gig, she can't break her contract. So when Truman goes up to her and starts talking to her, she doesn't know what to do, and she certainly wasn't planning on revealing anything to him at that time. Also, how do you tell someone their entire existence is a lie in a way they can understand in a few seconds?
I actually disagree with you on the last point you made about the television audience, and IMO its the most impactful part of the movie. During the climax we see the audience cheering him on, sure, but at the very end, we get the final shot of the movie, with the two security guards. One of them looks at the other, and simply says "so what else is on?" To me, it drives home the fact that in spite of everything, these people never saw Truman as a real person. They don't really care that he escsped his prison. He was always just a character on a TV show, and to them this was just the big finale of their favourite series. So in the end, they learn nothing. Truman was never real to them. People talk about The Truman Show predicting the rise of reality TV but it's so much more than that. It predicted the worst, most vile aspect of reality TV - how it takes real, complex people and twists them into characters to act out a story. Heroes, villains and all manner of stereotypes, all for the entertainment of an audience that barely sees them as real people.
I agree with this one whole heartedly, and it's what makes me hate the audience more than any manipulator in the film. The audience is some fans of Truman, they want him to succeed and be in good health by the end of whatever journey he chooses. But it's a very two faced idea of what they support. They likely cheered on his arranged marriage, his arranged job, and so many other "successes" in life. When Truman started to catch on with what was happening, I have to speculate everybody was praying for things to go back to normal. The network even had a say in framing this, describing it as a "Truman Crisis" and giving him a happy ending where he reconnects with his dad. I think people were happy for his tidy resolve with the bow tie and all. Yet when he genuinely makes his escape, it becomes Truman's fight against Cristove/God. They cheer on his escape attempt, but it's only this time do we really see their reactions. They never cheered on the previous attempt. The audience happily supports his imprisonment so long as it gives them they drama they seek. If escaping is the new exciting drama, only then do they support it.
I agree with all of you on this, but you have look at it this way as to why their two-faced actions seem so hateful: Most of these people probably grew up watching Truman as he was growing up himself. So yes, they’re ecstatic about the grand finale of their all-time favorite show and that’s how they view it, as just a show. Especially when you consider the bow that Truman does at his escape. He made it seem as if he truly was an actor and just took a bow to the finale. Had he said anything remotely gut-wrenching about how he felt with his realization of his whole life being a lie to him and not have taken that bow, then maybe some of the audiences would’ve kept quiet and felt some sort of guilt. But because Truman took that bow he cemented this notion that he truly was just an actor. Honestly, when I was a child growing up watching Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Full House, etc; I thought they were real people whose lives I was watching. But as I grew older my parents also telling me that they are just actors who are pretending to do all of those roles and actions, then it gave me a different perspective. I didn’t look at them as real people anymore. Just someone playing a part. I believe it was the same for these people. Most of the adult audiences (that we see) watching Truman most likely happened to start watching Truman while they were kids growing up and they probably felt a real connection to Truman believing him to be a real person. Now what if their parents at one point in their growing up tell those people (as they’re growing up watching Truman while he himself is growing up) that he’s in a show. That the majority of the people in the show are just characters made up for their entertainment. Now their perspective shifts and changes into this “Wow, this is a great show!” kind of perspective rather than this, “Wow, I can absolutely relate to him. School is rough for me too!” They’re no longer seeing Truman as they did when they were kids, they’re not seeing him as a real person anymore. They’re just under this belief that he’s an actor who was in on it the whole time after seeing him take that bow and repeating his catchphrase which they’ve heard the majority of their lives. To them it’s just all cemented as one big finale to the greatest show of their literal lives of which they grew up with. That’s my take on it. Purely my own opinion/interpretation.
I disagree in the Sylvia point, I think she was scared, she would be a teenager too and definitely was attracted to him, probably had a crush in general which maybe grew into a parasocial type love for him which I think is kind of shown in her running down the stairs to find him after he gets out. I think she wanted to tell him over the night and wanted to find the right moment but had to say it all too quickly when her ‘dad’ came. I do think the movie could’ve done a better job fleshing her out though and making what they’re trying to put across a little more obvious
Saying that Christof isn’t a villain just because he’s a layered character is wild. Plenty of villains have sympathetic backstories or other motivations. At the end of the day they are absolutely still villains. You don’t need to be intentionally evil to be a villain, it doesn’t matter if you THINK you’re in the right. Look at Annie Wilkes from Misery, she thinks god is telling her to do what she does and she “loves Paul in her own fucked up way”. You’d be crazy to say she is not the villain of that story.
It’s not really as wild to say that as you think. It’s his opinion and he just wants to give a different and nuanced perspective for people to think on.
@Patster7515 and this is them giving their opinion on his opinion. JESUS CHRIST why is there always someone saying you can't disagree with someone just because they have an opinion. I'm allowed to disagree with someone and no you aren't bright or clever for pointing out that I'm disagreeing with an opinion.
@@veezopolis First off calm down, it’s not that deep. This was just my opinion as well, I didn’t mean to come off as trying to silence the person for their opinion. Screaming at a stranger in a RUclips comment section won’t make anyone feel better and frankly I got bigger problems than your wounded pride.
I really like this reading of Marlon - I always assumed he was as compliant as anyone else, but he definitely loves Truman in a way few other characters do
I thought Sylvia was luring Truman away to give her as much time as possible to do a reveal. If she had gone even remotely offscript nearly anywhere else there probably would have been someone there within seconds to interrupt her and she would be gone, never getting another chance. The beach at night would be a location where no one is supposed to be, probably the location with the longest response time in the entire town. Also I think Christof is still the most evil person, especially because he has that father like role, because he does what he thinks is best for Truman. He seems to be proud about the fact that he "killed" Truman's father, inducing a powerful lifelong trauma that imprisons Truman further into the town. Often the most evil people are those who think they are the good guys, because their conscience isn't interrupting them. Where Marlon hesitated when he had to tell Truman that he would never lie to him, Christof seems like he doesn't have to think even twice when he gives an order that could kill Truman in the end.
Quote: "I thought Sylvia was luring Truman away to give her as much time as possible to do a reveal" That is my opinion, too. I think she was trying to find a place away from cameras and microphones so she could tell him the truth, but when her "dad" came and got her, she didn't have the time. I think she hated that he was essentially imprisoned.
I haven't seen the movie myself, but with Marlon the impression I get from reading the cliffnotes (and your description) and such is that he's the nicest person who could still be complicit in the show. He wants to fulfill the role of Truman's friend, genuinely, but he's still ultimately still part of the conspiracy.
He was the best actor and he spent literal decades bonding with Truman. He was as close to Truman as he could possibly be while still lying to him. Thats why his scene is so heartbreaking. Its what got Truman to leave or die trying. Because if he stays this is all he's left with, a broken friendship with a master manipulator telling me sweet nothings just to be quiet.
I just realised Truman should rightfully be rich in back pay, as the main character of an incredibly popular show, who constantly worked all those years.
Rather how about when he get's out picks up a phone and calls the cops "I've been kidnapped and held hostage for 30 years..." That is a lot of criminal liability coming down the pipe. Hell that would be one hell of a movie "Truman Burbank Vs The World"
EVERY SINGLE THING you said about Christof could be applied to Mother Gothel in Tangled. And shes still clearly the villian. Just because he has depth and cares about truman doesnt mean hes not manipulating him, trying to kill him, gaslighting him, and literally calling himself God to Trumans Jesus. And to say that a character that is jealous of Truman is worse than the creator of his torment is just weird. Yeah his mom sucks but she is NOT the biggest issue.
I definitely disagree on the cynical take of the Sylvia point. Would you, as a 17 year old actor, no matter how altruistic you are, cause the end of the most beloved tv show in the world because of your feelings for the main character? I always viewed it that she didn’t go in intending to tell him, but upon falling in love with him realized it was the right thing to do, and didn’t get her chance.
Said it better than I could. Does he also insinuate that Sylvia was involved in the movement to free truman before getting on the show? I always saw it as she joined after getting kicked off the show.
@@retro_jojo3159 It always seemed to me like a girl that went in without expecting much. She was an extra on her beloved show. A show she had grown up with. Probably had a crush on Truman, but it was nothing more than a typical girl crush on a celebrity. Then she meets this person and starts talking to him realizing he is a person. He isn't just a character in a show, but a real person trapped against their will without even knowing it. She didn't tell him right away because she never went in with the intention to tell him about the show. She was just a young fan that got a minor role, but suddenly got thrown into a tough situation as Truman took an interest in her, and a mix of guilt and excitement ended up stopping her from taking action before it was too late. Realizing afterwards that Truman deserved to know the truth she then started to fight towards getting Truman free so he could make his own choices.
I agree. "upon falling in love with him realized it was the right thing to do and didn't get her chance." I believe she was going to tell him, but her "dad" showed up before she could say anything. I also believe they knew or suspected that, and that's why they took her away.
@@retro_jojo3159This! I think it is clear from both McElhones performance and the writing of her scenes that she has no ulterior motives when she first meets Truman. Up to that point she is just like the bast majority of people in the films world: The existence of the Truman Show is so normalized to them that they have never even questioned the morality of it. When she first tries to get Truman away from the cameras it is not to let him in on the conspiracy but to get privacy with a boy she is smitten with.
Christoff is 100% the real villain. The mom would be complicit and she sucks but she didn’t start this and maybe didn’t even comprehend what it would turn out to be.
He's a sympathetic villain. We're invited to ask, what kind of damage led to him conceiving and creating the show to begin with? What is broke in his brain, that he even thinks this is a good idea? It's the ultimate in 'control issues,' or unresolved issues with his father, or whatever. We're obviously meant to feel that the entire premise is wrong, that Truman is being exploited, but this isn't a James Bond movie where the villain is truly evil. All of the people in this movie are meant to just be regular people and so we're invited to ask, what would make a regular person create that show? Whatever answer you arrive at, you ought to then feel bad them. If we could just go back in time and get Christof a therapist, none of this would have happened.
@ he wants money and has zero empathy for how he gets it, he got a good idea and did it? What’s there to care about him for? I don’t feel bad for him at all.
I really dislike this view of Christof since it very much whitewashes his actions and pushes his villany onto a relatively minor character. Christof doesn't love truman. He feels he owns Truman. This is patently clear when he simply shrugs away the chance Truman might die while in the deleted scenes, laying claim upon Truman's unborn child. Christof is the gnostic Demiurge of Truman's life. The creator of his world and his troubles, who reacts with anger and cruelty when his will is crossed.
If he loves him, it’s in the way you love a small pet like a fish or gerbil, you watch them inside in their cage/bowl and you are fond of them but there’s an ownership. You own them and if you wanted you could do anything to them and they are quite powerless which I think is shown in the final scene with the storm
Tbh from this perspective you could also see Christof removing the father from the show because he gets to replace him (or because he felt challenged by him). He literally becomes 'the dad above looking down on him' in a figurative heaven.
ayyyy i literally said nearly the same thing on the religion ep before this one, I felt he really missed on how he described christof's relationship to truman as "god and adam" when its really more closer to the gnostic view of this not-all-powerful "fake god" creating a "fake world". Plus, the guy's name is Christof, Christ-off? Ignoring the true etymology of the name, and focusing on just the literary aspect of it, its nearly an over the top reference to christof being an "off christ" an opposite of christ, or an anti-christ. Very clear villainous naming convention
Upon my rewatch of the Truman show, I thought that the father's reintroduction into the show was a lookalike actor that entered the production to clean up the previous actor for Truman's dad (the homeless guy) breaking into the set to see Truman, who was cut off before he could really talk to him. I'm not sure if both of these actors are played by the same real-life actor or not, but that was my take and I'm interested to see what you might think of that. It cleans up his character well and makes the situation actually make some amount of sense.
Also, you are on track with your reading of Truman's mother. The script book indicates that her actress faked nineteen major illnesses in order to keep the show running and him under her wing.
On the topic of Christof being a non-villanous character, an interpretation thats been stuck in my head for christof is that he thinks of himself as this benevolent god for Truman. He made a world for this person, his son in a sense, which is perfect and in which he is cared for and safe and protected. Truman is his creation, in Christofs mind at least. I definitely agree that he isnt so much of a villain, even if he is the stories antagonist. Hes like a weird kind of sad guy, who seems to just want to protect and make happy this person he created, and he tries and tries but in the end he fails. His failure is also interesting in my mind because on the one hand it highlights Christofs narcissism despite thinking of himself as god he fails at his one goal, but also the Truman show can be read as a kind of garden of eden story. God couldn't keep Adam and Eve to stay, and Christof can't keep Truman
I've really been enjoying Trutalk! This installment was especially great because I've always been drawn towards the character depths on The Truman Show, so it makes me really happy to see it being covered in detail here. I thought your analysis of Marlon was spot on and I really appreciate the nuances of Truman's mother a lot more now. Looking forward to the next one!
I feel like the reason Sylvia didn't immediately go on a rant about how he was in a TV show was because she would look nuts, which is the story they go with when she panics. This might've been before Truman had any idea and if it became this traumatic terrifying moment, it may have pushed him away from the truth rather than towards it.
I think she was intending to tell him when they were alone (away from cameras and microphones), but before she could figure out how to say it, her "dad" came along and took her away.
I think if the movie was made today Sylvia's character would have been a bit different, words like Parasocial and Stan have come into common usage and we understand much more the emotions and issues involved in that sort of obsession.
On the scrapbook/photobook scene, I never felt the mother character made that up or inserted herself into the show there. I always felt that was scripted by Christof. It felt like a rehearsed scene, maybe something that had been repeated numerous times over the years, as a way to try to manipulate Truman into loving his home and dampening his desire to leave. It felt like Christof could have radio'd down, "let's do the photobook scene now/tonight," and the actresses would instantly understand what was required of them. I think there's support for that in the glimpses we get of how heavily scripted the show actually is. It might be partly a reaction to the disastrous Sylvia affair but it could also just be the level of control that Christof insists upon. Very few of the actors are trusted to ad lib anything. I'm not sure the mother could have left her set trailer, walked across the town and entered the home without all of the directors and production being aware of it. They wouldn't allow her to 'create' screen time for herself. You can add to that, "after the Sylvia affair," also, but it isn't even necessary. Christof exerted full control on who interacted with Truman, when, and how.
At a guess, if the ceiling is covered in lighting rigs (like the one that falls representing a star) it might be possible to assume there's hatches and access points, or walkways atop to maintain them like the top of a massively scaled up studio.
I have a few thoughts about Meryl and The Audience Meryl is an actor that values professionalism everything has to be perfect, she works hard on her role. This is where her resentment of Truman comes from, this guy is loved by the audience more than she is and in her mind he doesn’t even work hard for it. You see this with real actors. Jo Marie hated Jaleel White on Family Matters for “stealing the show”, Bea Arthur disliked Betty White on golden girls because she goofed around back stage and had a more mellow acting style. Regarding the audience they only loved and cheered for him as a character and not as a person, it’s like those videos of bars watching game of thrones. You can see this with the security guards, as soon as the transmission is cut they go “what else is on?” As if they’ve already forgotten about him and moved on. But all these are just my takes on it, I haven’t done as much research as you have lol
Have you ever seen the 1967 mini-series The Prisoner? I watched it for the first time this year and there's a lot of similiar vibes with it and The Truman Show, espcially given this reading. It's a psychological drama about a man who finds himself kidnapped and trapped in a uneasily cheerful and deceptively colourful village which he cannot escape. Every episode the people who run the village attempt to break him into accepting the village through different pscyhological means, as our hero concurrently tries to escape whilst undetected. I've been a fan of the truman show for years but it wasnt until seeing this that I realised how obviously similiar they are in terms of aesthetics, premise, and execution.
I like to think that the bus driver who intentionally blew the bus engine actually pretended to not know how to operate the boat because he was rooting for Truman.
I think your being too harsh on Sylvia. You grant the audience is good because they celebrate Truman breaking out but not Sylvia who does the same thing and immediately leaves her house running down the stairs to meet him again when he breaks out. And yeah she doesn't spill the beans right away in the library but i don't think thats true. Shes wearing attire to signal her views about freeing him and making notes to signal the same, because she knows Truman coming over means the cameras are on her right now. And shes playing the part outwardly to draw less attention from the studio wardens. Also she may have been a little star struck and unprepared. She thought she was going to get close to all the actors on set or just post her 'political' slogans in the background with the job and never actually expected to make contact with Truman himself. Truman actually talking to her complicates everything and forces some action right away. Spilling the beans on everything effectively would take a bit of time, time she wouldn't have if other cast members nearbye gained up on them so she takes him to the beach. Also the director characterizes her movement as 'politics' but how can caging a human life on a studio set be looped in politics like save the planet from green house gasses or opposing deporting illegal immigrants? Theres nothing political about her movement, it stands in opposition to pure greed and Hollywood fame culture and one directors ego.
In the library, it is very obvious that she knows they are being filmed and recorded. I think she ends up getting him alone, without cameras and audio recordings so that she can tell him what's really going on, but they send in a "dad" to take her away. Still, she does her best.
you can love someone after whatever fashion and also truly believe you know and are doing what's best for them and still be in reality doing them massive harm. it's actually quite common in abusive parents. so those aspects in no way mitigate the definition of the showrunner as a villain. he's also quite clearly the primary antagonist of the story, by the nature of his role in it, as the man running the show truman is trapped in.
I think its amazing how this came across my feed and brought me back to one of my favorite movies of all time. And what's more; you got me to look at some things with a new perspective.
I find your take on Marlin interesting. I always interpreted his impassioned speech to be a giveaway to the viewer that he really was just another two faced actor, like everyone else. For one thing, people tend to look away from the eyes of someone they’re lying to. Even if it’s just for one second, Marlon broke, and Truman caught it. Another factor is when they discover Truman is gone, Marlon seems genuinely really angry, not so much worried per se, that Truman is gone. Why else would he be out looking for him with the rest of the cast? I never saw that delete scene describing Truman’s child until just now, but I’m extra cynical, and would propose that his annoyance wasn’t for Truman, but because the second channel would divert attention from Truman, taking away his spotlight as Truman’s bff.
A few of the comments talk about a deleted scene where Marlon sees Truman take the boat, but doesn't say anything. Instead he acts as if he had not seen him at all. I wish that scene had not been deleted because it shows he had a real struggle because he was told to lie to Truman - but in that scene, he could be true to himself and Truman because there were no threats if he didn't toe the line (because no one saw him see Truman).
I don't know if you have given any opinions or analysis on this, but... Have you covered how if Truman had never escaped: the life his son or daughter would have grown up with on the show. What Truman's child or children would grown up in and with, just like Truman had: an artificial reality, with artificial love. Except the love that Truman would have had for his child or children would have at least been truly genuine. Unlike what Truman had grown up with and known his whole life. I'd be really interested in this analysis if you chose to consider it as another deep dive. Love your videos! This one had me thinking a lot about the other people and who they really are compared to who they pretend to be for the audience(s). ...those in the world of Truman and us watching right along with them with a little more insight.
The thing about the deleted scene with the dad's actor eating, I think it might be subtly insinuating that he has been without food for a bit, as if he was an out of work actor for a while to a point that he hasn't been able to feed himself properly. He may have been homeless and out of desperation he used his insider knowledge to slip back onto set through some way he figured out while he was on the show.
Obviously your fifth episode blew up so I wanted to comment to note how much I and presumably a cohort of several others who watched these in 51234 order have been enjoying this series!
I always figured that Sylvia got on the show to be legitimately be an extra and that her trying to reveal everything to him was a quick decision due to her growing to really like him.
I gotta say, Merryl has to be seen as quite the evil person imo due to the implied long-term sexual assault and emotional abuse she perpetrated on Truman - I can't forgive someone who had a sexual relationship over the course of years under false pretenses.
I always read the scene of Truman's dad stopping him from climbing the rocks as him trying to stop him from seeing what is on the other side. I assume the other side of the rocks is just "behind the scenes" stuff-props, crew, etc. I never read that he was worried for his safety.
You have to remember, most of the lines the actors were saying might have been fed to them directly from Christof himself when it came time to try and conceal the truth from Truman. This is why I always assumed that Truman's mother was only saying things to deliberately throw him off the scent because of the lines given to her via earphone. I never thought she was a villain or was intentionally evil. I still think Christof is definitively the main villain because he would be the one to directly influence any of the actors' actions and lines in order to steer Truman back onto the path of conformity.
I kind of saw Sylvia as fan at first. I think she has that button that says “How’s it going to end?” with her at one point. And she got to be on a show she liked and was starstruck. But than she got to meet and really interact with Truman and saw him as more of a real person which really changed her perception and opinion of this thing she once really enjoyed. Which happens, people mature and grow out of things.
Personally, I think Christof intended, to a degree, for Truman to escape. If he truly wanted to kill Truman on that boat, he would've had lightning strike way more. Not to mention how implausible it is that he couldn't have blocked off the exit between the time the cameras found him on the boat and the time he exited to the real world. Christof wanted to capture the moment a creation surpassed its creator.
So I've really been enjoying your videos and I'm actually rewatching the movie (again) with some of your points in mind, but something occurred to me. You've said several times that Sylvia, Truman, and Meryl had their respective encounters in high school. But if you look during the scene when Marlon is playing the trumpet at Truman, behind them it says Seahaven College.
Marlon’s emotions to Trueman I think are complex there’s that scene where they mentioned him getting sick and that they studied together Marlon I think is slightly resentful that under other circumstances he would have been able to get a education and make something of himself. Who knows if his school grades carry any water outside of the complex. Also he is involved in the biggest on screen lie to Trueman of saying there can’t be a conspiracy because he would have to be involved in it and the earlier emotional control of returning his father to him. I love this film by the way
I SUPER disagree on your readings of the cast members having "genuine love" for Truman. Genuine love has to be demonstrated through action. To choose to go along with The Truman Show is to choose to harm Truman. Like in that scene with Marlon, I do believe Marlon knows what he's doing is wrong and it hurts him to lie to Truman... and that makes it worse. He is hurting Truman on purpose. Whether he likes that he's being malicious or not, he *chooses* not to love Truman, and he has made that malicious choice consistently for years. (also just to be clear I love hearing your interpretations, I just wanted to share my own)
Yeahhhhh, you are definitely wrong. It is immensely more complicated than you are trying to make it. If Marlon at any point did something to tip off information to Truman, he would have been removed and replaced. He DOES show with actions that he loves Truman. You are just blind to see it, because you think so small.
I agree about Marlon, but Marlon is even more complex than you're saying. The fact that it seems everyone on set can be reached off set in some form or another, but that the most important one cannot be reached suggests that he would already know that everyone else on set has been approached about 'will you help free Truman or not?' and so he deliberately and extremely withdraws off-set so that he can't be found at all in twenty three years. That's pretty intense and suggests that he does NOT want to even consider freeing Truman. Maybe he knows that he would be weak to free Truman if he were approached- and so he does NOT want to even be approached. His weirdly strong stance of decades of ice-cold withdrawal off set ultimately shows where his allegiance is: to the show and not to Truman.
It's not hard for me to imagine that when Truman's mother said she never blamed him in that manipulative way, that she was word for word repeating lines Christoph was feeding her; just as he did with Marlon.
I'm a little late to the party, but here goes..... I think Sylvia formed her crush when she actually first saw him. She knew she was "just an extra", so she didn't act on it. But Truman sought her out. And it showed how he never forgot her. Merrill was "assigned" to him, but Sylvia was the one he actually wanted. When she saw the "face" Truman put together, she seemed relieved as well as happy, because that showed he never forgot her, and still wished for her. And that's when she really got hyped up and began taking more action. She really loved him. That's why she wanted him to be free. She'd rather be rejected by a free Truman than "chosen" by a script. But he truly chose her. And that's what really gave him incentive.
You mention that the love interest girl might have had some selfish motive or wanted attention, but I ask you to imagine the following: You are in a simulated world, but you don't know it. I, however, do know it. I could outright tell you, "Hey man, it's all like a total simulation, dude, like totally, man." and you aren't likely to believe me or take me seriously. So, instead, I need to at least get you interested enough in me to listen to what I have to say. But even then that's not enough. Because I need to tell you something that sounds insane, I need to convince you that I am perfectly sane before I even broach the topic. This might sound manipulative, trying to manufacture a relationship but considering in the case of the Truman Show literally, everyone has been manipulating Truman his entire life. So options are very limited for how one might go about revealing the truth to him. Again, consider the example I give where you are in a simulation and I need to convince you that the world is a simulation. There are some obvious things we could do to prove it. Turn off all the textures and let you see the wireframe models of everything, delete an entire building, or whatever. But I'm not some elite hacker. I can't do those things. I'm just a normal person that through cleverness has gained access to the simulation. Going back to the Truman Show, we have this girl who wants to break Truman free from the show. She can't just blow a huge hole in the dome to reveal the outside world, because she's ultimately just a normal person. The MOST she can really do is audition to be on the show and then, while on the show, attempt to interact with Truman. Anything that she might do that's too dramatic could easily be discovered in advance and stopped. Heck look at how it played out in the movie. Just getting him away from "scripted" area was such a red flag that her "father" was quickly there to snatch her away.
Truman's story didn't end when he left the studio, that's when the second chapter started. He was the most famous person in the world, do you really think he just faded into obscurity after 35 years? His adjustment to the real world would make a great movie, and would show what really happens to all those "reality stars" when the cameras go away. Most, if not all of the cast are still alive, I'd love to see what the stars of the Truman Show are doing now, and legacy sequels are big business right now.
I disagree about Sylivia. I believe that in the beginning she was a somewhat normal teenage girl who was doing her job, but who was radicalized after her experience with Truman. When Truman first talks with her in the library, she discourages him from talking to her because that's the part she's supposed to play. The key here is that in this moment she remains an agent of Christof and her intention is to continue her role as an extra. She's probably even worried that Truman's continued attention will cost her the job. She does have her pin, so she's mildly subversive and perhaps primed to rebel, but she's not there yet. She would have grown up with The Truman Show being a cultural touchstone and while she may have questioned it, there's no indication that she actually rejects it. Her very presence and willingness to play along with the show, indicates that her adult identity hasn't formed yet. Her decision to run away with Truman is impetuous, the result of Truman showing genuine interest in her, her also being attracted to him, whether it partially stemming from a bit of celebrity or not, and a realization that it's now or never. She's likely on thin ice after having to be removed from the dance scene, and knows that she'll be fired and removed from the set after this incident. So she makes a snap decision to take her shot with Truman and they run away. There is no plan. She isn't trying to free him or warn him. She's just stealing a moment with a boy who was nice to her. And when they get to the beach she only really knows that it's going to end soon, and Truman kissing her takes up their entire time alone. It's only when they come to take her away and they've had this little connection, that's when she completely turns on the system and begins to tell him everything. Where I think Christopher errs is by believing Christof's comments. It's easy to dismiss a radical by pointing out that they are radical. But that doesn't make it true. Her politics were informed by the experience, they were not the reason that she ran away with Truman as Christof contends. Again, she's a teenage girl acting impulsively and doesn't reject the system until after the kiss and her time is up. Which leaves her on the outside. And perhaps she does indeed have an attachment to Truman that isn't completely secure, but she is also watching him continue to remember her. These curated flashbacks of her are common enough that experienced show-watchers expect them. So it's not like she isn't receiving reinforcement from Truman. He's still reaching out to her and letting her know that the connection was real, he just doesn't know that she can hear him. So as a person on the outside, who is also regularly receiving what can be considered a call for help from Truman, there probably is a sense of ownership in that she's in a unique position to advocate for him. There's probably also a sense of obligation in that. And that obligation, along with possibly guilt for having assisted the show for a time, fuels her beliefs. Hence her becoming a radical in a world where Truman's role is accepted by the general public. And that's where we find her. Yes, her actual connection to Truman is based on a short amount of time together and their relationship is obviously weak - essentially a few looks, a whispered conversation, and a kiss - but by this point freeing Truman has become a central pillar in her life.
Sylvia getting more scrutiny than the creator himself is all sorts of messed up. You have just over a minute of critique of the person pulling the strings, but three times that amount of time for a teenager realizing the evil nature of the show, and ultimately being the reason Truman fought so hard to get out. Im forced to consider that gender unconsciously played a part in your judgment, due to this, and your willingness to give the benefit of the doubt to male characters more often than female characters. Note how Truman’s father gets the excuse of “he’s just stupid”, while Sylvia is framed as either stupid, or someone who only wants Truman to be free for her own self interests. I enjoy the commentary and I applaud the research you put into the tru talk series, but I urge you to explore the possibility that implicit sexism has something to do with your final analysis of the characters.
THANK YOU for saying it. This creator spent the entire analysis forgiving the male characters and condemning the female ones, including the ACTUAL VILLAIN of the film, and the only female character that ACTUALLY gives a damn about Truman in any way. There is nuance to the conversation, so why are all the women the villains? Dude needs to exame his own biases
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY OMG. i was going through the comments just hoping someone else said something because i knew i couldn't word it without just sounding like i'm trying to cause problems. it's just! ah i'm glad i'm not the only one who noticed
maybe Trumans father actually developed love for truman and or was missing him, i mean getting confronted everyday on tv with the kid you used to take care of must be very difficult
Omg ya marlin is a victim as well honestly. Ya he might get some time outside the set but his whole life is mostly in the set. And as a child it must have been confusing.
Both from the start of the movie Truman knows its a show and Christoph is aware he knows, he knows Truman the best, better then anyone. He actually supports Truman getting out, but if course hes the director he doesn’t own the show, so hes gotta look like a team player. So you get scenes like the Dad returning, like you figured it out Christoph knows, its a message that “all your fears are fake, we manufactured them.”
@@cuckoobrain7999 no i agree. and usually her antagonisms come from having mostly reasonable responses to the batshit things walter's been doing or saying to her. emphasis on mostly though, cause when she wants to be a bitch, she's AWFUL. but she's such a brilliant character, and so well-portrayed. i feel for her just as often as i want to put her in the pear wiggler.
I honestly hope not, as it'd undermine the end of the film. We the Audience watching are a part of this world too, watching Truman. Everything we see is what the Producers also see. We never see the great escape from Truman's home to his boat for example, because the Producer's didn't know where he was, and therefore couldn't show us. And when he left the Studio, there were no more cameras to watch him on. He was free, so seeing an older Truman and what he's up to wouldn't really be worth it
I really hope not. This movie and it's ambiguous ending are beauty that doesn't need to be tainted. I don't want to see Truman again, more for his sake than anyone else.
@@That_Random_British_Dude You don't think there would be a media storm, a mass of cameras and tv networks waiting as he steps outside and a long term media interest his life?
From what ive seen it seems like Marlon was not in the know for a good portion of his life and may have either figured it out or he was told a while after and manipulated into continuing.
Because you can’t upload a RUclips video that is entirely just clips of a copyrighted movie? Obviously? This is how commentary videos work. Clips of the media interspersed with clips of the author or author’s avatar
@@melovekittie Yeah I was just suggesting clips of the author, rather than clips of his dumb avatar jerking around. Once or twice would be fine but not half the video, for hours of video total.
FULL PLAYLIST: ruclips.net/video/tgXvFXcEAZI/видео.html
Fixed!
@@chriscoolblog2 Thank you :)
I just assumed Sylvia was planning to gently and slowly break the news to Truman over the course of their evening together but when they are interrupted and it becomes clear she's got seconds left with Truman she goesfor broke and tries to tell it all at once.
The bar manager is the best of all the audience members. The end of the show will spell the end of his business but he's running along the bar high fiving the cheering customers, giving free shots out. He either really supports Truman or he's excited about his impending retirement.
that makes sense to me too. because if she just started telling him everything, he'd probably just dismiss her as a conspiracy theorist, but slowly and gently explaining it after him falling for her in a way that he's more likely to take her seriously is way more effective
It's possible that Silvia wasn't that engaged with the politics until she met Truman. She was an extra, she was just supposed to be in the background but then she meets Truman and has a genuine moment of connection with him. That sort of thing can change your perspective, especially when the powers that be start to interfere to prevent him from making his own life decisions. Obviously she knew in the abstract that they were breaking the rules but I think Truman radicalised her.
Oh yeah I think Christopher was assuming she planned it all, was already part of the resistance. Not the case by my reading of the film and at that age and with the problems of sounding crazy if she just let slip she had to try and get to somewhere with less people so she wasn't dragged away instantly. Looks pretty unplanned and I like the idea of Truman basically converting her as an extra to wanting him to leave. I don't know if I'd even call it love but someone wanting to free another human shouldn't be looked at so duplicitly I feel.
Yes, my interpretation is that she didn't realize the extent of control the production had over Truman's life before meeting him herself. She got radicalized against the show after her expulsion but I think she started as just another actor doing her job.
I read the script over 20 years ago and in it, Marlon sees Truman stealing the boat to sail away at the end and I believe Truman sees him too, then Marlon turns away and rejoins the search party, saying he didn't see anything. That also proves he was truly Truman's friend and cared about him.
Was a deleted scene too. I have a feeling it was cut so it was clearer Truman had such a head start he wasn't even on the island when they searched for him. Flows better.
I believe it was cut bcos in the movie everything inside the set it's from the cameras' pov, so if is shown to us in the movie it was cought on camera and the crew would have known sooner
Absolutely agree about Truman's mother, the line "I never blamed you Truman" makes my skin crawl every time I watch the film.
I always knew that she despised Truman. Even if she didn’t for arguments sake, she’s almost certainly doing it to reinforce to Truman that leaving the island is bad.
I watched it last night and when she said that I immediately started to question their narrative of what happened or if they gaslit Truman into believing their version of events
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the deleted scene where Marlon notices Truman sneaking off, during the search party chapter-as Truman sneaks toward the docks-and he keeps quiet as if he saw nothing.
Man, too bad they removed that. It really adds to his character.
We only truly see one side of him. The betrayer. The one that lies directly to Truman's face. Yes, there might be some guilt behind it, but he still does it. He choose to go along with the manipulative action despite knowing it is wrong, so all I can ever see him as is a betrayer. A man that sold his best friend for his job.
Keeping in a scene where he allows Truman to run away gives him way more dept without taking away from his horrible actions.
I would hate if they suddenly had him make a 180 and go out of his way to save Truman, but choosing not to give away his location even knowing it might mean he lose his job REALLY adds some dept to him and makes him way more sympathetic.
I didn't know about that scene! They definitely should have kept it in.
Sylvia doesn't spill the beans to Truman immediately because she doesn't know she wants to do that. From her point of view, she got this gig to be an extra. She's not supposed to meet him, talk to him, or even look at him. If she wants to continue with this sweet gig, she can't break her contract. So when Truman goes up to her and starts talking to her, she doesn't know what to do, and she certainly wasn't planning on revealing anything to him at that time.
Also, how do you tell someone their entire existence is a lie in a way they can understand in a few seconds?
I actually disagree with you on the last point you made about the television audience, and IMO its the most impactful part of the movie.
During the climax we see the audience cheering him on, sure, but at the very end, we get the final shot of the movie, with the two security guards. One of them looks at the other, and simply says "so what else is on?"
To me, it drives home the fact that in spite of everything, these people never saw Truman as a real person. They don't really care that he escsped his prison. He was always just a character on a TV show, and to them this was just the big finale of their favourite series. So in the end, they learn nothing. Truman was never real to them.
People talk about The Truman Show predicting the rise of reality TV but it's so much more than that. It predicted the worst, most vile aspect of reality TV - how it takes real, complex people and twists them into characters to act out a story. Heroes, villains and all manner of stereotypes, all for the entertainment of an audience that barely sees them as real people.
I agree with this one whole heartedly, and it's what makes me hate the audience more than any manipulator in the film. The audience is some fans of Truman, they want him to succeed and be in good health by the end of whatever journey he chooses. But it's a very two faced idea of what they support.
They likely cheered on his arranged marriage, his arranged job, and so many other "successes" in life. When Truman started to catch on with what was happening, I have to speculate everybody was praying for things to go back to normal. The network even had a say in framing this, describing it as a "Truman Crisis" and giving him a happy ending where he reconnects with his dad. I think people were happy for his tidy resolve with the bow tie and all.
Yet when he genuinely makes his escape, it becomes Truman's fight against Cristove/God. They cheer on his escape attempt, but it's only this time do we really see their reactions. They never cheered on the previous attempt.
The audience happily supports his imprisonment so long as it gives them they drama they seek. If escaping is the new exciting drama, only then do they support it.
Absolutely. They just used it as entertainment and when he was escaping that’s very entertaining
I agree with all of you on this, but you have look at it this way as to why their two-faced actions seem so hateful: Most of these people probably grew up watching Truman as he was growing up himself. So yes, they’re ecstatic about the grand finale of their all-time favorite show and that’s how they view it, as just a show. Especially when you consider the bow that Truman does at his escape. He made it seem as if he truly was an actor and just took a bow to the finale.
Had he said anything remotely gut-wrenching about how he felt with his realization of his whole life being a lie to him and not have taken that bow, then maybe some of the audiences would’ve kept quiet and felt some sort of guilt. But because Truman took that bow he cemented this notion that he truly was just an actor. Honestly, when I was a child growing up watching Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Full House, etc; I thought they were real people whose lives I was watching.
But as I grew older my parents also telling me that they are just actors who are pretending to do all of those roles and actions, then it gave me a different perspective. I didn’t look at them as real people anymore. Just someone playing a part. I believe it was the same for these people. Most of the adult audiences (that we see) watching Truman most likely happened to start watching Truman while they were kids growing up and they probably felt a real connection to Truman believing him to be a real person.
Now what if their parents at one point in their growing up tell those people (as they’re growing up watching Truman while he himself is growing up) that he’s in a show. That the majority of the people in the show are just characters made up for their entertainment. Now their perspective shifts and changes into this “Wow, this is a great show!” kind of perspective rather than this, “Wow, I can absolutely relate to him. School is rough for me too!”
They’re no longer seeing Truman as they did when they were kids, they’re not seeing him as a real person anymore. They’re just under this belief that he’s an actor who was in on it the whole time after seeing him take that bow and repeating his catchphrase which they’ve heard the majority of their lives. To them it’s just all cemented as one big finale to the greatest show of their literal lives of which they grew up with. That’s my take on it. Purely my own opinion/interpretation.
I disagree in the Sylvia point, I think she was scared, she would be a teenager too and definitely was attracted to him, probably had a crush in general which maybe grew into a parasocial type love for him which I think is kind of shown in her running down the stairs to find him after he gets out. I think she wanted to tell him over the night and wanted to find the right moment but had to say it all too quickly when her ‘dad’ came. I do think the movie could’ve done a better job fleshing her out though and making what they’re trying to put across a little more obvious
Saying that Christof isn’t a villain just because he’s a layered character is wild. Plenty of villains have sympathetic backstories or other motivations. At the end of the day they are absolutely still villains. You don’t need to be intentionally evil to be a villain, it doesn’t matter if you THINK you’re in the right. Look at Annie Wilkes from Misery, she thinks god is telling her to do what she does and she “loves Paul in her own fucked up way”. You’d be crazy to say she is not the villain of that story.
It’s not really as wild to say that as you think. It’s his opinion and he just wants to give a different and nuanced perspective for people to think on.
@Patster7515 and this is them giving their opinion on his opinion. JESUS CHRIST why is there always someone saying you can't disagree with someone just because they have an opinion. I'm allowed to disagree with someone and no you aren't bright or clever for pointing out that I'm disagreeing with an opinion.
@@Patster7515the same thing could be said about this comment. It’s an opinionated video, it will have opinionated responses.
@@veezopolis First off calm down, it’s not that deep. This was just my opinion as well, I didn’t mean to come off as trying to silence the person for their opinion. Screaming at a stranger in a RUclips comment section won’t make anyone feel better and frankly I got bigger problems than your wounded pride.
@@jesswarner3254 true dat
I really like this reading of Marlon - I always assumed he was as compliant as anyone else, but he definitely loves Truman in a way few other characters do
Just because you love a show doesn’t mean you only feel sad when it ends. On the contrary, a dramatic finale can be the best part of it
I thought Sylvia was luring Truman away to give her as much time as possible to do a reveal. If she had gone even remotely offscript nearly anywhere else there probably would have been someone there within seconds to interrupt her and she would be gone, never getting another chance. The beach at night would be a location where no one is supposed to be, probably the location with the longest response time in the entire town.
Also I think Christof is still the most evil person, especially because he has that father like role, because he does what he thinks is best for Truman. He seems to be proud about the fact that he "killed" Truman's father, inducing a powerful lifelong trauma that imprisons Truman further into the town. Often the most evil people are those who think they are the good guys, because their conscience isn't interrupting them. Where Marlon hesitated when he had to tell Truman that he would never lie to him, Christof seems like he doesn't have to think even twice when he gives an order that could kill Truman in the end.
Quote: "I thought Sylvia was luring Truman away to give her as much time as possible to do a reveal"
That is my opinion, too. I think she was trying to find a place away from cameras and microphones so she could tell him the truth, but when her "dad" came and got her, she didn't have the time. I think she hated that he was essentially imprisoned.
I haven't seen the movie myself, but with Marlon the impression I get from reading the cliffnotes (and your description) and such is that he's the nicest person who could still be complicit in the show. He wants to fulfill the role of Truman's friend, genuinely, but he's still ultimately still part of the conspiracy.
He was the best actor and he spent literal decades bonding with Truman. He was as close to Truman as he could possibly be while still lying to him. Thats why his scene is so heartbreaking. Its what got Truman to leave or die trying. Because if he stays this is all he's left with, a broken friendship with a master manipulator telling me sweet nothings just to be quiet.
This is perfectly worded.
Can you imagine trying to binge watch the in universe Truman show from beginning to end?
I just realised Truman should rightfully be rich in back pay, as the main character of an incredibly popular show, who constantly worked all those years.
Rather how about when he get's out picks up a phone and calls the cops "I've been kidnapped and held hostage for 30 years..." That is a lot of criminal liability coming down the pipe. Hell that would be one hell of a movie "Truman Burbank Vs The World"
@@IdgaradLyracant pretty sure the beginning of the movie covers why it was legal, since he was adopted by the corporation or somesuch
EVERY SINGLE THING you said about Christof could be applied to Mother Gothel in Tangled. And shes still clearly the villian. Just because he has depth and cares about truman doesnt mean hes not manipulating him, trying to kill him, gaslighting him, and literally calling himself God to Trumans Jesus.
And to say that a character that is jealous of Truman is worse than the creator of his torment is just weird. Yeah his mom sucks but she is NOT the biggest issue.
I definitely disagree on the cynical take of the Sylvia point. Would you, as a 17 year old actor, no matter how altruistic you are, cause the end of the most beloved tv show in the world because of your feelings for the main character? I always viewed it that she didn’t go in intending to tell him, but upon falling in love with him realized it was the right thing to do, and didn’t get her chance.
Said it better than I could. Does he also insinuate that Sylvia was involved in the movement to free truman before getting on the show? I always saw it as she joined after getting kicked off the show.
@@retro_jojo3159 It always seemed to me like a girl that went in without expecting much. She was an extra on her beloved show. A show she had grown up with. Probably had a crush on Truman, but it was nothing more than a typical girl crush on a celebrity.
Then she meets this person and starts talking to him realizing he is a person. He isn't just a character in a show, but a real person trapped against their will without even knowing it.
She didn't tell him right away because she never went in with the intention to tell him about the show. She was just a young fan that got a minor role, but suddenly got thrown into a tough situation as Truman took an interest in her, and a mix of guilt and excitement ended up stopping her from taking action before it was too late.
Realizing afterwards that Truman deserved to know the truth she then started to fight towards getting Truman free so he could make his own choices.
I agree. "upon falling in love with him realized it was the right thing to do and didn't get her chance."
I believe she was going to tell him, but her "dad" showed up before she could say anything. I also believe they knew or suspected that, and that's why they took her away.
@@retro_jojo3159This! I think it is clear from both McElhones performance and the writing of her scenes that she has no ulterior motives when she first meets Truman. Up to that point she is just like the bast majority of people in the films world: The existence of the Truman Show is so normalized to them that they have never even questioned the morality of it. When she first tries to get Truman away from the cameras it is not to let him in on the conspiracy but to get privacy with a boy she is smitten with.
Christoff is 100% the real villain. The mom would be complicit and she sucks but she didn’t start this and maybe didn’t even comprehend what it would turn out to be.
He's a sympathetic villain.
We're invited to ask, what kind of damage led to him conceiving and creating the show to begin with? What is broke in his brain, that he even thinks this is a good idea? It's the ultimate in 'control issues,' or unresolved issues with his father, or whatever. We're obviously meant to feel that the entire premise is wrong, that Truman is being exploited, but this isn't a James Bond movie where the villain is truly evil. All of the people in this movie are meant to just be regular people and so we're invited to ask, what would make a regular person create that show? Whatever answer you arrive at, you ought to then feel bad them. If we could just go back in time and get Christof a therapist, none of this would have happened.
@ he wants money and has zero empathy for how he gets it, he got a good idea and did it? What’s there to care about him for? I don’t feel bad for him at all.
This sorta reminds me of the Emperor and Vader but can't quite explain it.
I really dislike this view of Christof since it very much whitewashes his actions and pushes his villany onto a relatively minor character.
Christof doesn't love truman. He feels he owns Truman. This is patently clear when he simply shrugs away the chance Truman might die while in the deleted scenes, laying claim upon Truman's unborn child.
Christof is the gnostic Demiurge of Truman's life. The creator of his world and his troubles, who reacts with anger and cruelty when his will is crossed.
If he loves him, it’s in the way you love a small pet like a fish or gerbil, you watch them inside in their cage/bowl and you are fond of them but there’s an ownership. You own them and if you wanted you could do anything to them and they are quite powerless which I think is shown in the final scene with the storm
Tbh from this perspective you could also see Christof removing the father from the show because he gets to replace him (or because he felt challenged by him). He literally becomes 'the dad above looking down on him' in a figurative heaven.
ayyyy i literally said nearly the same thing on the religion ep before this one, I felt he really missed on how he described christof's relationship to truman as "god and adam" when its really more closer to the gnostic view of this not-all-powerful "fake god" creating a "fake world". Plus, the guy's name is Christof, Christ-off? Ignoring the true etymology of the name, and focusing on just the literary aspect of it, its nearly an over the top reference to christof being an "off christ" an opposite of christ, or an anti-christ. Very clear villainous naming convention
Cristof is motivated by artistic ambition. That is just as monstrous as greed. Torturing animals as art. Which has happened.
Upon my rewatch of the Truman show, I thought that the father's reintroduction into the show was a lookalike actor that entered the production to clean up the previous actor for Truman's dad (the homeless guy) breaking into the set to see Truman, who was cut off before he could really talk to him. I'm not sure if both of these actors are played by the same real-life actor or not, but that was my take and I'm interested to see what you might think of that. It cleans up his character well and makes the situation actually make some amount of sense.
Also, you are on track with your reading of Truman's mother. The script book indicates that her actress faked nineteen major illnesses in order to keep the show running and him under her wing.
On the topic of Christof being a non-villanous character, an interpretation thats been stuck in my head for christof is that he thinks of himself as this benevolent god for Truman. He made a world for this person, his son in a sense, which is perfect and in which he is cared for and safe and protected. Truman is his creation, in Christofs mind at least. I definitely agree that he isnt so much of a villain, even if he is the stories antagonist. Hes like a weird kind of sad guy, who seems to just want to protect and make happy this person he created, and he tries and tries but in the end he fails.
His failure is also interesting in my mind because on the one hand it highlights Christofs narcissism despite thinking of himself as god he fails at his one goal, but also the Truman show can be read as a kind of garden of eden story. God couldn't keep Adam and Eve to stay, and Christof can't keep Truman
I've really been enjoying Trutalk! This installment was especially great because I've always been drawn towards the character depths on The Truman Show, so it makes me really happy to see it being covered in detail here. I thought your analysis of Marlon was spot on and I really appreciate the nuances of Truman's mother a lot more now. Looking forward to the next one!
I feel like the reason Sylvia didn't immediately go on a rant about how he was in a TV show was because she would look nuts, which is the story they go with when she panics. This might've been before Truman had any idea and if it became this traumatic terrifying moment, it may have pushed him away from the truth rather than towards it.
I think she was intending to tell him when they were alone (away from cameras and microphones), but before she could figure out how to say it, her "dad" came along and took her away.
I think if the movie was made today Sylvia's character would have been a bit different, words like Parasocial and Stan have come into common usage and we understand much more the emotions and issues involved in that sort of obsession.
On the scrapbook/photobook scene, I never felt the mother character made that up or inserted herself into the show there. I always felt that was scripted by Christof. It felt like a rehearsed scene, maybe something that had been repeated numerous times over the years, as a way to try to manipulate Truman into loving his home and dampening his desire to leave. It felt like Christof could have radio'd down, "let's do the photobook scene now/tonight," and the actresses would instantly understand what was required of them.
I think there's support for that in the glimpses we get of how heavily scripted the show actually is. It might be partly a reaction to the disastrous Sylvia affair but it could also just be the level of control that Christof insists upon. Very few of the actors are trusted to ad lib anything. I'm not sure the mother could have left her set trailer, walked across the town and entered the home without all of the directors and production being aware of it. They wouldn't allow her to 'create' screen time for herself. You can add to that, "after the Sylvia affair," also, but it isn't even necessary. Christof exerted full control on who interacted with Truman, when, and how.
It was definitely something Christof told her to do!
What I never understood is where the sky diver comes from. They're inside a massive dome, so where did he jump from?
At a guess, if the ceiling is covered in lighting rigs (like the one that falls representing a star) it might be possible to assume there's hatches and access points, or walkways atop to maintain them like the top of a massively scaled up studio.
I have a few thoughts about Meryl and The Audience
Meryl is an actor that values professionalism everything has to be perfect, she works hard on her role. This is where her resentment of Truman comes from, this guy is loved by the audience more than she is and in her mind he doesn’t even work hard for it. You see this with real actors. Jo Marie hated Jaleel White on Family Matters for “stealing the show”, Bea Arthur disliked Betty White on golden girls because she goofed around back stage and had a more mellow acting style.
Regarding the audience they only loved and cheered for him as a character and not as a person, it’s like those videos of bars watching game of thrones. You can see this with the security guards, as soon as the transmission is cut they go “what else is on?” As if they’ve already forgotten about him and moved on.
But all these are just my takes on it, I haven’t done as much research as you have lol
Have you ever seen the 1967 mini-series The Prisoner? I watched it for the first time this year and there's a lot of similiar vibes with it and The Truman Show, espcially given this reading. It's a psychological drama about a man who finds himself kidnapped and trapped in a uneasily cheerful and deceptively colourful village which he cannot escape. Every episode the people who run the village attempt to break him into accepting the village through different pscyhological means, as our hero concurrently tries to escape whilst undetected.
I've been a fan of the truman show for years but it wasnt until seeing this that I realised how obviously similiar they are in terms of aesthetics, premise, and execution.
I like to think that the bus driver who intentionally blew the bus engine actually pretended to not know how to operate the boat because he was rooting for Truman.
This is my favorite movie and I can’t believe there are still original discussions going on about it
I think your being too harsh on Sylvia. You grant the audience is good because they celebrate Truman breaking out but not Sylvia who does the same thing and immediately leaves her house running down the stairs to meet him again when he breaks out.
And yeah she doesn't spill the beans right away in the library but i don't think thats true. Shes wearing attire to signal her views about freeing him and making notes to signal the same, because she knows Truman coming over means the cameras are on her right now. And shes playing the part outwardly to draw less attention from the studio wardens.
Also she may have been a little star struck and unprepared. She thought she was going to get close to all the actors on set or just post her 'political' slogans in the background with the job and never actually expected to make contact with Truman himself. Truman actually talking to her complicates everything and forces some action right away. Spilling the beans on everything effectively would take a bit of time, time she wouldn't have if other cast members nearbye gained up on them so she takes him to the beach.
Also the director characterizes her movement as 'politics' but how can caging a human life on a studio set be looped in politics like save the planet from green house gasses or opposing deporting illegal immigrants? Theres nothing political about her movement, it stands in opposition to pure greed and Hollywood fame culture and one directors ego.
In the library, it is very obvious that she knows they are being filmed and recorded. I think she ends up getting him alone, without cameras and audio recordings so that she can tell him what's really going on, but they send in a "dad" to take her away. Still, she does her best.
you can love someone after whatever fashion and also truly believe you know and are doing what's best for them and still be in reality doing them massive harm. it's actually quite common in abusive parents. so those aspects in no way mitigate the definition of the showrunner as a villain. he's also quite clearly the primary antagonist of the story, by the nature of his role in it, as the man running the show truman is trapped in.
I think its amazing how this came across my feed and brought me back to one of my favorite movies of all time. And what's more; you got me to look at some things with a new perspective.
I find your take on Marlin interesting. I always interpreted his impassioned speech to be a giveaway to the viewer that he really was just another two faced actor, like everyone else. For one thing, people tend to look away from the eyes of someone they’re lying to. Even if it’s just for one second, Marlon broke, and Truman caught it. Another factor is when they discover Truman is gone, Marlon seems genuinely really angry, not so much worried per se, that Truman is gone. Why else would he be out looking for him with the rest of the cast?
I never saw that delete scene describing Truman’s child until just now, but I’m extra cynical, and would propose that his annoyance wasn’t for Truman, but because the second channel would divert attention from Truman, taking away his spotlight as Truman’s bff.
A few of the comments talk about a deleted scene where Marlon sees Truman take the boat, but doesn't say anything. Instead he acts as if he had not seen him at all. I wish that scene had not been deleted because it shows he had a real struggle because he was told to lie to Truman - but in that scene, he could be true to himself and Truman because there were no threats if he didn't toe the line (because no one saw him see Truman).
What do you MEAN why is his mother just dropping into his life? Thats what mothers do THE WORLD AROUND.
I'm hooked on your being hooked on Truman. Somehow it always gets to me.
I don't know if you have given any opinions or analysis on this, but... Have you covered how if Truman had never escaped: the life his son or daughter would have grown up with on the show. What Truman's child or children would grown up in and with, just like Truman had: an artificial reality, with artificial love. Except the love that Truman would have had for his child or children would have at least been truly genuine. Unlike what Truman had grown up with and known his whole life.
I'd be really interested in this analysis if you chose to consider it as another deep dive. Love your videos! This one had me thinking a lot about the other people and who they really are compared to who they pretend to be for the audience(s). ...those in the world of Truman and us watching right along with them with a little more insight.
Tell us about your relationship with your mother, Chris.
She's never blamed me, and she doesn't blame me now.
The thing about the deleted scene with the dad's actor eating, I think it might be subtly insinuating that he has been without food for a bit, as if he was an out of work actor for a while to a point that he hasn't been able to feed himself properly. He may have been homeless and out of desperation he used his insider knowledge to slip back onto set through some way he figured out while he was on the show.
Obviously your fifth episode blew up so I wanted to comment to note how much I and presumably a cohort of several others who watched these in 51234 order have been enjoying this series!
Thanks so much! That genuinely makes my day.
so true!! hopefully they make a comp of all the vids together
The concept of thw mom coming over to get screen time is so funny and sad
I always figured that Sylvia got on the show to be legitimately be an extra and that her trying to reveal everything to him was a quick decision due to her growing to really like him.
I agree with you. I think she had a crush on him, then fell in love with him, and because she loved him she wanted him to know the truth.
I'd love to see you do a video about the _worldbuilding_ behind the movie and what little hints we get that all is not right with the world.
I gotta say, Merryl has to be seen as quite the evil person imo due to the implied long-term sexual assault and emotional abuse she perpetrated on Truman - I can't forgive someone who had a sexual relationship over the course of years under false pretenses.
Very insightful review of the main cast, Mr. Peaceful Reviewer.
I always read the scene of Truman's dad stopping him from climbing the rocks as him trying to stop him from seeing what is on the other side. I assume the other side of the rocks is just "behind the scenes" stuff-props, crew, etc. I never read that he was worried for his safety.
You have to remember, most of the lines the actors were saying might have been fed to them directly from Christof himself when it came time to try and conceal the truth from Truman. This is why I always assumed that Truman's mother was only saying things to deliberately throw him off the scent because of the lines given to her via earphone. I never thought she was a villain or was intentionally evil. I still think Christof is definitively the main villain because he would be the one to directly influence any of the actors' actions and lines in order to steer Truman back onto the path of conformity.
Absolutely! Truman's mother wasn't a "bad guy." She was an actress doing and saying what the boss (Christof) told her to do and say.
You should do an entire episode just on the climax with the storm. One of my favourite scenes in the movie easily.
I kind of saw Sylvia as fan at first. I think she has that button that says “How’s it going to end?” with her at one point. And she got to be on a show she liked and was starstruck. But than she got to meet and really interact with Truman and saw him as more of a real person which really changed her perception and opinion of this thing she once really enjoyed. Which happens, people mature and grow out of things.
Personally, I think Christof intended, to a degree, for Truman to escape. If he truly wanted to kill Truman on that boat, he would've had lightning strike way more. Not to mention how implausible it is that he couldn't have blocked off the exit between the time the cameras found him on the boat and the time he exited to the real world. Christof wanted to capture the moment a creation surpassed its creator.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this video.
So I've really been enjoying your videos and I'm actually rewatching the movie (again) with some of your points in mind, but something occurred to me. You've said several times that Sylvia, Truman, and Meryl had their respective encounters in high school. But if you look during the scene when Marlon is playing the trumpet at Truman, behind them it says Seahaven College.
Marlon’s emotions to Trueman I think are complex there’s that scene where they mentioned him getting sick and that they studied together Marlon I think is slightly resentful that under other circumstances he would have been able to get a education and make something of himself. Who knows if his school grades carry any water outside of the complex.
Also he is involved in the biggest on screen lie to Trueman of saying there can’t be a conspiracy because he would have to be involved in it and the earlier emotional control of returning his father to him.
I love this film by the way
this makes me think of Nero and his mother
I SUPER disagree on your readings of the cast members having "genuine love" for Truman. Genuine love has to be demonstrated through action. To choose to go along with The Truman Show is to choose to harm Truman. Like in that scene with Marlon, I do believe Marlon knows what he's doing is wrong and it hurts him to lie to Truman... and that makes it worse. He is hurting Truman on purpose. Whether he likes that he's being malicious or not, he *chooses* not to love Truman, and he has made that malicious choice consistently for years.
(also just to be clear I love hearing your interpretations, I just wanted to share my own)
Yeahhhhh, you are definitely wrong. It is immensely more complicated than you are trying to make it. If Marlon at any point did something to tip off information to Truman, he would have been removed and replaced. He DOES show with actions that he loves Truman. You are just blind to see it, because you think so small.
You can genuinely love someone and still be illogical about how to do what’s best for them.
I agree about Marlon, but Marlon is even more complex than you're saying. The fact that it seems everyone on set can be reached off set in some form or another, but that the most important one cannot be reached suggests that he would already know that everyone else on set has been approached about 'will you help free Truman or not?' and so he deliberately and extremely withdraws off-set so that he can't be found at all in twenty three years. That's pretty intense and suggests that he does NOT want to even consider freeing Truman. Maybe he knows that he would be weak to free Truman if he were approached- and so he does NOT want to even be approached. His weirdly strong stance of decades of ice-cold withdrawal off set ultimately shows where his allegiance is: to the show and not to Truman.
Oh my god, its only now i actually internalize Marlon's life, how tragic
This is one that is important
It's not hard for me to imagine that when Truman's mother said she never blamed him in that manipulative way, that she was word for word repeating lines Christoph was feeding her; just as he did with Marlon.
I'm a little late to the party, but here goes.....
I think Sylvia formed her crush when she actually first saw him. She knew she was "just an extra", so she didn't act on it. But Truman sought her out. And it showed how he never forgot her.
Merrill was "assigned" to him, but Sylvia was the one he actually wanted.
When she saw the "face" Truman put together, she seemed relieved as well as happy, because that showed he never forgot her, and still wished for her. And that's when she really got hyped up and began taking more action.
She really loved him. That's why she wanted him to be free. She'd rather be rejected by a free Truman than "chosen" by a script. But he truly chose her. And that's what really gave him incentive.
Good lord I've finally found another person who watched this movie and TOOK NOTES
You mention that the love interest girl might have had some selfish motive or wanted attention, but I ask you to imagine the following:
You are in a simulated world, but you don't know it. I, however, do know it. I could outright tell you, "Hey man, it's all like a total simulation, dude, like totally, man." and you aren't likely to believe me or take me seriously. So, instead, I need to at least get you interested enough in me to listen to what I have to say. But even then that's not enough. Because I need to tell you something that sounds insane, I need to convince you that I am perfectly sane before I even broach the topic.
This might sound manipulative, trying to manufacture a relationship but considering in the case of the Truman Show literally, everyone has been manipulating Truman his entire life. So options are very limited for how one might go about revealing the truth to him.
Again, consider the example I give where you are in a simulation and I need to convince you that the world is a simulation. There are some obvious things we could do to prove it. Turn off all the textures and let you see the wireframe models of everything, delete an entire building, or whatever. But I'm not some elite hacker. I can't do those things. I'm just a normal person that through cleverness has gained access to the simulation.
Going back to the Truman Show, we have this girl who wants to break Truman free from the show. She can't just blow a huge hole in the dome to reveal the outside world, because she's ultimately just a normal person. The MOST she can really do is audition to be on the show and then, while on the show, attempt to interact with Truman. Anything that she might do that's too dramatic could easily be discovered in advance and stopped. Heck look at how it played out in the movie. Just getting him away from "scripted" area was such a red flag that her "father" was quickly there to snatch her away.
Truman's story didn't end when he left the studio, that's when the second chapter started. He was the most famous person in the world, do you really think he just faded into obscurity after 35 years? His adjustment to the real world would make a great movie, and would show what really happens to all those "reality stars" when the cameras go away. Most, if not all of the cast are still alive, I'd love to see what the stars of the Truman Show are doing now, and legacy sequels are big business right now.
Oh my God, it’s Bing!
I disagree about Sylivia. I believe that in the beginning she was a somewhat normal teenage girl who was doing her job, but who was radicalized after her experience with Truman. When Truman first talks with her in the library, she discourages him from talking to her because that's the part she's supposed to play. The key here is that in this moment she remains an agent of Christof and her intention is to continue her role as an extra. She's probably even worried that Truman's continued attention will cost her the job. She does have her pin, so she's mildly subversive and perhaps primed to rebel, but she's not there yet. She would have grown up with The Truman Show being a cultural touchstone and while she may have questioned it, there's no indication that she actually rejects it. Her very presence and willingness to play along with the show, indicates that her adult identity hasn't formed yet.
Her decision to run away with Truman is impetuous, the result of Truman showing genuine interest in her, her also being attracted to him, whether it partially stemming from a bit of celebrity or not, and a realization that it's now or never. She's likely on thin ice after having to be removed from the dance scene, and knows that she'll be fired and removed from the set after this incident.
So she makes a snap decision to take her shot with Truman and they run away. There is no plan. She isn't trying to free him or warn him. She's just stealing a moment with a boy who was nice to her. And when they get to the beach she only really knows that it's going to end soon, and Truman kissing her takes up their entire time alone. It's only when they come to take her away and they've had this little connection, that's when she completely turns on the system and begins to tell him everything.
Where I think Christopher errs is by believing Christof's comments. It's easy to dismiss a radical by pointing out that they are radical. But that doesn't make it true. Her politics were informed by the experience, they were not the reason that she ran away with Truman as Christof contends. Again, she's a teenage girl acting impulsively and doesn't reject the system until after the kiss and her time is up.
Which leaves her on the outside. And perhaps she does indeed have an attachment to Truman that isn't completely secure, but she is also watching him continue to remember her. These curated flashbacks of her are common enough that experienced show-watchers expect them. So it's not like she isn't receiving reinforcement from Truman. He's still reaching out to her and letting her know that the connection was real, he just doesn't know that she can hear him.
So as a person on the outside, who is also regularly receiving what can be considered a call for help from Truman, there probably is a sense of ownership in that she's in a unique position to advocate for him. There's probably also a sense of obligation in that. And that obligation, along with possibly guilt for having assisted the show for a time, fuels her beliefs. Hence her becoming a radical in a world where Truman's role is accepted by the general public.
And that's where we find her. Yes, her actual connection to Truman is based on a short amount of time together and their relationship is obviously weak - essentially a few looks, a whispered conversation, and a kiss - but by this point freeing Truman has become a central pillar in her life.
Sylvia getting more scrutiny than the creator himself is all sorts of messed up. You have just over a minute of critique of the person pulling the strings, but three times that amount of time for a teenager realizing the evil nature of the show, and ultimately being the reason Truman fought so hard to get out. Im forced to consider that gender unconsciously played a part in your judgment, due to this, and your willingness to give the benefit of the doubt to male characters more often than female characters. Note how Truman’s father gets the excuse of “he’s just stupid”, while Sylvia is framed as either stupid, or someone who only wants Truman to be free for her own self interests. I enjoy the commentary and I applaud the research you put into the tru talk series, but I urge you to explore the possibility that implicit sexism has something to do with your final analysis of the characters.
THANK YOU for saying it. This creator spent the entire analysis forgiving the male characters and condemning the female ones, including the ACTUAL VILLAIN of the film, and the only female character that ACTUALLY gives a damn about Truman in any way. There is nuance to the conversation, so why are all the women the villains? Dude needs to exame his own biases
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY OMG. i was going through the comments just hoping someone else said something because i knew i couldn't word it without just sounding like i'm trying to cause problems. it's just! ah i'm glad i'm not the only one who noticed
Your animated self has a nice eddsworld look to you
I had this thought about what if you could pay to be on the show as an actor because it’s just a neighborhood so you could have people live there
maybe Trumans father actually developed love for truman and or was missing him, i mean getting confronted everyday on tv with the kid you used to take care of must be very difficult
They’re all evil except two. Truman and Sylvia. He didn’t know and she tried, every one else in that town knew and did nothing.
Omg ya marlin is a victim as well honestly. Ya he might get some time outside the set but his whole life is mostly in the set. And as a child it must have been confusing.
Talktruah
You sure under estimate hormones, starstruck, and being a bloody teen
in trumans mothers defense, narcissistic mothers like her exist and its kinda the most real aspect of Trumans life 💀
Both from the start of the movie Truman knows its a show and Christoph is aware he knows, he knows Truman the best, better then anyone. He actually supports Truman getting out, but if course hes the director he doesn’t own the show, so hes gotta look like a team player. So you get scenes like the Dad returning, like you figured it out Christoph knows, its a message that “all your fears are fake, we manufactured them.”
Ugh. Don't make me feel sad for Christof!
Poor writing? Ok the Truman show? Nah fam. That movie is about as perfect as a movie can get.
Great video by the way!!! And obviously I meant on* not okay* 😂
hats off to meryl and skyler white for being two of the worst women on film/television portrayed so MASTERFULLY
The Skylar hate is so dumb
@@cuckoobrain7999 no i agree. and usually her antagonisms come from having mostly reasonable responses to the batshit things walter's been doing or saying to her. emphasis on mostly though, cause when she wants to be a bitch, she's AWFUL. but she's such a brilliant character, and so well-portrayed. i feel for her just as often as i want to put her in the pear wiggler.
Skyler's biggest crime is slowing down the plot
Skyler White did absolutely nothing wrong while Meryl lied to Truman every day for over a decade
"My name is Skyler White yo."
Can't believe they haven't made a sequel. Still could work with an older Truman and what happened when he left and where he's at now.
I honestly hope not, as it'd undermine the end of the film. We the Audience watching are a part of this world too, watching Truman. Everything we see is what the Producers also see. We never see the great escape from Truman's home to his boat for example, because the Producer's didn't know where he was, and therefore couldn't show us. And when he left the Studio, there were no more cameras to watch him on. He was free, so seeing an older Truman and what he's up to wouldn't really be worth it
I really hope not. This movie and it's ambiguous ending are beauty that doesn't need to be tainted. I don't want to see Truman again, more for his sake than anyone else.
@@That_Random_British_Dude You don't think there would be a media storm, a mass of cameras and tv networks waiting as he steps outside and a long term media interest his life?
@@That_Random_British_Dude Would be cool if he was happily married with Silvia and had children.
All the cast, aside from Truman, is evil to a degree.
From what ive seen it seems like Marlon was not in the know for a good portion of his life and may have either figured it out or he was told a while after and manipulated into continuing.
21:03. I think she exhibits some signs of being a stalker. Like the ones celebrities face in real life.
I’m not sure if Sylvia is just written as a plot device and the portrayal is a bit one note or if she is just flawed and weak
Using deleted scenes torpedos your theory instantly
they're not cannon, they were removed for a reason
Why is half your video that jerky cartoon skipping around. The other half is ok but that cartoon of you ruins it.
Because you can’t upload a RUclips video that is entirely just clips of a copyrighted movie? Obviously? This is how commentary videos work. Clips of the media interspersed with clips of the author or author’s avatar
@@melovekittie Yeah I was just suggesting clips of the author, rather than clips of his dumb avatar jerking around. Once or twice would be fine but not half the video, for hours of video total.