Movie analyzes

     Watch a movie of your choice and take notes on specific aspects and how they affect the scene/story. One of the most fun assignments I had in a while. 

    Today, I'm going to pick apart the 1998 movie The Truman Show, starring Jim Carry. The movie focuses on Carry's character, Truman Burbank, who is watched by the whole world since the day he was born. Although his world appears to be normal, like having a family, an office job, and living in a civilized town, everything is made up. But Truman does not know this. Throughout the movie, Truman begins to understand the truth of his existence and tries to break free from this TV production. This movie, in my opinion, is well done and always kept me on my toes. One aspect I enjoyed throughout the movie was how the use of camera angles, transitions, and movements all helped in creating this deranged and "something isn't right" feeling. 

First Scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U4-KZSoe6g

    A scene that uses camera movements is towards the middle of the movie where Truman explains his concerns with his world and relationship with his wife, named Meryl Burbank, however, the "hidden" cameras zoom in when she is trying to incorporate a subtle commercial plug-in. As it zooms in on her face and product, it shows how the scene is now tense and awkward. How abnormal it is when she describes the coco like she is reading from a script. The use of cut transitions is also placed within the scene, which builds on the fast-paced tension. 

    In that same scene, where Truman begins to follow Meryl, the camera begins to track both characters with handheld camera movements. This helps separate the "hidden TV cameras" and the actual cameras used to make the movie. Along with the movement, a faded black ring surrounds or covers the corner of the screen which creates the impression that the audience is looking from the characters' perspectives. This draws the audience away from the "TV-produced" clips and puts themselves within the scene as if they were experiencing firsthand the disturbed Truman. It also shows how this is affecting his "wife", building up to the point she breaks character multiple times. Not only is this scene important within the story, but the use of camera movements, angles, and transitions within it helps showcase a breaking point for Truman. 

Second Scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZMZYrdXtP0

    The last scene is, of course, one of the most important scenes within the movie. When Truman faces his fears of the “ocean” and reaches the end of his fake world, the director, Christof, finally talks to Truman himself. During this scene, the use of close-up is used for Truman. For Truman, the shot shows the back of his head, helping the reader understand that he is taking Christof’s words into consideration, trying to decide if he should stay or escape. Once he turns around you can tell simply by his expression that he is relieved knowing he can finally be free. The final shots of Truman are full body for the audience, both fake and real, to take in the final moments of seeing him publicly. For Christof, and his device, the use of extreme close-ups, and low and high shots show how Christof is portrayed to be a God of some sort. The extreme close-ups are complemented with low shots to show how he holds strength and power over Truman. However, when we see the device that shows Truman, it is from a high shot to illustrate how vulnerable he is in comparison, and how Christof can control him even after realizing his reality is false.  

It's not just these scenes that use specific camera movements, angles, and transitions. The entire movie carefully uses these techniques to show Truman's realization of the deception he lived in. This movie is a great example to study because you can see how the production team, in the movie, uses these same techniques to capture Truman's day-to-day     life.