On Infiltration of Escapism
----A Brief Comment on The Truman Show
Abstract: The Truman Show1 deserves spectacular appreciation for its unique approach—intercutting shots between program of Truman and "real life" footage of the director and spectators. The specialty of presentation sufficiently lays out Escapism in Post-Modernism layer by layer. Followed a brief introduction about the intercutting approach in this movies and Escapism, this paper concentrates on the cause, manifestation and influence of Escapism from the shifting angles of view: Truman, director and spectators. Then it draws a summarization that Escapism has overall infiltrated into human’s life.
Key words: The Truman Show, Escapism, shifting angles of view, intercutting, Post-Modernism
The Truman Show, as a typical milestone of the movie industry, puts other traditional genres in the shadow by intercutting the real-time documentary between program of Truman and "real life" of the spectators and director. Firstly, the movie chiefly centralizes on the Truman Burbank’s angle of view. The protagonist, whose entire life is broadcasted in a hugely popular 24-hour-a-day TV series, is gradually aware that his existence is captured by concealed cameras and tries his best to get away from the authoritative domination. Secondly, the movie alternately intercuts the shot to the angle of view of spectators, who are keeping a watchful eye on Truman’s every particular gesture and behavior for escaping from the perceived unpleasant aspects of daily life. Thirdly, the movie shifts the scene to director’s angle of view. It reveals that his motivation of creating the cheerful community of Seahaven(a materialization of “paradise”) is to run away from the hypocrisy and complexity of the world outside2. In short, whatever angle of view the movie sets out, it gives embodiment of Escapism all the time and all the way.
As for Escapism3, it is a mental diversion or tendency to seek distraction and relief from banal reality in the era of Post-Modernism4. Although different reference books provide different illustrations5, several characteristics are endorsed. For one thing, 1
Escapism is regarded as an inherent expression of Post-Modernism, for urbanization, industrialization and technological existences have removed people from their biologically normal natures and the rigors of daily life. For another thing, it is unilateral to assert that escapism carries an extreme and negative connotation, suggesting escapists are depraved or sorrowful. In fact, escapism also indicates optimistic significance for positive escapists with an inability or unwillingness to connect with the world meaningfully.
Related with this movie, three kinds of Escapism, namely, Truman’s positive Escapism, director’s extreme Escapism and spectators’ negative Escapism have been infiltrating into human’s life. The cause, manifestation and influence of will be analyzed in detail.
From Truman’s angle of view, Escapism is endowed with the property of positiveness and has done a great favor to obtain freedom. First of all, his Escapism originates from his consciousness of being controlled and the conspiracies of life. As we know, he has grown up and lived in a fake town getting along with actors. The town is enclosed in a giant dome with high-tech simulations of sun and sky, in which the rain and wind are productions of the special effects. In the beginning, he knows nothing that the rest of humanity watches him in a 24-hour-a-day reality programming. Fortunately, he gradually figures out that his surroundings are full of staged scenes and events. Hence, His intention to escape is put into practice as an adequate dynamic and driving force to convert the bound situation and obtain the precious freedom. Above all, his positive Escapism provides the ample motivation to flee the fake and hold the authentic life in his arms. It is his positive Escapism that makes him come up against both his own fears of water and the obstacles put in his way by the producer-director who has made billions of traps in a stage set and playing a God role in his life.
From director’s angle of view, Christof’s extreme Escapism has buried his humanity and conscience, which seed in his collapse in essence. In the beginning, his Escapism stems from his despair towards degenerate modern society. today's affluent societies are in danger of becoming rotten and hypocritical environments under the 2
impact of urbanization, industrialization and technological existences etc. In the movie, Christof shows his hopelessness towards reality several times. Therefore, his Escapism is put into effect as a passageway to reject and isolate from the reality, As we can say, he chooses an extreme way to create the lifelike simulations and story lines from the high-tech facsimile of a sun that benevolently beams down on Truman to the mock sincerity of the actors who Truman mistakenly believes is his family and friend. All that he has done embodies his abnormal and freak Escapism from reality. In sum up, Christof’s extreme Escapism leads to his deformity of personality and final breakdown.
From spectators’ angle of view, it is the negative Escapism that gives rise to their crazed behavior of being addictive in peeping Truman’s life immorally. Firstly, spectators’ negative Escapism derivates from their desires of getting out of the unpleasant sufferings pessimistically. As we can observe, although the fans may live very normal lives— having children, relationships and regular jobs, they spend their regular time escaping into an idealized world and lose their own mind in the made-up show. As Truman’s fate rises and falls, the spectators’ emotion fluctuates fiercely. They are devoted enough to throw themselves into the series and treat themselves as actors. Consequently, spectators who get excessively involved as fans of Truman show are pursuing an unhealthy level of escapism. The negative Escapism masquerades as a better anesthesia than exploring the hard truths of this world. As a result, negative Escapism leads to symptoms of mental illness such as dependence on media and peeping.
In brief, after analyzing the brilliantly-conceived satire, we can easily draw the conclusion that the intercutting shots between program of Truman and "real life" of the director and spectators fully demonstrates Escapism has overall infiltrated into human’s life. Truman certifies positive Escapism can play a effective role in fulfilling dream. Director’s Escapism makes him run away from the absurdity extremely. proper Spectators’ Escapism leads them to turn down to engage in the true world negatively.
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Notes:
1. The Truman Show is a 1998 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The film chronicles the life and evading of Truman Burbank, who discovers he is constrained in a reality-feigned soap opera, televising to billions by live transmission.
2. As evidence, here are two quotations of Christof’s lines. The one say, “I have given Truman a chance to live a normal life. The world. the place you live in is the sick place. Seahaven is the way the world should be.” The other says, “There's no more truth out there than there is in the world I created for you. Same lies. The same deceit. But in my world, you have nothing to fear.
3. This definition is cited from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.
4. Post-Modernism is a style and concept in the art, architecture and criticism dating from the late 20th century, which represents a departure from modernism and has at its heart a general distrust of grand theories and ideologies as well as o problematical relationship with any notion of art.( cited from the Oxford English Reference Dictionary)
5. The Longman Advanced American Dictionary defines it as “reaction or activities that help you forget about bad or boring things for a short time”. The Advanced Oxford Dictionary defines it as “an activity, a form of entertainment that helps you avoid or forget unpleasant things.” Bibliography:
(1). English movie “the Truman Show” at
(2). Comments on media and psychological interpretation of the theme of the Truman show at:
/
(3). The Meaning of The Truman Show,at:
(4). The script of The Truman Show at /
(5). Busch, Anita M, "New Truman villain: Harris", Variety.
(6). Turna, Kenneth "The Truman Show", Los Angeles Times
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《楚门的世界》,作为一个典型的里程碑电影产业,把其他传统文体的阴影被intercutting程序之间的实时纪录片杜鲁门和“现实生活”的观众和导演。首先,这部电影主要集中在杜鲁门伯班克的的视角。主人公,他的一生是一个非常受欢迎24-hour-a-day里播放的电视连续剧,逐渐意识到他的存在被隐蔽的摄像机和尽力摆脱权威统治。其次,电影或者intercuts球道视角的观众,他们保持警惕是基于杜鲁门的每一个特殊的姿势和行为脱离察觉到日常生活的一些让人不愉快的方面。第三,电影导演的转移现场的视角。结果表明,他的动机创造欢快的社区的Seahaven(一种物质化“天堂”)是逃避的虚伪和outside2纷繁的世界。总之,无论电影的视角出发,它给的化身,逃避现实的方式。
至于Escapism3,它是一种精神分流或倾向于寻求分散注意力和缓解平庸的现实
Post-Modernism4的时代。虽然不同的参考书提供不同illustrations5,几个特性背书。首先,作品被视为一个内在表达的后现代主义,城市化、工业化和技术的存在已经清除了生物学上的百姓从他们的正常的性质和严格的日常生活。另一方面,它是单方面的断言的作品带有极端和消极的内涵,说明人是逃避现实者是堕落或悲伤。事实上,逃避现实也显示乐观积极的意义和一个人是逃避现实者不愿意/不能与国际接轨意味深长。
与这部电影,三种逃避现实,即杜鲁门的积极的逃避现实、导演和观众的极端的消极逃避现实的逃避现实已经渗透到人类的生活。原因、表现和影响,将进行了较详细的分析。
从杜鲁门的视角,被赋予了作品的性质做了一个积极性和获得自由很受欢迎。首先,他的作品源于他的意识被控制和生命的阴谋。正如我们所知道的,他已经长大了,住在一个假的城镇与演员相处。这个小镇封闭在一个巨大的圆顶和高科技的模拟太阳与天空,风吹雨打都生产特殊效果。起初,他什么也不知道,其余的人看着他在24-hour-a-day真人节目。幸运的是,他慢慢地指出他的周围充满上演的场景和事件。因此,他有意避开付诸实践作为一个足够的活力和动力转换绑在一起的情况,得到了最珍贵的自由。首先,他的作品提供了充足的积极动力逃离假并保持真实的生活在他的臂弯。这是他的积极意义的作品,使他碰到两个他自己恐惧的水和障碍放在他的方式producer-director已经出了数十亿的陷阱在舞台上扮演一个神,在他的生活中。
从董事的视角,创造者的极端的作品已经埋葬了人类和良心,种子在他的崩溃在本质上。起初,他的作品来自于他的绝望走向现代社会堕落。今天的富裕的社会里是在危险成为腐朽不堪,虚伪的环境的冲击下城市化、工业化和技术的存在等。在这部电影中,展示了他对现实创造绝望几次。因此,他的作品投入效应是一个通道拒绝和隔离从实际出发,我们可以说,他选择了一个极端的方式来创建模拟和故事栩栩如生的线路高科技传真一个阳光,仁慈地梁下的模 5
拟杜鲁门真诚的演员错误地认为是他杜鲁门的家人及朋友在一起。凡他所做的作品体现了异常以及反常的现实。总而言之,创造者的极端的作品导致畸形的人格和最后的崩溃。 从观众的角度看,它是消极逃避现实,引起了他们的疯狂行为被上瘾在偷看杜鲁门的生活immorally。首先,观众们消极逃避现实的欲望衍生物从他们所得到的不愉快的痛苦悲观。当我们能够观察到,但球迷们可以活的很正常的生活——有一个孩子,关系和正式工作,他们把钱花在固定的时间散失到一种理想化世界却失去自己的心灵虚构的显示。作为杜鲁门的命运时起时落,观众的情绪波动激烈。他们致力于足以把自己系列和对待自己是演员。因此,观众得到过分所涉及的球迷楚门的世界》是追求一种不健康的水平的作品。消极逃避现实伪装成一个更好的麻醉相比探索这个世界的坚硬的真理。作为一个结果,消极逃避现实导致心理疾病的症状如依赖媒体和偷看。
总之,在分析其brilliantly-conceived讽刺,我们就可以很容易地得出这样的结论:intercutting投的程序之间杜鲁门和“现实生活”的导演和观众的作品充分展示了具有全局潜入人的生命。杜鲁门确证的作品可以扮演一个积极有效的作用完成的梦想。导演的作品使他逃避荒诞极。适当的观众们的作品使人拒绝从事真正的世界负。
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