Welcome back to another CLEAR Education blog!
In this post we will be exploring the film ‘The Truman Show’ for the Standard English HSC Module B: Close Study of Texts. Specifically, we will be unpacking the contents of a body paragraph in terms of the films symbolic representation of the pervasive role of media and privacy, which is still relevant in a contemporary context.
An example topic sentence may read:
Peter Weir’s film ‘The Truman Show’ symbolically displays the pervasive role of surveillance and media within the fictional setting of Seahaven to represent broader concerns of society more broadly.
Context:
Although released in 1998, the films representation of the invasive use of technology is seemingly relevant in a modern setting particularly as the actions in our lives continually gravitate towards consumption through digital means.
Example 1:
This intrusive-esque society is symbolically displayed through the films motif of cameras endlessly filming Truman’s movements and actions as the directors attempt to manipulate his actions for entertainment. This is particularly evident early in the film in one of Truman’s bathroom scenes, the Orientation of the angle of the cameras displays Truman’s micro face movements as he contorts his face in humours ways in the mirror, unbeknownst to the large viewer audience and production crew that watch his and manipulate his life. This emphasises that the producers have manipulated the way in which placement and the type of camera inserted into the room purposefully does not allow for any privacy and allows the audience to observe Truman’s life from every possible angle to engage with his ‘ideal’ lifestyle.
Example 2:
Truman is also subliminally manipulated through the dramatic irony created through the radios announcer, “So why don’t you forget about the perks of flying, settle back and let this music calm you down.” Whilst driving to work – a simple, routine and everyday task – Truman is subliminally being manipulated to remain in Seahaven for the purposes of entertainment. Truman’s manipulation serves as a warning to viewers of the dangers of the pervasive role of technology as society constantly relies on devices on a daily basis.
Link:
You will still need to add in a link! Remember to restate the key terms of your topic sentence / idea and ensure that you are answering the question here too. Be sure not to suggest any more ideas in the linking sentence!
*Please note that while this information is a great starting point for these texts, relying solely on the information in this post will not be enough to get a result in the top bands.