Truman Show and Pleasantville Essay
The Truman Show and Pleasantville essay
Satire is defined as biting wit, irony or sarcasm used to expose vice or folly. Many literary or theatrical and cinematic works have these qualities. They make ridicule of any fault or foolish act in society, often in the form of comedy. In the films The Truman Show and Pleasantville, satire is used to portray many faults as well as different aspects of modern society. Cinematography is the art or technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film. Cinematography has been utilized in both Pleasantville and The Truman Show to satirise and ridicule modern society.
Pleasantville and The Truman Show’s story lines build on many similarities: David and Jennifer are both transported into a “perfect” world within a black and white television show where there is no fighting, no questioning of authority, there are no convictions and no fires. Truman, similarly, lives within his own “perfect” world. He has the ideal job, the blonde haired, blue- eyed slim wife, a neat home, friendly neighbours and a world where he would be safe for the rest of his life. In both shows the protagonists, Truman and the people of Pleasantville, had absolutely no worries.
In an early sequence of Pleasantville, there is a medium shot of the Parker’s sitting in the kitchen together as a family. This scene is followed by a low angle shot of school children walking to school whilst the American flag waves above their heads. These two scenes symbolise the interpretation of the American dream. Family life is “perfect”, education is “perfect” and there is great patriotism. Life in this scene is described as perfect and absolute bliss. The movie builds up on these scenes to show the audience exactly what Pleasantville should be interpreted as. These scenes describe Pleasantville as a perfect life where nothing goes wrong. They describe life in Pleasantville as bliss just as the American Dream is described to be “blissful”.
Satire is defined as biting wit, irony or sarcasm used to expose vice or folly. Many literary or theatrical and cinematic works have these qualities. They make ridicule of any fault or foolish act in society, often in the form of comedy. In the films The Truman Show and Pleasantville, satire is used to portray many faults as well as different aspects of modern society. Cinematography is the art or technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film. Cinematography has been utilized in both Pleasantville and The Truman Show to satirise and ridicule modern society.
Pleasantville and The Truman Show’s story lines build on many similarities: David and Jennifer are both transported into a “perfect” world within a black and white television show where there is no fighting, no questioning of authority, there are no convictions and no fires. Truman, similarly, lives within his own “perfect” world. He has the ideal job, the blonde haired, blue- eyed slim wife, a neat home, friendly neighbours and a world where he would be safe for the rest of his life. In both shows the protagonists, Truman and the people of Pleasantville, had absolutely no worries.
In an early sequence of Pleasantville, there is a medium shot of the Parker’s sitting in the kitchen together as a family. This scene is followed by a low angle shot of school children walking to school whilst the American flag waves above their heads. These two scenes symbolise the interpretation of the American dream. Family life is “perfect”, education is “perfect” and there is great patriotism. Life in this scene is described as perfect and absolute bliss. The movie builds up on these scenes to show the audience exactly what Pleasantville should be interpreted as. These scenes describe Pleasantville as a perfect life where nothing goes wrong. They describe life in Pleasantville as bliss just as the American Dream is described to be “blissful”.