DYM1- Analysis of Film Still

My film still is from the film 'The Truman Show' made in 1998. This film is about a man who discovers his entire life has been the subject of the most popular and famous TV show, and is watched everyday by millions. In this shot, he is messing around looking in his bathroom mirror, which happens to be one of the cameras set up to record his every move, and the production team are watching him from the TV monitor.


-The main focus of the shot is Jim Carrey- Truman Burbank, it shows him in his normal home environment- his bathroon, but shown on a tv monitor. He looks normal, as is wearing pajamas and has messy hair, and from this still seems just a regular American man in his 30s, which is how the film wishes to present him, and this is the main appeal of the 'Truman Show' everyone tunes in to watch. Having this image shown on a TV monitor highlights the main story of the film, and ultimately sums up the film within one still. It shows how he is constantly being watched, and from a such high-tech, scrutenised way, which can slightly startle or freak-out the audience.

-The lighting of the central part of the shot is very bright, connoting the happiness of Truman's safe carefree life. However, the darkness of the monitor suggests he is surrounded by something a lot less positive and bright, something he is blissfully unaware of.

-Finally, the framing of this shot causes the audience to feel outside and unattached with the character of Truman, and makes us feel part of the production team, who he is fighting against. This causes the audience to feel sympathetic towards Truman's plight, and can ultimately cause the audience to question reality, and what we see around us.