The next meeting is the superlative film, "The Truman Show". Peter Weir (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets' Society) as director pulls off a fantastic story in itself, with a whole subtext about the nature of reality and the role of the media in our society. If you don't want anything deep, it's just a very fine film!Cue the sun!
Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!
After watching the film... Well, what did you think? A story about the power of media and TV these days, all needing advertising and sponsorship revenue? A film about Truman finding salvation and reality from the false world and values around him? Or is it a fall, where Truman steps away from the world which his creator made for him?
Memory aids...
- Truman develops an innate knowlegde there is something more to the world around him
- A world where everything is manipluated to keep him from seeing the big picture
- He shows initial disbelief at discovery of the truth
- He fears taking the steps necessary to embrace the truth
- The ship he journeys on is the Santa Maria - journey to the New World in 1492...
- Truman's posture on the ship after his immersion is cruciform - resurrection to a new life?
"We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented."
"If his was more than just a vague ambition, if he was absolutely determined to discover the truth, there's no way we could prevent him."
"We've become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions. We are tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life. "
6 comments:
I'd recommend this film - it's really fun and watchable, but the sort of film that leaves you thinking at the end.
We showed it at runway and most of the way through it the kids were going 'Eh? What's going on now?' You guys will be fine though. ;o)
I've been wondering if there was any mileage in the director's name being Christof... of Christ? A creator character... not sure if it works!
I really like this video of Christian group, Evanescence... speaks of the lies of the media (yes, which they are in turn using and perhaps used by... but it's thought provoking nonetheless).
See HERE
Interesting video, Tim. I'm sure that Christof was intentional.
On a different theme, Susie and I both really like this quote from Douglas Coupland's book Life after God (we could and should look at his work in SofaChurch sometime):
"Cathy then told me that she thinks that there is a secret world just underneath the surface of our own world. She said that the secret world was more important than the one we live in. "Just imagine how surprised fish would be," she said, "if they all knew all the action going on just on the other side of the water. Or just imagine yourself being able to breathe underwater and living with the fish. The secret world is that close and it's THAT different."
(Susie and Kitty are out of hospital now by the way, Kitty doing really well)
We resolved a few weeks back to put more Bible references on the blog that underpin our thoughts. These came to mind...
John 12: After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. This was to fulfil the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
‘Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’
And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not look with their eyes, and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them.’
Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
It's a somewhat confusing passage, but roughly it seems to me that some people almost choose to not see the truth about the spiritual dimension to life - they are blind to it. However, Jesus came to restore sight to the blind, in this spiritual sense as well as literally to a few people he healed. Jesus came to make spotlights fall from the ceiling...
1 Corinthians 13: For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
That's excellent news :o)
Preparing for day out - might say more later when back!
TTFN
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