Christof. An important character.

Christof as an important character.  He is important because he controls Truman’s life.  He is important because he kills off Truman’s father.  He is important because he keeps Truman imprisoned in Seahaven.  He is important because he controls the weather.

Christof as a God.  Christof is presented as a God-like controller of the show and the show’s environment. In the important ‘Tru-talk’ scene, he says “I am the creator…’ and his voice comes over a loud speaker (voiceover) while the camera shows the sky as a symbol of God.  In the lunar tower, he is shown from above, looking out over his world. He is often shown with the moon or sky behind him.  He ‘watches over’ Truman in the scene where Truman is sleeping.  He is a kind of ‘father’ having watched T. grow up.  He said ‘cue the sun!’ which is a biblical reference to ‘let there be light.’

Essay question on character.  Describe at least ONE character or individual who played an important role in the text(s).  Explain why the character(s) or individual(s) was important in the text(s) as a whole. Discuss visual / oral text features in your response.

Christof as the controller.  He is always shown in CU shots or in dark lighting that symbolises his evilness.He wears dark clothing and is surrounded by shadows as a juxta-position with the bright, overly perfect world of Seahaven.  He meticulous plans Truman’s world and the events in his life. He controls the weather when Truman is on the boat, he controlled Truman’s father dying, and he even controls what people say through the headsets.

Christof is important because…  He represents all reality TV show makers and their manipulation and control over people’s lives and reality. Like God, he is omnipotent in Truman’s life.  He helps us understand the theme of manipulation. He also helps us understand the theme of ethics (is he evil to do what he did?) and also imprisonment, as he is responsible for blocking Truman at every turn.

Writing an essay on an important character.  Describe at least ONE character or individual who played an important role in the text(s).  Explain why the character(s) or individual(s) was important in the text(s) as a whole. Discuss visual / oral text features in your response.  what do we see and hear that shows us about Christof- e.g lighting, costume, camera angles, dialogue. Discuss these in each paragraph).

Essay plan.  In groups of two/three, come up with an essay plan for this question.  Homework: explain why each of the Christof quotes is important.

Theme: imprisonment.  Throughout the film, Truman is emotionally and physically imprisoned. This is another way of manipulating Truman as part of the reality television show he is on.  Important scenes for this are:  When Truman tries to leave and sees the forest fire- “Truman: Blocked at every turn. Beautifully synchronized, don't you agree?”  The scene on the boat

Imprisonment questions.  Truman’s Childhood  How do they ensure that the young Truman won’t want to travel?  What important event keeps Truman on the island?  What is unusual about the posters in the travel agency?  Is Lauren right- is Seahaven simply a cell or is Truman right and Truman could leave at any time?