For this answer, I will be discussing how meaning is created through the use of cinematography in the following scene from The Truman Show: “Do something!”. This is the scene where Meryl and Truman are scared by each other, and Meryl cracks, speaking and looking directly into the camera asking for help. She then tries to backtrack what she said, but it is already too late, Truman’s suspicions have been confirmed.
The first shot of the scene is an establishing shot, which shows that Meryl and Truman are in the kitchen having a conversation. The establishing shot is important, as it helps to show the audience that they are back at home, after the previous scene where Truman was detained near the ‘Nuclear Power Plant’. The establishing shot, initially, is only on Meryl, but then changes to a wide shot from behind Meryl, so that the audience can see Truman, sitting at the table. A wide shot has been used to create meaning, as it shows that the distance between them represents the closeness in their relationship. They are on almost opposite sides of the room, which shows that they aren’t really in love. Shot-reverse-shot is also used to switch between the two characters as the conversation progresses. Shot-reverse-shot enables the audience to see the reaction of the other character in the scene, as you would during a normal conversation.
During the next part of the scene, the camera zooms in on Meryl and the Mococoa cocoa powder that she is holding, so that rather than a wide shot, it is now a close up. This has been used to show the audience that although Meryl and Truman are having a conversation, it isn’t real, it’s all part of a television show, and this is product placement. There is then a close up of Truman’s reaction, in which he is clearly confused and agitated. This creates meaning, as it shows that he doesn’t understand why she’s promoting the Mococoa to him, which again shows that he doesn’t understand that he is in his own television show. The camera is always level with Truman, as if it were the audience on looking. Truman’s confusion is then followed by another close up of Meryl further advertising the Mococoa, which is followed by an extreme close up of Meryl tapping the Mococoa, which creates the meaning for the audience that although Truman is confused by Meryl’s sudden topic digression, she continues anyway, further frustrating him. This also shows, as Truman is part of a TV show, that this was a bad idea from creator Christof, who has clearly told Meryl to keep pushing the product, even though Truman is clearly getting more and more agitated by the second.
A dolly/tracking shot is then used to follow Meryl and Truman as they both move around to the other side of the kitchen worktop counter. This has been used so it is as though the audience is following them as they move around the kitchen. At this point, the camera is still at eye level, as again, this makes it seem as though the scene is shot from the audience’s point of view, as though they were standing in the kitchen with Truman and Meryl. As they move, the camera then switches to the camera button on Truman’s shirt, so the camera angle is level with Meryl, but when the camera switches to Meryl’s necklace camera, it looks up slightly, as though it were taken from a lower angle. This low angle creates meaning, as it shows that Meryl is finding Truman intimidating and that it is Truman who has the power in this scene.
Match on action is then used, as there is a close up of Meryl’s hand fumbling for the kitchen tools, which then switches to Truman’s viewpoint of seeing her pick them up, then back to the necklace camera to see his reaction, and finally back to Truman’s viewpoint, to see Meryl scared, defending herself with the kitchen tools. This shows that Christof, the creator of the TV show, doesn’t want the viewers to miss any of the action, and the close up also shows product placement, which is the packaging for the kitchen tools. This whole section of the scene creates meaning, as it shows the audience that the whole purpose of Truman and the TV show he doesn’t realize he’s in is to make money, as while Meryl is scared that Truman is going to hurt her, and Truman is confused as he’s unsure as to what is going on, Christof is still trying to promote products to create income. The variety of camera angles, and the match on action, help to create meaning by demonstrating the true purpose of the TV show, which is to make money through advertising and product placement, constantly changing angles to give the best view.
A high camera angle is then used, to look down at them from above. This creates meaning as it shows that they are both in the same position, which is that they are both just puppets in Christof’s TV show. Meryl is an actor, and portrays Truman’s ‘wife’, whereas Truman thinks everything is real, as he is the only one that doesn’t realize that the world he lives in is fake. Everyone around him is an actor, but he’s only just starting to realize that something isn’t right. During the same part of the scene, the camera angle stays the same, but the camera zooms in on them through the TV screen, so the audience can see that they are being watched closely, and so that they are being taken closer to the action also. The meaning created by this, is that the creator wants the audience to feel closer to Meryl and Truman, and with the high angle, shows that the audience knows more about the situation that Truman is in than Truman himself. Another tracking shot is then used to follow Meryl and Truman from the kitchen into the front room. A low angle is used, to show that Meryl is about to take control of the situation, and that she has had enough of being a part of the TV show and Truman’s life.
Finally, shot-reverse-shot is used between a wide shot of Truman and a close up shot of Meryl, to show that Truman is horrified at how he has scared Meryl, and how Meryl has broken down, after being controlled for all these years, being forced to love Truman, and do whatever Christof says, as she is acting. This creates meaning, as it shows that the TV show is staring to fall apart. The camera mainly focuses on Truman, so to focus on another character is important, as it signals to the audience that this could be the beginning of the end for the TV show.
Comments
Post a Comment