Existence Precedes Essence in The Truman Show

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Existence Precedes Essence in The Truman Show
Existentialism originates from the philosophy branch that revolves around evaluating the existence and how people find themselves existing within the ordinary world. The most fundamental idea behind existentialism is that it begins and culminates in the individual and the excruciating crisis and predicaments that confine a person to a society devoid of critical answers relating to their human experience of society and the world at large. The Truman Show is a film released in 1998 as a reality TV show that staring a man who is unaware that he is the staring. It feels more relevant today than when it came out. The film makes a pretty profound observation of human nature by showing how we try to understand ourselves and our place in the world. The show’s premise is straightforward – an observation of life – Truman’s life. Truman does not know that his life is filmed and broadcast live to a live audience. He portrays a media experience not too far from the contemporary realities of shows we watch on TV and YouTube. This paper reflects on the existentialist dimensions of The Truman Show through Sartre’s critical lens that existence precedes essence.
Truman existed with no fundamental purpose, which limited capacity and lacked clear direction. Watching this film, I developed the feeling that there was a critical cinematic layer linked to existentialism that I could not resist or one that I could quickly figure out. Whereas Truman is genuine, all else was scripted, supervised, and regularly altered by the creator, the name Kristof. While it is evident that Kristof represents an equivalent of a divine creator, he is not wielding this power maliciously until he attempts to stop Truman from leaving. This clearly manifests in this dialogue: Kristof tells Truman, “I know you better than you know yourself”, which indicates that the former is an equivalent of a deity. Truman responds, “You never had a camera in my head!” Accordingly, Kristof also showed moments of genuine affection for Truman. Whereas little is told about Kristof, I believe his motivation to create this reality show was not for fame or money but purpose.
In the initial conversation with Truman, Kristof attempts to justify the existence of Truman’s world. Kristof: “Listen to me, Truman. There’s no more truth out there than there is in the world I created for you. The same lies. The same deceit. But in my world, you have nothing to fear. I know you better than you know yourself.” According to Kristoff, the lies and Truman’s life have meaning. Truman has nothing to fear because his purpose was predetermined and created for him. By creating a perfect world where an individual may live without this fear, the show gives joy, hope, and inspiration to millions. Truman’s life, in turn, fulfils Kristof’s. Nevertheless, Kristof’s decision to seize control of another man’s life appears to be a response based on the fear of the unknown, which many views as the hopeless truth. Truman spent most of his life believing that he was mundane, just another member of his community. Having found a place in his life, one would easily imagine that Truman was contented and happy with his life. He had a wife, a job, a car, and a house, and all these elements translate to a secure lifestyle and overall life quality, seemingly one of Truman’s key priorities. Truman refused to board a ferry to a nearby island for his job because of fear of water (Weir 7:59). As the audience, we know that aquaphobia is just another form of manipulation perpetrated by Kristof. However, unaware of the truth, Truman chose to disregard any potential consequences that his choice might have brought him.
Another critical point that I think affi...