This essay analyses the quandary about the individual privacy against the continuous surveillance presented in Peter Weir’s film The Truman Show (1998) by applying Foucault’s ideas on panopticon developed in his work Discipline and Punish (1975). After the understanding and summary of the main ideas of the book, they are applied to the film in order to question the hypothetical benefits that the panoptical system offers.
Discipline and Punish belongs to the postmodern critical movement arisen from the disillusionment with the modernist basis. Postmodernist authors rejected the existence of an absolute truth and defended ambiguity, destructuralization and dehumanization. First influenced by structuralism, Michel Foucault embraced the principles of this theory in opposition to the so-called "philosophies of consciousness” (Poster, 2nd paragraph), softening the importance of the author and the subject in favour of that one of the text. However, the May 1968 events in France were a turning point in the basis of modern society and also in Foucault’s beliefs, which began to focus on the study of the forms of domination emerged from the modern knowledge and forms of power (Best & Kellner, chapter 2). Foucault was quite influenced by many authors and …show more content…
Millions of spectators watch Truman Burbank’s movements, but he does not know that he is being observed. This ignorance of reality and the progressive discovery of the truth are the main points that cause the film to progress. This constant play between ignorance and revelation of truth is stated in the very beginning of the film, as Truman’s best friend says: “It’s all true. It’s all real. Nothing here is fake. Nothing you see on this show is fake. It’s merely controlled.” Control is one of the main principles of the panoptical system, so a connection between the film and Foucault’s ideas can be
Discipline and Punish belongs to the postmodern critical movement arisen from the disillusionment with the modernist basis. Postmodernist authors rejected the existence of an absolute truth and defended ambiguity, destructuralization and dehumanization. First influenced by structuralism, Michel Foucault embraced the principles of this theory in opposition to the so-called "philosophies of consciousness” (Poster, 2nd paragraph), softening the importance of the author and the subject in favour of that one of the text. However, the May 1968 events in France were a turning point in the basis of modern society and also in Foucault’s beliefs, which began to focus on the study of the forms of domination emerged from the modern knowledge and forms of power (Best & Kellner, chapter 2). Foucault was quite influenced by many authors and …show more content…
Millions of spectators watch Truman Burbank’s movements, but he does not know that he is being observed. This ignorance of reality and the progressive discovery of the truth are the main points that cause the film to progress. This constant play between ignorance and revelation of truth is stated in the very beginning of the film, as Truman’s best friend says: “It’s all true. It’s all real. Nothing here is fake. Nothing you see on this show is fake. It’s merely controlled.” Control is one of the main principles of the panoptical system, so a connection between the film and Foucault’s ideas can be