The Cinematic Features Displayed in Pleasantville and The Truman Show

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The Cinematic Features Displayed in Pleasantville and The Truman Show

The following essay, which I have composed, is based on two important

films of the last decade. Their titles are "Pleasantville" and "The

Truman Show". Starting with the "Pleasantville", the general overview

of the film's plot gets more complicated the further you get into it.

It brings up several issues all of which I have commented on in this

essay.

The film starts with two teenagers, David and Jennifer. David has an

addiction to old reruns of a fifties sitcom also by the name of

"Pleasantville". Jennifer is the complete opposite of her brother,

leading a rather promiscuous lifestyle. During an argument, their TV

remote is broken, meaning they are unable to watch their television.

The argument is between David who wants to watch the Pleasantville

marathon and Jennifer who wants to watch a film with her date who is

coming round in a few minutes. Then a supernatural event occurs as a

TV repairman rings the doorbell seconds after the breakage.

The TV repairman has a common interest with David in Pleasantville. As

he sees David is a die-hard fan, the repairman gives David a special

remote which transports them into their television, into

Pleasantville. Pleading with the repairman to transport them back, he

gets upset and leaves them in. Because of this they have to stay stuck

in the roles of Bud and Mary-Sue, two of the shows characters and have

to continue in their characters lives.

"The Truman Show", as mentioned before, is also a major film in the

last decade. The general overview of the plot is simple for viewers to

recognise throughout the film. Set a f...

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...s the edge of the dome. He sees a

stairway, which he climbs. This is like a stairway to heaven. He finds

there is a door, which opens to reveal blackness at the other side.

Christof now gives him a choice: to either end his life in Seahaven in

this supposed 'perfect world' free from all danger, or cross over to

the other side and live again in the danger. He goes into the

blackness and starts the new life, ending the transmission of "The

Truman Show".

In conclusion, I think both directors are trying to show that there is

no perfect world for everyone as the two films showed. Both Seahaven

and Pleasantville are like prison cells, and the people inside them

are prisoners unable to make their own choices in life. It is for this

reason why they are influential films with a strong cast, plots and

messages behind them.

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