8 Of The Most Memorable Messianic Characters In Modern Cinema

5) Truman Burbank

Though Peter Weir’s satirical drama will go down as a candid critique of reality television, within the confinements of The Truman Show’s world, there is also an intrinsic set of biblical subtexts. Ed Harris plays Christof, a god-like being who manages a self-contained hyper-reality that encompasses Jim Carrey’s titular everyday man. The film takes place in the artificial world of Seahaven which hosts many parallels with the Garden of Eden – for instance, Christof’s character is very much the embodiment of god, who creates the utopian realm as a paradise for his son. Of course, the film deviates from religious scripture in how Truman rebels against his governing deity, and yet, the protagonist still retains certain messianic qualities.

While many Messiah-like figures in modern cinema are crafted using Jesus Christ as the stencil, Truman Burbank is an example of how biblical allusions can refer to other prophetic, religious figures. The fact that Truman must cross the sea in order to reach freedom echoes the parable of Moses, additionally, the religious symbolism, such as walking on water and the way he falls in a crucified pose after being struck on the boat, conveys the visual references to a messianic figure.

The Truman Show serves as a memorable commentary on the ramifications of a society that is at once voyeuristic and de-sensitised, but the film also gives us a messiah-like character that undergoes a journey of personal and emotional growth in Truman – the ‘true man’ – Burbank.

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