The film deals with control and manipulation in a lot of ways. Christof is incredible controlling throughout the film. How is God, in His control over all of creation, not like Christof? Do the two have anything in common? Try to defend your ideas, based on actual scenes/ideas from the movie and what you know of God’s character.Friday, October 11, 2013
Question #4 - Control
The film deals with control and manipulation in a lot of ways. Christof is incredible controlling throughout the film. How is God, in His control over all of creation, not like Christof? Do the two have anything in common? Try to defend your ideas, based on actual scenes/ideas from the movie and what you know of God’s character.
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God's control over His creation is much different that Christof's control over his creation. One difference is that God gives us the right to make out own choices, while almost all of Truman's choices are forced upon him. One example of this is how Truman's marriage to Meryl is already planned for him even though Truman doesn't really like Meryl that much. Another difference is that God gives us mercy every day for every sin we make, while Christof shows no mercy at all to Truman when he tries to escape the dome, turning up the waves and wind to try to drown him. I don't think that Christof and God have anything in common because although you could make the argument that they both control something, God could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to Christof's "world," therefore Christof doesn't really have total control over the dome.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up some good points. Although, I think God and Christof do have some similarities. One, they both were constantly watching their creations. God watches us, and Christof watched Truman. Two, they both created something for their creation. Christof created his large dome or set, if you want to call it, and God created the earth. Now I'm not saying God and Christof are the same because they definitely are not. God is much more caring for our well being and gracious than Christof, who controlled, and I would say ruined, one man's life in a very sinful manner.
DeleteThis brings up an interesting question of how much free will we actually have . . .
ReplyDeleteControl is the everywhere in the Truman show. Christof had Truman’s father “die” because he wanted Truman to stay on the show instead of doing off on an adventure. He ruined his memories, because he never truly had a real family, and he couldn’t be with the girl he loved because they kept taking her away. You can tell Christof doesn’t care because in the serious and deep moments, like when Truman’s friend was saying he would “never lie to him”, Christof was there reading lines. He was controlling Truman’s thoughts by using his friend, who he trusts. God can control everything, but he gives us our own thoughts, and even though he could save anything he wants to, he sometimes doesn’t. He doesn’t need everything to be perfect in our lives, like Christof was trying to do. I believe that mostly God and Christof are very different, because God does everything out of love or some greater purpose. Christof was doing it because he wanted his show to stay on, and really didn’t care about Truman as a person.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys think the filmmaker is trying to say that God tries to control humanity and that makes Him a God unworthy of worship? He did call the main antagonist "Christof".
ReplyDeleteI think that the filmmaker may have been expressing that God is unworthy of worship. The filmmaker did put Christof in the form of an innocent man. Then towards the end of the movie he leads you to create a suspicion of him. The filmmaker may view God in this way as an innocent outside, but a judgmental man on the inside. I think that director may have called the main antagonist “Christof” because it has the word “Christ” in it. The filmmaker may have wanted to give a direct reference to this comparison.
DeleteI didn’t see it like that before! Now that I think about it, it does look like the filmmaker is trying to dis God. The filmmaker might see Christ as a liar that’s trying to keep him from having fun. He might see God as mean a man off in the distance watching him. He might think God is waiting somewhere for him to do something wrong so God can kill him. In the movie Christof lied and kept secrets to keep his TV show going. He kept Truman from having the adventure he really wanted by keeping him in the dome. In the end Truman probably saw the guy that invented the TV show as a horrible man that attempted to murder him. The creator of the movie must have been through a lot. From what I see he thinks God some incredibly terrible entity. I’m kind of sorry for him.
DeleteIn my opinion, I think that the filmmakers believe that God is unworthy of worship. First, they filmmakers make the movie so that God looks like he controls everything, and will attempt to murder someone for no reason. Throughout the film, Christof makes Truman's life a lie and a joke. The filmmakers are trying to show that God lies and mistreats us. However, He doesn't, God gives us grace when we deserve to die. It is ironic that the creator of the show is called Christof, when our savior is Christ. The name Christof makes him look like the creator when God is the actual creator. All in all, I believe the filmmakers disrespected God.
DeleteI agree with Kayla, I never thought of it like that until you said that. It does seem that in a way the filmmakers were dissing God. They made Christof the God of the movie and he was the bad guy. Chrisof risks Truman's life to try and save the show, God would never risk one of his creations lives selfishly. Christof lies to Truman the entire movie, God never lies to us. Another example that shows Christofs cruelty to Truman is at the end of the movie, he tells Truman the truth to try to get him to stay. Not to make things right with Truman, he tells the truth foR his own selfish ways.
DeleteI absolutely think he is because there are little hints all throughout the movie pointing towards this. First of all, Christof has Christ in his name, and second, 139 is all throughout the movie. It is referenced to Psalm 139 which is directly quoted to Truman at the end of the movie. Since all of these things are apparent, I believe that they are trying to mock God and say that he is controlling, just like Christof. In reality though, we do know that this is not true, and that God lets us make our own decisions and is not controlling. Before, I hadn't thought about it like this, but a lot of the movie is pointing towards Christof being the creator, and he is a liar and mean, and doesn't care about people truly. Christof was the villain, which is what I think they're trying to say about God.
DeleteI also think the director is trying to get a point across that God is controlling us and we are his "puppets." In The Truman Show there is a dome, which contains Truman's world. The creator of that world is Christof. Coincidence? I think not! In the Truman Show they never show a religion or God in Truman's life. I see Christof as more of the devil, because He puts hardships in Truman's life to make it more interesting and entertaining. I think the director does feel that we are God's dollhouse and we use us for entertainment. I think the director wants to use Truman to resemble the way he feels God treats all human beings. He seems to have a distorted view of why God created us.
DeleteMaybe. Maybe this is how he feels about God. He maybe feels that God is crazy psycho who controls your life. The thing is that is not what God is and someone needs to explain that to him. That He is loving not some person trying to make profit off of you. Or I think he was making his movie a what if the antichrist had control over you. And how horrible your life could be then. Just to show how much you need God. But who knows.
DeleteI do think that the filmmaker is trying to mimic God's control over us and that He is a God unworthy of worship. Some things that point to this are, as earlier mentioned, Christof's name and how cruel he is with his complete control over Truman. I disagree with the way the filmmaker did this, as Christof is a cruel, mean person while on the other hand God loves us and gives us His grace every single day, watching over us and caring for us.
DeleteNo I do not think so. I agree with N.Breneman that Christof represents the devil more than God. I some way you could distort Christof to being the God of the show, but I think he is more of the devil. He uses Truman to make money. He will not let Truman escape. Like S.Johnson said, he twists the truth to cover up his mistakes and to try to convince Truman to stay.
DeleteChristof directs the movie Truman Show. He is very controlling and does not exactly direct the show in the best interest of Truman. Christof has basically put Truman in a life of lies. Christof has also made a T.V. show that everyone worships. In the movie you would see restaurants of people staring at the T.V. watching the show. God had created a world that was perfect and then sin intruded. I think God and Christof’s worlds are similar because both were perfect and then sin came into the world. In the instance of The Truman Show the world was perfect, or close, until Truman suspected the real behind it. God’s character is shown through the movie in one major way. This is that God is a loving God, but he can also bring down the judgment. Christof at some points would be soft and gentle to Truman like in the very last scene he, in a loving manner, told Truman why he had made the show. Christof was also very harsh when Truman was trying to escape the T.V. set and Christof made a storm and drowned Truman. In conclusion there are many similarities in the Bible story and the Movie Truman Show.
ReplyDeleteTo: E. Parres,
ReplyDeleteGod raises the sun every morning, puts the moon and stars up at night, and tells animals what to do every season. God controls creation, but He doesn’t truly force it to do as He pleases like Christof. Christof makes Truman stay in the dome his whole life by taking his father away (which gave him afraid of water), and trying to make his yearning to travel the world, even as a child, vain. God gives us choices. He gives us the chance to look at His creation. He lets us choose to give ourselves to Him. He lets us choose what our passions are. God tells us which choices are better for us, but He doesn’t force us to do it. I agree with E. Parres in the fact that God and Christof are different, but they do have something in common other than the fact they control things. Besides, everyone is made in the God’s image that includes Christof. Genesis 1:27 says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Christof is creative, he makes his own ideas, his own statements, eloquent in speech, and he’s crafty. Though God and Christof are different they do have similarities.
I agree with K. Hawkins.God lets us choose what we do with ourselves, and He chooses whether or not the sun should rise in the morning, or the moon should come out at night. He could choose one day he doesn't want those things to happen, but He loves us so much He keeps doing them. Christof on the other hand made these things happen because he wanted to have a popular T.V. show.
DeleteI think God's and Christof worlds are different. Christof basically makes Truman's choices for him. He controls his world. Truman didn't want to date Meryl, let alone marry her, but Christof found someway for them to get married. Also when Truman's dad "died" out in the ocean, Christof made that happen because he never wanted Truman to ever want to leave. Christof also uses Truman's friends to say things, like when Truman and his best friends were sitting on the bridge his friend said "The last thing I would ever do to you is lie" Christof had him say that so Truman would trust him and not think he was actually lying. Gods on the other hand lets us make our own choices even though they are sometimes bad choices. God could make us perfect and make us do whatever He wants, but he doesn't want to. He doesn't make us perfect because He loves us and wants us to learn. Where as Christof was making Truman's life perfect because of his T.V. show and he wanted it to be popular.
ReplyDeleteI agree with D.Renaud. I do think that God has our best interest in mind when he judges us or gives us an obstacle to overcome. In Truman Show Christof has the T.V. show's best interest in mind. This means blocking Truman from the outside world and making his world a lie.
DeleteI think God is a lot different than Christof, because God wants us to make our own decisions. He wants us to be happy and have the freedom to do what we want (as long as it's not going against Him). Christof, however, didn't care about Truman's well-being, but instead only used Truman to make a good tv show. At one point when Truman was trying to escape, Christof almost drowned him to keep him from ruining his show. Just because he didn't want his show to end, Christof was willing to jeopardize Truman's life. God cares about us and wants what's best for us, unlike Christof.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Haley. Christof only cared about the show's well-being, not a human's well-being's. On the other hand, God cares about everyone's well being. Christof went to the extreme, when he attempted to murder a human on T.V. However, God came in the form of man, and was murdered on the cross to save us. Christof attempted to kill someone to sustain the show's status. In contrast, Christ was killed to save us, not a show.
DeleteI think that God and Christof are a lot different. For example, in the end of the movie Christof fears Truman and what his decision will be but God isn’t afraid of us. While Christof was using Truman for the things that Christof wanted him to do, we can do what we wish and still ask God on what decision to make. God and Christof are similar in some ways. In the movie Christof is using others to help him accomplish what he wants and God can use people to do what He also desires.
ReplyDeleteGod can ultimately control what happens on earth. But, He lets us make our own decisions about how we handle things on earth. Also, God knows the futures of everyone. Christof can't control Trumans thoughts or actions, he can only control what happens in his "world" around him. Christoff also doesn't know the future of Truman either. Christof and God are not that much alike when you see how much more power God has. When Truman took the boat out to the ocean, Christoff could only affect the weather of the world he controlled, not the thoughts or actions of Truman. Christoff only controlled the world he made, not Truman. God controls both the world, and everybody in the world including Truman.
ReplyDeleteGod is not at all like Christof. Chrisof is putting Truman in danger and almost kills him. God has done this before, in the story of David and the Lion, but Christof was not doing this for the welfare of Truman but for more viewers and the fame. They do not have anything in common because Christof only wants power and wealth but God cares about us and our well being. God only loves us not the fame or the wealth, unlike Chrisof.
ReplyDeleteI see a ton of control in this movie. Truman's whole life has by the man in the sky (Christof). He was forced to marry a woman that he did not truly love because Christof thought that the girl he married would be better for the part not the woman that Truman really loved. The boss of the job that Truman worked for tried to control him and make him go on a boat. Truman hates boats tough because his "father" died in a storm on the ocean.
ReplyDeleteTruman overall had the decision to marry or not marry his wife. Nobody forced him to marry her. I think he just married her, then he liked that other girl because he wasn't pleased with the girl he had. Not that he didn't have the control to marry her or not. He just wasn't satisfied with the weird wife he had.
DeleteI feel like every aspect of Truman's life was controlled except for the fact that he can choose from right and wrong. He had a tragic childhood because his dad "died" when they were out sailing. His wife was a setup from the day they met. I wonder if she had any love for him at all. His "best friend" was also a complete setup. It didn't even phase him before he flat out lied to Truman. His life was controlled and set up in more ways than not. I do not feel this is how God controls us. He has given us he power of free-will. He can use our decisions to fit in his perfect plan, but he doesn't use our bodies as robots. If He did, we would not sin. Our brokenness is proof of our free will. Truman had free will, but it was directed in the way they wanted. God steers us His way, but Christof manipulated Truman. There is a major difference.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything Nikki said. God gives us free-will, and if He didn't the world would be a different place. Everybody would be perfect, and happy, just like in Truman's world.
DeleteWhat would you say to someone who said to you the following:
ReplyDelete"God is a God that controls everything. We don't have a choice. Look at Isaiah 46: 9-10. It says:
...for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’"
Yes, what they are saying is true. God does control our future, but it is our choice to follow him and love him while we are on earth. I would tell them that they are probably taking the verse straight out of the Bible without knowing the context. The verse is telling us that God is an awesome God who knows the future and that it is a comfort to us because we know that he is there for us. He knows the choices we will make and the things that will happen to us. When we know this we can be sure that God will be there in the hardest of times.
DeleteThis is a question of free will and God preordaining everything. I think that saying God controls everything is not completely inaccurate. Jesus comes to mind, God knew before Adam and Eve were created that he was going to send his son to die for these humans that he created. Here is how I like to think about it. God knows everything that is going to happen but he does not choose it. He of course can change what would happen but as it says in Genesis 1:26 “god created man in his likeness, God definitely has free will and he loves us and gives it to us as well
DeleteThat is true, but God is not like that at all. God is like a GPS. There is obviously some control because it's telling you where to go, but it lets you make your own decisions. There just might be some detours along the way.
DeleteThey era directly saying that we don't have a choice. I would say that we do have a choice. God gives us the choice of whether or not to follow him, where to go with our lives, and we have to accept the consequences of those decisions. He knows everything, but not because he controls it. He knows our decisions before we make them, but does not influence them. Also, you are pulling the Scripture from the context. God is only providing comfort in knowing that he always has our backs, and that he will not let us fall.
DeleteI agree with Ricky. The filmmakers are saying that if we follow God we are like robots, not making any decisions for ourselves. However, that is not true at all. God gives us the choice to follow and worship HIm, he doesn't force us. He allows us to make good or bad decisions, and decide what path to take in life. But, controlling our every decision is not what God does.
DeleteI think a lot of the time, people misunderstand God's control over us. God has control over everything, and could do anything he wanted whenever he wanted. He could make every small or large decision for everyone without giving it a second thought and control everything all the time. However, God chooses not to do this. He wants to have a relationship with all of us and help us instead of just controlling everyone. He wants it to be our choice to love Him instead of just being automatic. I don't know what is truly controlled by God and what's up to us, but I know that God wants us to live our own life and find Him because we want to, not just because He made us. God could control everything if He wanted to, but His love is much deeper for us than just controlling everyone and making us worship Him automatically. He wants us to have our own personal relationship with Him.
DeleteEven though God is in complete control, He isn't a complete and total dictator sort of like Christof.
DeleteGod places people down on earth do be an authority and a leader. For example, God annointed David to be king over Israel. God placed David in the position he was in, and David would be the one to make ultimate decisions for the kingdom of Israel. Not to say that God is not in control of everybody, but He is controlling who make major decisions for people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Levi. I know that God does not control us because God gave Adam and Eve a choice to sin. If God was controlling us then we would be like robots, but we are able to think what we want and do what we want, but yes this is the feeling of know he is always watching us so that can kind of influence us to want to do the right thing, but i don't think we are control.
DeleteI also do not agree with Levi God does not control us he guides us through life with his eternal plan. God gives us free and does not chain us down. Christof did chain people down, by making them stay in one area and also controling even the actors every move.
DeleteI agree, yet disagree with Levi. I do agree with Chloe’s reply however. Levi, I agree with you when you say that God has people to be an authority and a leader however I disagree with you when you say that He is controlling who makes the major decisions for people. God gave us the ability to have a choice, (like Chloe said) Adam and Eve had a choice, and they just chose the wrong one. God has chosen some people to be leaders and some people to be followers, that doesn’t mean that the followers can’t stand up for themselves and make their own decisions. Christof was the leader in the movie, yet he set a bad example. He was glorifying lying by producing a world famous TV show that was based off of a lie. Not all born leaders use their gift of leading in the right way.
DeleteI mean disagree*
ReplyDeleteA main reason God and Christof are different, are that God would never kill one of his people without good reason, however, Christof tried to kill Truman just because he would get out. Also, connecting this to the Bible in an interesting way, God said he would never flood the Earth again. Christof tried to drown, or "flood," Truman in the boat. In that way, God and Christof are not at all alike.
ReplyDeleteThe way God and Christof control are both similar and different, but in general they're different. Christof was always watching Truman the same way God watches over us and the rest of creation. Christof told Truman that he had made this whole little world (TV set) for him to live in, the same way God created the Earth for us to inherit and live in. Based off of just those two facts Christof and God seem a lot like right? Wrong, Christof is a control freak who never game Truman the decision that God gives us. The decision if we want to live our lives for God, and for God's glory. Christof never gave Truman that decision and that is why they aren't alike. Christof wanted what was best for the show and himself, not what was best for Truman. In contrast, God wants whats best for his creation, not what is best for himself.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Evan, God is nothing like Christof, God is loving and would never do anything to put his children in harms way. Truman was Christof’s child and Christof did nothing to keep him safe, in a way he did the opposite. He basically threw Truman into a storm with intentions of him not coming back. God would never put us into a situation that He knew we couldn’t handle. I can only think of one thing that God and Christof would have in common; they both put obstacles in their children’s way to help them into making the right decision. The obstacles that Christof set in front of Truman were actually physical obstacles. For example, all of the cars were blocking Truman from getting anyway, and the people stopping him along the way to talk to him. Those are all physical obstacles. The obstacles God asks us to face are usually more of a spiritual type of obstacle.
ReplyDeleteGod and Christof, share one common character trait and that is control. But, I think that God gives us more freedom then Christof ever would, and that is awesome. I mean the guy literally chooses every single move Truman makes. Which, in my opinion, is different from God. God lets us make our own decisions, but knows what in the end we are going to choose. Knowing that we can make our own decisions, this makes me feel bad for Truman. And, knowing he can not make his own decisions without someone's approval, really stinks. Also, to not know every single decision is being tweaked to keep a lie going is really cold as well. For example the time he tried to leave the Island, he got he got stopped because of "the power plant had a leak" so he couldn't leave was horrible. I don't know about you, but to have a "parent" over your back making your decisions would kind of get annoying, right?
ReplyDeleteI think that Christof and God are both similar and different. First off they both created a world. I do believe that they are both controling the world, but with God he gives us freedom to follow the path he creates or not. Christof does none of thins. Think of it like this do you want a ruler that is like that annoying younger sibling that shoves stuff in you face and never gives you a chance to decide to pay attention. One way they are different is that God did not intend for the world to have lies and deciet as well as saddness. Christof on the other hand did, he knoew that he would not be able to control Truman without lies, deciet, and saddness.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Emma. And I think that is how Truman was so easily manipulated. As soon as these emotions reoccur in Truman's life that is when Christof can get Truman to do what he wants. That also shows how easy it is for God to have control over us.
DeleteGod does have complete control over our lives, but he lets us have our own freedom at the same time. He has control in the sense that he knows what we will do, what we have done, and what we are doing. He could strike us dead at any point in time. He can force us to do anything he wants. But the amazing thing is that he does not. He is a gracious God who lets us do what we want even when it is wrong. Now I am not saying that God does not care about what we do, because he cares very deeply about what we do. It makes him sad to see us disobey him, but in the end we learn from our mistakes. Christof, on the other hand, is very controlling in the sense that he will not let Truman leave the show, he makes Truman marry someone he does not love, and he kicks the girl actress, whom Truman loves, off the show, because she threatened his career. God and Christof do have something in common. They both have complete control over the worlds they created. It is how they use that power that makes them strikingly different.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Emma. Even though that God and Christof do not share all character traits, they still have some of the same motives. Their motives may not be for the same outcome but they both can manipulate people to achieve what they want to accomplish. In the movie Christof manipulates Truman to do the things that Christof wants by having people interfere with his regular life to block or maneuver him to or from situations that Christof wants. God is similar to him when God puts people in our life or uses us to change others perspectives or lives.
ReplyDeleteB. Johnson, I don't think that God uses people to manipulate us. He puts people in our life to guide us and be with us. I think a better word to use instead of manipulate is inspire.
DeleteI think God instead of being similar to a dictator, like Christof, by controlling and soaking up the glory and attention is caring and loving over His creation. Christof loved the attention and obviously loved being in control. On the other hand, God, is caring to his creation. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27 ESV) God cares about us enough to create us to be like Him and he provides for our needs in a genuine way, not deceiving and fake.
ReplyDeleteGod does in a sense, control our lives. However, God and Christof do it in very different ways. God will point and steer us in the right direction. He doesn't tell people in an earpiece to turn right in front of Truman so that he doesn't go one way. Christof tried to control Truman by putting a lightning bolt here, and barking dog there, in order to keep Truman in line. God doesn't do that.
ReplyDeleteI saw this in a different sense, I thought that the film makers could have made Christof the leader. They may not have meant anything harmful from that, but they also could have purposely made him an evil God. I do think that throughout the movie Christof was in many ways portrayed as the God of Truman's world. One of the big differences between Truman and God would be about how God created everything and he is the Lord of everything! Christof is just the ruler of the Truman Show. Christof lies to Truman constantly through out the movie, God would never lie to one of his beloved creations. Another example of their vast differences would be how Christof created/adopted Truman to make money and make a good show. God created us out of the love of his own heart.
ReplyDelete