20 Things You Didn't Know About The Truman Show

The phrase "All for one and one for all" may be associated with The Three Musketeers more than anything else, but the famous quote actually dates as far back as the 1500's. Shakespeare uses it in his poem The Rape of Lucrèce to characterize people who take massive risks and it serves as the unofficial motto of Switzerland.

In the context of The Truman Show, the phrase takes on a slightly different meaning. "All for one" refers to the cast, crew and viewers that all play a part in supporting Truman, in the name of the show. Whereas "One for all" simply means that this man is there purely for the entertainment of the whole world. It's a dark twist on the normally positive adage and couldn't be more perfect for summing up the film.

In order to cement the link between the film and phrase, the filmmakers left plenty of subtle hints towards it. One less subtle reference is found when Truman sees his father for the first time at the town's arches. Carved into those arches is "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno", which is the Latin translation of the phrase.