"TV is the opium of the masses"
This is Matthew's view on television from the film Trust, directed by Hal Hartley. All throghout the film Matthew fights against televisions. He refuses to watch them or to fix them. He refuses to take on a job fixing televisions because of his ideas about television, but when he thinks he will have to provide for a child he takes the job.
Once he takes the job repairing televisions, he is seen interacting with them more at home as opposed to earlier in the film when he would spend most of his free time reading. He began watching television to cope with his days at work. The film promotes the idea that doing menial work all day will lead to finding unfulfilling ways to spend your spare time.
In addition to watching more TV after Matthew begins to work more, he is also seen drinking more. After work he would turn on the television and crack open a beer. Instead of reading, or talking to his friend Maria, Matthew secludes himself to numbing his mind with what he previously stated "Would give you cancer."
Trust's take on work is that working menial jobs will make lesser forms of entertainment, such as television, more attractive than more intellectual forms of entertainment.
Diego I really like your analysis of a seemingly minute detail in the film but made it relate to the theme as much as anything else. I never would have thought of the difference of opinion regarding TV between Matthew and every other character in the film.
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