Monday, October 11, 2010

Intricacies of The Social Network

The social network is not a film. It is a litmus test for the beliefs of the audience concerning the place of networks in our life and their acceptance/rejection of the people that brought these gadgets to fruition.


It is the only film that I was enticed to see solely on the basis of its reviews. The reviewers (and the film makers themselves) seemed to be astonished by the audience reaction to the film. Reviewer after reviewer pointed out the polarizing effect that the film had on watchers, leading to spirited arguments outside of movie theaters.

This scenario played itself out with me and my entourage to a tee. My camp divided itself into the Zuckerberg haters, who could not forgive him for what they perceived as his ruthless treatment of those who stood in the way of his vision. The other camp felt cathartically inspired by the decidedly non-glamourous image of a socially autistic techie engaging in some gratifying battles with the establishment and other forces of conformity.

Like most reviewers, I also believe that the importance of this film is in the types of debate that it engenders. These debates touch on some important issues such as the nefarious consequences of the increasing mediation of our personal relationships. But I also believe that there are political and class issues in the film that we ought to engage. The political message of the film is the overthrow of old business models, and, by implication, the musty, oaky, nepotistic class system within which they thrive.

Even so, I'm still not sure...will Zuckerberg be a hero or a villain? I'm afraid that this film, more than anything, represents the high mark in the history of Facebook. And along with being a perceptive, subtle and engaging interpretation of its triumph, it also, unintentionally, suggests that this is the beginning of the end.

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