That Facebook Movie
I remember the days leading up to
the release of “The Social Network” and the hype that surrounded it. The film had actually made a name for
itself even before it started shooting, as the script by Aaron Sorkin that was
making the rounds in the industry was being hailed as one of the best script to
come around in a long time. Once Fincher signed on to direct the hype only
intensified. But everyone on the public side was puzzled by the project,
because how the hell do you make a movie about Facebook? And this question is
still something of a misnomer that follows the film.
Once the film finally released
the critical response was overwhelmingly positive, some critics called it a
defining movie of the generation while others even compared it to “Citizen
Kane”. A lot of hype and superlatives. The film was instantly and almost
unanimously declared a front runner for the Oscars, but it underperformed both
on the box office and on the awards circuit (it lost the 2011 best picture
Oscar to “The King’s Speech”, in my opinion the weakest film of the ten
nominees). And today, only two years since its release, it seems that hardly
anyone even cares to remember it.
In my opinion this
underperforming of the film and the general bewilderment that it inspires in an
average viewer can be attributed to two factors. The mentioned hype and the
“Facebook” tag is certainly one of them, but it is the lesser one. The major
factor is the way Fincher shot and directed his film, giving it a completely alienating
and cynical tone which is very much in contrast to Sorkin’s hip and snappy
script. If he shot it “straight” I am sure that the film would have played much
better and maybe even won its Oscar, but it would have also been a considerably
lesser film as well.
Still, as Fincher films go this
is probably the tamest one. His stylistic sensibilities take a backseat for
most part and he lets the actors and the material do the work. The only real
hints that this is a David Fincher film is the cinematography with its now
trademark “Fincher” soft lighting and moody hues, and a few energetically cut
sequences. And considering the material this is absolutely the right decision
because instead of accentuating Sorkin’s customary zingers the more somber
tonality of the film lets the character work underneath the dialogue breathe
much more. I’d even argue that it gives the dialogue itself a new layer of
sharpness and sting that a lighter tone would make feel somewhat heavy handed.
Actually Sorkin’s new show “The Newsroom” is a good proof of this.
But for me the dialogue itself is
not the great aspect of the script anyway. It is very good, don’t get me wrong,
but it is the obvious thing to notice so it has gotten the most mention in
every damn article that was ever written about this film. What doesn’t get
mentioned nearly as much is the construction of the script, which for me is one
of the main reasons the film works so marvelously. It effortlessly jumps from
the events surrounding the creation of Facebook to the two lawsuits that
resulted afterwards, and back and forth. This scene dynamic is the source of
much of the film’s intrigue and humor and it is used to great effect for
build-up and delivery. It also gives the film many liberties from regular
linear narrative constraints, which ultimately allows “The Social Network” to
work on multiple levels despite the dense plot*.
One of those levels is certainly
the character study of Mark Zuckerberg, the brain behind Facebook, who is
played by Jesse Eisenberg. And although Eisenberg does not physically resemble
the real Zuckerberg that much he proves to be the perfect choice because he not
only has considerable acting chops, but he also seems to be a true introvert
just like Zuckerberg is in Sorkin’s script. Eisenberg is the perfect outsider
and loner, but he also projects intelligence and babble-mouthed arrogance that
oftentimes makes him seem very insensitive and a little alien. Which is perfect
of course, because who but an absolute loner would have the need to create a
website like Facebook, which sole purpose is to connect people? But this is
also the ultimate irony of this character, because in making this amazing
website he loses the only friend he has.
And if you want to put a finger
on what exactly the narrative of “The Social Network” is about then it is that.
It’s about two friends gradually and spectacularly falling apart as they give
birth to a multi-billion dollar company. And money is certainly a big part of
the film. Huge figures are constantly thrown around in the dialogue and the film
completely takes place in the world of the privileged and the super rich,
accentuating the decadence and hedonism of our modern time. This in turn
further contributes to the tonal alienation because it is something the “99%” cannot
really relate to.
But Mark himself does not belong
to that world, you can tell so just by looking at him. But he does want to
belong, event though that is a pure “want” and not a “need”, which is the crucial
difference. He wants to join one of the prestigious “final clubs” that “lead to
a better life” but what he actually needs is something completely different,
something that he has at the very start of the film and foolishly squanders.
But out of that loss the first inklings of the Facebook idea are born.
And this is precisely the most
fascinating aspect of “The Social Network” and it is absolutely what the whole
bloody film is about. It is a complete dissection of an idea, its evolution and
how it is formed in to reality. We first of all need to understand that ideas
are not just “Eureka!” moments, flashes of inspiration that hit us and move us
in to creation. Sometimes they’re that, sure, but more often than not they’re
something that simmers in the back of one’s head and builds over time; weeks,
months even years sometime. Different events add to it differently and that is
precisely what we witness in this film. That whole process and it is fucking
beautiful.
At the surface “The Social
Network” is a movie about Facebook and its creation, but in its depth it’s a
film about a once in a lifetime, holy-shit idea. It’s about the process of
nurturing and growing that idea in to the 500 million user, multi-billion
dollar giant that ultimately became Facebook. And it shows how a human gets
there and what forces drive him. This movie is superbly written, acted and
directed, but this chronicle and analysis of a genesis and evolution of a
single idea is what makes it a masterpiece. And I do not care how factual it
is, because it is the poetic truth in every sense of that phrase.
“The Social Network” is dense
with detail, information and character. It was a dizzying watch for me the
first time I saw it two years ago, but I knew that I witnessed a very special
movie even though I was, like most other people seemed to be, a bit perplexed
by it. I have seen it numerous times since then and I honestly consider it one
of the best American films in recent memory. All that hype turned out to be
very true for me.
-
*the amazing editing of the film
is a big contributing factor for this as well, but it only builds further on
the great mechanic established in the screenplay.
Cast:
Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg
Andrew Garfield - Eduardo Saverin
Armie Hammer - Cameron / Tyler Winklevoss
Justin Timberlake - Sean Parker
Rooney Mara - Erica Albright
The Social Network on IMDb
note: this article is for the date of 09/30/12 but because it was poster after midnight it got pushed in to the next day. It seems that the 1st of October will have two entries.
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