This week we decided to review another Oscar loser for our DVD Reviewsday. The Social Network was originally tagged for best picture winner, but was overtaken by The King's Speech. Honestly, we felt this was dubious, and decided to check out "the facebook movie" for a review.
The Social Network is the latest film by director David Fincher, who also directed classic thrillers such as Alien 3, Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac. While Social Network is not a thriller, it is shot and edited like one, giving the movie a brisk pace, especially for such a solitary subject. It is strange to think of social networking as a solitary activity, but it is something that we often do alone.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is a lonely figure in the film. He creates his first great project after a fight with a girl, while drunk. FaceMash uses stolen pictures of Harvard undergrads to rank women based on sexual attractiveness. This gets him noticed, mainly by the Winklevoss twins, who offer to hire Zuckerberg to create a dating site using only Harvard email accounts. Instead, Zuckerberg uses their idea of exclusivity to create a social network, The Facebook, with start-up money from his friend Eduardo Saverin. The Winklevoss's and Saverin would both go on to sue Zuckerberg, and the depositions serve as the plot vehicle for the film.
Seriously, the story of facebook has enough deception and intrigue to make it a fine film on it's own, but it's the position that facebook itself holds within our global society that makes this movie a must-see. Facebook allows users from all over the world to express their thoughts and desires. Facebook connects people from across cultures, and brings down regimes. Last month, an Egyptian family named their newborn baby Facebook.
So, bravo to the Academy. While we haven't had a chance to review The Kings Speech yet, we're sure that the acting, costumes, writing, and editing are all really great, but it's the relevancy of The Social Network that merits best picture. It is a study of the characters behind an innovation no less important than the printing press.
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
08 March 2011
27 January 2011
From Terhan To Tunis
Followers of this blog will remember the summer of 2009 when we reported on the Iranian uprising, and how social media, namely Twitter, had been influential in spreading the message of dissent. Youtube videos of protesters being beaten, or worse, were all over cable news. While many predicted the end of the Iranian theocracy, it never came to pass. Instead, the authorities crack down hard, and little has been changed in the months following.
Then came the protest this month in Tunisia. For some time now, discontent has been rising in Tunisia. Prime Minister Ben Ali, who has been in power since 1987, had always been an authoritarian leader, but the national economy was growing. GDP tripled under his administration. Yet, northern Africa, and much of the Arab world, was changing. Unfortunately for Ben Ali, Tunisian youths were getting mobile phones and creating facebook accounts just at a time when employment was slowing. They were seeing the modern world, but were left with only despair. Then a young, unemployed Tunisian named Mohamid Bouazizi set himself on fire after he was slapped by a police officer for selling fruit along the road. As the protest grew, fueled by groups created on facebook, Ben Ali came under increasing pressure. On January 15th, he was declared "absent" by the Supreme Court, and fled to exile in Saudi Arabia.
Comparisons to the "green revolution" in Iran are probably unavoidable, with one big distinction. These protest were successful. It remains to be seen what kind of government Tunisia will create, but it seems everyone knows (or thinks they do) the politics of these protesters. First of all, their politics are not religious. They are based on freedom of expression and creating opportunities for all. From the western viewpoint, this seems positive. Now, protest are spreading to Egypt, and the government has blocked Twitter. Acts of self-immolation have taken place in Algeria. There are unconfirmed reports of protest in Yemen. Today, Iraqi citizens attacked police after a car bomb killed dozens. This could be the beginning of true self-government in the Islamic world.
We should not get our hopes to grand, however. The West, Europe and the United States, have been colonizing Africa and the Middle East for centuries, and this will not be quickly forgotten. While human rights watchers will be pleased at new democratic governments, these new voters may not be eager to follow directions.
Then came the protest this month in Tunisia. For some time now, discontent has been rising in Tunisia. Prime Minister Ben Ali, who has been in power since 1987, had always been an authoritarian leader, but the national economy was growing. GDP tripled under his administration. Yet, northern Africa, and much of the Arab world, was changing. Unfortunately for Ben Ali, Tunisian youths were getting mobile phones and creating facebook accounts just at a time when employment was slowing. They were seeing the modern world, but were left with only despair. Then a young, unemployed Tunisian named Mohamid Bouazizi set himself on fire after he was slapped by a police officer for selling fruit along the road. As the protest grew, fueled by groups created on facebook, Ben Ali came under increasing pressure. On January 15th, he was declared "absent" by the Supreme Court, and fled to exile in Saudi Arabia.
Comparisons to the "green revolution" in Iran are probably unavoidable, with one big distinction. These protest were successful. It remains to be seen what kind of government Tunisia will create, but it seems everyone knows (or thinks they do) the politics of these protesters. First of all, their politics are not religious. They are based on freedom of expression and creating opportunities for all. From the western viewpoint, this seems positive. Now, protest are spreading to Egypt, and the government has blocked Twitter. Acts of self-immolation have taken place in Algeria. There are unconfirmed reports of protest in Yemen. Today, Iraqi citizens attacked police after a car bomb killed dozens. This could be the beginning of true self-government in the Islamic world.
We should not get our hopes to grand, however. The West, Europe and the United States, have been colonizing Africa and the Middle East for centuries, and this will not be quickly forgotten. While human rights watchers will be pleased at new democratic governments, these new voters may not be eager to follow directions.
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