A CRITIQUE ON THE MOVE ”THE SOCIAL NETWORK” BY DAVID FINCHER USING STUART HALL’S MODEL TO ANALYSIS ITS THEMES

 David Fincher’s THE SOCIAL NETWORK was released in 2010. The movie was telling how Facebook was created. Mark Zuckerberg became a tech genius; he has the symbol of ambition, betrayal and the cost of innovation.

In the early 2000s, the movie capture a key cultural moment when and how social media was beginning to shape and how many people connect, share and how they present themselves to the world.

The movie is also carefully constructed through fast paced editing, non-linear storytelling, and a dark clinical visual style. I might accept the film’s portrayal of Mark as a misunderstood genius while others may see it as critique of the power, privilege and the toxic culture of tech entrepreneurship.

It will then examine how audiences might decode these messages in various ways. 

This structure encodes that Mark Zuckerberg has a conflict and fractured. Zuckerberg’s ambition made him betray all his friends and made his girlfriend broke up with him due to the power of struggles. The film’s rapid, rhyme editing, especially during dialogue- heavy scenes (like the opening breakup scene or legal deposition.

The movie is talking about the settings, lighting, costumes positioning. The movie used on has both heroic and toxic. Mark’s drive builds a tech empire but costs his relationship and emotional connection

Ambition; Zuckerberg’s ambition is the engine of the story. His desire is to prove himself socially, intellectually and professionally , he drives his decisions, often at the expense of personal relationship. Mark later achieves his massive success that ends up emotionally distant, as seen in the final scene where he obsessively refreshes a Facebook  page alone.

Gender: The film is about a male-dominated tech world and explores how women are marginalized or objectified in that space. The female genders are largely – girlfriends, intern, partygoers which underscores the gender imbalances in silicon valley.

His girlfriend’s breakup with Mark was at the beginning of the movie and it is a catalyst for his creation of Facebook

Mark’s bitterness and anger made him create a Face mash  a site of women’s appearances, it reveals how females are tied to power and ego in the story.

Class: Mark is a Harvard student that comes from a middle class background and he sees himself as an outsider.

While he made Facebook was part to break into elite social circles on his own terms.

Power; He got his power through code, innovation, and strategy, but exercises it.

He ruthlessly cuts off his friends, rising their ideas to redefine his own social network

 

 

Using the negotiable perspective about the movie is how mark’s ambition is the core driving force of the film. He is portrayed as someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals even if it means betraying his close friend Eduardo or hurting others.

He starts by creating a small website to rate women (FACEMASH, but his desire to prove himself grows, and FACEBOOK becomes a global idea. Breaking up with his girlfriend and losing his friends shows how ambition comes at a personal.

Despite success, he ends up isolated, which shows the hollow victory of ambition without human connection.

Mark comes from a middleclass background, but he was still surrounded by students from elite, wealthy friends and families, like the Winklevoss twins.

He is driven by a need to break into the upperclass social circles and Facebook becomes his way of “ levelling the playing field”.

The offer from peter TEALS ( a real- life billionaire investor) marks the transition from outsider to insider- he gains wealth and access to elite spaces, but at a cost.

As Facebook grows, so does Mark’s power- but that power is manipulated and weaponized.

Eduardo, his friend and the co- founder, is eventually cut out of the company, showing how power shifts can cause deep betrayal.

Mark uses his control over the platform to shape the company’s future reflecting how in tech power is not just about ideas – it is about ownership and control.

My point that he wanted the app to reach people contrast with how he ends up emotionally distant- this shows that having power doesn’t mean having connection with them.

In conclusion, the social network, ambition drives innovation but also leads to isolation. The film critiques how power is gained and abused, especially in spaces where class privilege and gender imbalance are already deeply embedded. Through Zuckerberg’s rise, we see how technology can both connect and divide, and how the pursuit of success can sometimes cost more than it gives.

Social networks have changed the way we live. They help us stay in touch with friends and family, meet new people, and learn new things. We can share our thoughts, pictures and life moments with just a few clicks. Many people also use them for work, education, and even to support good causes. Clearly, social networks bring a lot of benefits and make life more connected.

But at the same time, there are some problems. Spending too much time online can make people feel lonely or anxious. Sometimes, people compare themselves to others and feel bad about their own lives. Also, not everything we see on social media is true – fake news and online bullying are the real problems. And let's not forget the privacy issues, where personal information can be misused or shared without our permission.

So, while social network are powerful tools, it is important to use them wisely. We should try to take breaks when needed, think before we post, and be kind to others online.  

They offer unparalleled opportunities for global interaction, self-expression, and community building.

However, they also pose significant challenges including, issues of privacy , mental health, and misinformation .

The impact of social networks is neither entirely positive nor wholly negative – it depends on how we use them .

As users, developers and policymakers , it is essential to promote responsible usage, encourage digital literacy, and design platforms that prioritize well- being and truth.

Untimely, social networks should serve as a tools to enhance human connection, nor replace or diminish it.

 

 

 Performance and Power – Jesse Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg

Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg is what anchors the entire film. He doesn’t play Mark as a traditional tech hero or even a s a villain. Instead, he plays him like someone constantly wearing a mask _ dry, sarcastic, emotionally stunted, and terrifyingly smart. His vocal delivery is fast, clipped, and defensive. He sounds like he’s always trying to win an argument, even when no one’s fighting. His body language is stiff. He rarely makes eye contact. This performance tells us: here’s someone who built a world to avoid living in it.

Compared to other characters, especially Eduardo Saverin ( played by Andrew Garfield), Mark comes across as robotic. Eduardo speaks more emotionally, reacts with warmth, and visibly shows pain when betrayed. His outburst _ when he smashes Mark’s laptop _ is one  of the few scenes where the film’s tight emotional control breaks. And when it does, we feel tragedy of what’s been lost: friendship, trust, loyalty.

Even Sean Parker, played with cocky flair by Justin Timberlake, is more emotionally expressive than Mark. Sean charms, flatters, and seduces. Mark, by contrast, observes and calculates. His genius doesn’t make him human _ it makes him untouchable. Eisenberg’s performance turns that untouchability into a kind of emotional tragedy.

Section 5: What Says About Genius and Loneliness.

At its core, The Social Network isn’t about Facebook. It’s about the human cost of ambition. Through Fincher’s cold camera, tight editing, distant visuals, and chilling performance direction, we see a portrait of genius that’s not inspiring but isolating. Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a hero or a villain _ he’s a product of a system that rewards intelligence over empathy, speed over thoughtfulness, and strategy over sincerity.

Fincher doesn’t romanticize the tech revolution. Instead, he shows it as a battlefield _ driven by ego, fueled by revenge, and built by people who often can’t connect with others in real life. The film feels like a tech revolution because of its speed, its precision, and its obsession with control. But it also feels like a warning: if you build an empire without real human connection, you may end up sitting alone at the top _ refreshing the friend request page, waiting for something you can’t code.

In the end, Fincher’s The Social Network is less about what Mark did and more about what he lost. Through technical mastery and emotional restraint, the film quietly suggests that genius might not be a gift. It might be a shield. Or worse _ a cage.