The Social Network

Two shots stick out in my mind ever since I saw this. It was of the Winklevoss twins before and after visiting the Harvard president. It was a rather scant amount of time that both these shots were on screen. The shots basically decapitated the twins with the frame and focused solely on their suits and ties while still providing limited information of the background. It was an unusual shot in a film full of usual shots. That's not to say that the film looked bland or wasn't shot impeccably. If anything, Fincher should probably direct everything and anything just on the basis on his ability to make uncinematic material cinematic. These shots are also perhaps the pinnacle of Fincher's visual wit within the film. These shots provoked more thought in me than anything else in the movie. Really. It got me thinking about the simple differences between Mark Zuckerberg's fashion and the Winklevoss'. How the Winklevoss twins seem to be perpetually in suits and ties, while Zuckerberg always dresses casually, even at his own deposition. It also speaks volumes of the way capitalism in the modern digital era is. These shot cut off probably the most defining feature of any human, the face, and all you get are a pair of suits. Anybody could fill those suits. The Winklessvoss twins' idea wasn't revolutionary. That's why Facebook is still afloat. And I believe I read somewhere that the real Zuckerberg said if he didn't make Facebook, someone else would have. Its this ability to replace that is a chief characteristic of the Internet age and the anonymity that is a result of that. What makes your Facebook photo album of you and your friends getting drunk special from the myriads of others? Someone defriended you? You can always find someone else to fill that spot in order to get your friend count back up to what it once was. These two shots show how powerful mise-en-scene can be and why we need more directors with eyes like Fincher's.

Note: I plan to write more on this film in relation to Fincher's previous two offerings.