How does fact and fiction relate to narrative in the Social Network?
As the film itself is based on real life events, particularly as it deals with lawsuits involving Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins, it is vital that there is factual accuracy for it to be based upon. Despite the editing of the film being able to manipulate the way in which the story is told, if significant details are unfounded it could potentially jeopardise the reputations of the real life characters. The film itself was based on the novel ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ by Men Mezrich who had the co-founder of Facebook Eduardo Saverin, a character within the film, as his main consultant, highlighting the significance of factual evidence and it’s relation to the story of The Social Network.
The film is plotted within a structure that switches between topics or events brought up in Zuckerberg’s deposition hearing, which in itself introduces vital information towards the story of the film, and flashbacks to the actual events that occurred in Zuckerberg’s journey towards the creation of Facebook. The real settings of Harvard University and references to actual organisations such as The Phoenix final club and Napster also highlight the factual nature that integrates itself throughout the entirety of the film.
Specific statistics such as “twenty two thousands hits within two hours” when referring to Zuckerberg’s first project ‘Facemash’ , dates such as “November 30, 2003” within the montage sequence during the development stage of the film and the mentioning of official documents and statements also illustrate the importance of fact in relation to The Social Network’s narrative. It may also be suggested that the fact the film is heavily based on real life events and people it creates an interesting crossover from the world of the film into ‘real life’, not breaking the fourth wall, but closing the gap between the audience and the contemporary topic that the film is based upon.
However, fiction is inevitably used as a tool of exaggeration, and to increase the
The film is plotted within a structure that switches between topics or events brought up in Zuckerberg’s deposition hearing, which in itself introduces vital information towards the story of the film, and flashbacks to the actual events that occurred in Zuckerberg’s journey towards the creation of Facebook. The real settings of Harvard University and references to actual organisations such as The Phoenix final club and Napster also highlight the factual nature that integrates itself throughout the entirety of the film.
Specific statistics such as “twenty two thousands hits within two hours” when referring to Zuckerberg’s first project ‘Facemash’ , dates such as “November 30, 2003” within the montage sequence during the development stage of the film and the mentioning of official documents and statements also illustrate the importance of fact in relation to The Social Network’s narrative. It may also be suggested that the fact the film is heavily based on real life events and people it creates an interesting crossover from the world of the film into ‘real life’, not breaking the fourth wall, but closing the gap between the audience and the contemporary topic that the film is based upon.
However, fiction is inevitably used as a tool of exaggeration, and to increase the