So, let's first mark the questions to think about as follows: What kind of disconnection is the film about, and what are the social roots of disconnection? To what extent does the film realize the connection between the film's narrative and reality (that is, a connection), is it a focused problem exploration or an imaginative solution? What additional elaborations can be derived from formal autonomy for thinking about these issues?
Disconnect, there are two types of disconnection/disconnection in the film: the disconnection between the network and reality, and the division within the family. The former shows the paradoxical nature of technology: more and more connections/connections in the virtual world are undoubtedly opening and accelerating rifts in the real world, resulting in constant disconnection and separation - disconnection through connection. The latter is evident in the film: Derek & Cindy (Shadow of Losing Son); Jason/Detective Father (Sorrow of Losing Mother/Wife); Boyd Family (Busy and Ununderstood); With the strong woman reporter (the missing family and the prominent individual) - here, the gridded family and the atomized individual are displayed everywhere, the family is in the process of continuous separation, and the individual is gradually thrown out of the family running track.
In the context of family division, the film vaguely sets out an explanation of "absence". The family either loses a key member (such as the Derek couple loses their son, the Dixons lose their wife and mother), or the family is generally absent (The Boys and The Boys and reporter). In this elaboration, it seems that "absence" has become the main reason for the division of the family-absence has indeed caused a severe absence due to its absence, and the rupture of family and interpersonal relationships. But in the case of the Boyds' story, this lack of narrative seems to simplify the issue, or even divert the focus. The story of the Boyds illustrates that the more general separation of a well-rounded family is what we get here is the absence of presence.
Therefore, when we turn the focus of the problem from the outside of the family to the inside of the family, that is, mark the rift of the family in the inner and the own of the family, we can really see the crux of the problem: just as in "The Shining" , the division of the family is not the disturbance of external ghosts, the family is torn and damaged by the discrete force inherent in the family structure, and this discrete force is more revealed by the political economy of the 1970s and became the capitalism of this period. Notes on economic crisis and social rigidity. Therefore, the family split described in the film should be examined in a broader social context.
Where is the direction of thinking? In other words, what caused the split in the inner structure of the family? One detail in the film that should not be overlooked is the truth that Kyle tells when the female reporter goes to the hotel to pick up the spring boy Kyle: "You are all exploiting us. You are exploiting me too." Exploitation, this inside The main feature that lies in the capitalist mode of production and class structure clearly shows its place here: it is the spread of exploitation into a more general and broad sphere, into ordinary human relations, family relations, that creates a a fundamental tearing force.
The face of exploitation has a reverse process in the film: in the public opinion (represented by the news media) and public institutions (represented by the FBI, youth correctional centers), the organizers of the prostitution group are exploiters, They recruit minors and extract commissions from their video sales activities; and the exploitation in the capitalist society of the 21st century is far more than this simple and primitive form. The exploitation of ordinary citizens by modern financial means such as payment and financial derivatives (the experience of Derek and his wife), the exploitation is the intimidation and punishment of ordinary employees by the group when it encounters a crisis (a female reporter was punished for not cooperating with the FBI’s investigation). to the suspension of the company, in which Boyd, as a lawyer, gave the advice of suspension in a deadpan and official manner, and the betrayal of the female reporter at this time by the director of the company who had an ambiguous relationship with the female reporter), exploitation is a public institution to the socially disadvantaged Group disregard and delay in handling (the FBI is not in a hurry to find a prostitution boy who may be in deep danger, and he may be murdered by the organizers for telling the truth of the industry); exploitation is more manifested in Boyd at family dinners Incessant calls from clients, and even interviews by female reporters for boys who sell sex for the sake of news propaganda (in the narrative of the tearing of interests, the ambiguous and vague "infidelity" between boys and reporters seems pale and powerless ).
Here, exploitation has gradually become a background network of family and interpersonal relationships. This network is more woven and manipulated by social organizations such as modern financial institutions that are stronger than individuals and families, and gradually spilled over into the details of daily life and into the absence of children. room, dining table without conversation, and bedclothes without passion.
The layering of the narrative level of the film shows the intricate relationship between "disconnection and connection". The surface layer of the narrative level shows the separation of families and interpersonal alienation, and the deep layer reveals the possibility of (possibly imagined by the creator) connection. What is the likelihood of contact? In the film, several details demonstrate the good intentions devoted to creating the possibility of connection: the
first is the connection and intersection between the three narrative threads (Boyd, as a lawyer, "in the interests of the group company," suggests The suspension of the female reporter; Boyd and Derek hired Detective Dixon at the same time to investigate); followed by the film's handling of each story ending (through a joint tracking, the Derek couple restored their relationship; Beau Id traced his son's relationship and emotional journey. After that, the family hugged tightly in the ward. When hugging his wife and daughter, Boyd even held his son's ankle tightly. The organizer of the reporter’s sale of spring, then ran back to the organizer’s car and left together, returning to the “organization” instead of pursuing the normal and impossible life described by the female reporter).
Because the title/form of the film marks the film as disconnected, and in reverse, we need to think about these levels of connection that the film is trying to show, and what are the possibilities of these connections. The intersection of the three threads creates the impression that everyone and everything is always in a vast, everyday web. However, the question is, will such a real connection have an effect different from the virtual connection of the network, realizing the integration of fragmented interpersonal shutdown, or will it only cause alienation in the connection like the virtual connection of the network?
The experience of daily life is often grasped by us and becomes an important basis for us to experience reality, belong to reality, and even construct daily subjectivity. It can be deduced from the narration of the film that these interconnected individuals are always trapped within themselves. in a situation where they cannot rely on these connections to be rescued. Furthermore, these connections are not structured in traditional human interaction, but are structured on the basis of exploitation and economic interaction. In these connections and connections, everyone always puts on a Boyd lawyer-like, business-like face (Dixon doesn't charge Derek and encourages him to persist, perhaps with a touch of tenderness). It can even be said that the tighter the connection, the more severe the alienation between people.
Here, we can also pay attention to such a detail: at the climax stage of the film, with Ben Boyd's lonely humming as the background music, the film screen makes a concentrated display of the main tasks of the three narrative lines, showing the characters in turn Or lonely or silent face close-up. In the film, it is only at this moment that all the main characters seem to be freed from their trapped situation and achieve "connection"/"connection" in the flow of the film by means of the editing of the shots. This formal connection, its deep theme, is a feeling of "disconnection" that cannot be escaped. And this theme does not need to dig deep, the background music that hums and sings has already done the best interpretation from the senses.
Here, we can recognize such a synchronous process: the diffusion of exploitation from the economic and class spheres to the family and daily relations maintains a certain tacit synchronization with the penetration and assimilation of the network connection to the reality connection.
In this way, we should pay more attention to the surface and form of narrative, that is, the fact of disconnect (here we recall that Zizek always repeatedly mentioned Hegel's "spirit is a bone", and the answer emerges where the question first appeared) . The (imaginary) solutions and prospects presented in the depths of the narrative become a conscious or inadvertent glimmer of the postmodern capitalist economy’s economic patterns, social interactions, and family structures based on consumption and exploitation—the actual On the other hand, this is also the external aspect of the disconnected film, that is, the connection and disconnection between the film and reality.
In other words, the film pays attention to such a fact and tells such a story, but how effective and possible are the angles of attention and telling, the direction of thinking about problems and the path to finding answers, in reality? This is about a question that everyone needs to think hard about in this era.
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