Why I like the Movie Hackers, and Finley Doesn’t.
posted by Beerslinger
I’m going to answer the second part first and the first part second. My main man, Finley the Incredible (aka the Vanilla Albatross), has never been fond of the movie Hackers, and who could blame him. I mean after all it’s a movie about technology and sub culture that displays absolutely no understanding of either the technology or the culture. Particularly offensive to him are the hackers in the Kabuki makeup and the guy that played the villain. Apparently he is not villainous enough for Finley.Who could blame him for these opinions? Certainly not I.
However, I see a deeper meaning to the movie. (Yes, I did just use the phrase “deeper meaning” in reference to Hackers.)
I see Hackers, not as a low budget, low class science fiction thriller, replete with bad acting and bad writing, but as a form of social commentary.
Think about it.
In the mid to late 90’s a new kind of terrorist started to emerge in our society. This terrorist did not look like the terrorist we all know and despise, but instead looked like the least among us. They looked like the geek, and the dork, and the kid that we used to pants in high school. They began to create a culture and a language of their own and it scared a lot of people. They viewed their attacks as pranks, but the rest of the world viewed them as devastating. They were dangerous to our infrastructure, economy and entertainment.
This group of the population lived mostly in secret, moving around us, unidentified. Their culture could not be observed from the outside. Old white men (the ones most likely to make movies) could not gain access to these individuals, and were the ones least likely to be admitted into their culture.
Think about Hackers, not as a movie, but as a wildlife documentary about sentient whales. If I set out to make a documentary about whales, what the crap do I know about whales? I can’t talk to them, socialize with them, or understand their culture. So I would probably just make things up.
This is what happened with Hackers.
People set out to make a movie about a subject they did not understand, and instead of telling us about the subject, they told us about themselves.
Look at the themes of the movie:
-People that did not fit into regular society having power over us that we could not combat or understand.
-The ability of children to bring down our financial system.
-Our law enforcement system bumfuzzled, and impotent.
-A disgruntled employee using his skills to wreck our energy supply and destroy our environment.
-Strange costumes, dress, and mannerisms.
-Ambiguous sexuality.
-Subversion!
This is not a movie about Hackers, this is a movie about society and it’s fears. This is a movie that belied the underlying fear in EVERY human being, the fear of things we do not understand. This is a movie about our history, cleverly disguised as blissfully ignorant crap.
Take another look at it if you don’t believe me. It’s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, without Sidney Poitier.
Tags: hackers, movie
Posted in movies |
August 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Wow…that’s profound.
I’m headed to Fry’s to buy it after work.
August 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Beerslinger, very on point. There are actually other movies that tell the same type of tale. But here is the thing. I actually liked Hackers for entertainment value. I saw it in the theatre with friends of mine who were in the BBS scene. While we laughed at some of the over-sensationalized parts there was basis for some of the things they were doing.
Hell I own both soundtracks to the movie too.
August 4th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I really think it’s one of the great movies of all time that depicts the microcosm of a particular counter culture. Even though it contains a plethora of inaccurate information, that inaccuracy speaks to society.
Really, I think it’s a fantastic movie, easily on par with Raiders of the Lost Arc, or Episode IV. Only with a much deeper meaning.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:45 am
…
The democratic response will be coming soon. Mark my words.
So says The Vanilla Albatross.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Imagine my suprise that you missed the subtleties of such a movie.
You seem to prefer the more ham handed tech movies.
Oh! Please tell us again how much you hated Apollo 13.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Ahem… I happen to love Apollo 13, sir. You have your facts incorrect once again, Senor Fancy Pants.