0] "Paranoid", this is an inexplicable film name, it is too psychological, too neurotic, so that it does not seem to be suitable for the content of the film. Compared with the inexplicable name of the film, the general plot of the film is quite clear: two information technology companies are engaged in commercial espionage and anti-commercial espionage activities around innovative smartphone technology. The smartphone guided the development of the film's plot, which is the purpose. The motivation of the activities in the plot is to compete for benefits. Whether it is the two smartphone companies or the male protagonist sent to act as a commercial spy, they are all guided by the power of money. "The Power of Money" is a suitable name for the film, which is easier to understand than "paranoia" or "delusion". From the content point of view, the title "paranoia" includes the meaning of the above two: smart phones and the power of money. The reason why they become paranoid is rooted in their social background, that is, the capitalist system. This is a formal cause. Therefore, through such a logical analysis, the film’s name "paranoia" is not so inexplicable. It interprets the story of "paranoia" or "delusion" guiding the people. This kind of paranoia is divided into three aspects: smartphones, money The power of capitalism.
[Smartphone guides the people]
1] From the subject matter, "Paradox" (
2] Imitation or copying is the strong vitality of smart phones. Smartphones are copied like crazy, and the result of constant copying is that they live on the Internet. From low-end to mid-end to high-end, the smart phone industry has developed a ladder-like way of existence. Smart phones permeate people's lives, and even dominate their lifestyles, just as new species invade an ecosystem without natural enemies. Smart phones need to be accepted by people's life ecology. The advertisement of the smart phone hints to people, allows people to see its power, and makes people mean that if they own a smart phone, they also have its power. Advertising is always easy to make consumers forget about it. When people believe in the ideas conveyed by smartphone advertisements, they are also willing to allow smartphones to colonize their already fragile life ecology. People are willing to pay attention to smart phones, and some people also have smart phones that follow the trend as a guarantee of their sense of existence. In this way, smart phones have successfully rooted their ability to replicate in life, occupying the way of life.
3] While smartphones promote information exchange, they also monopolize information, imprisoning people who rely on information. Emancipation and enslavement are unified dialectically: the smartphone is the liberator of information, and at the same time, it is also the enslaver of information. When beings simply yearn for freedom, give up the dominance of information, stay away from the work of thought, and give information and thoughts to an objective thing called a smart phone, the being becomes a slave of the smart phone. The smartphone has become a worshipper, it is perfectly indispensable, and it has become an "artifact". Smart phones have brought new doctrines of human liberation. Those who regard smart phones as the new gods form new believers: Smartphone Addicts. The basic doctrine should be, "Smartphones guide the people."
4] Smart phones are the material carriers of the paranoia in the era of capitalist information technology. In this era when smart phones lead the people, when people discover that smart phones may erode the meaning of life, those who are still trying to defend the meaning of life ask, "To Smartphone or Not to Smartphone, that is a question!" The follow-up will continue to echo. Intellectual people should understand that although "smartphones are a way of life", "the smart phones that are not under scrutiny are not worth having."
[The power of money guides the people]
5] "Paranoia" is not a film praising information technology innovation or smartphone innovation. It is not promoting the innovation culture of an information technology company (such as "Uncle Intern"), nor is it promoting The personality charm of a certain smart phone innovator (such as "Jobs"), on the contrary, what is emphasized here is not technological innovation, but the theft of technology or commercial espionage; the emphasis is not on the commercial prosperity of the information technology society, but on The dark side of human nature that still persists in the information technology society: greed, mutual harm, conflicts of interest... these are all dominated by the power of money.
6] Speaking of technology imitation or stealing technology, the film said, "Picasso said that good artists are copied, and great artists are stolen" (or: A good artist borrows, a great artist steals.), "There is nothing original in the world, we all steal the inspiration of others". It is said that Jobs quoted Picasso's words, and some information technology companies continue to interpret those words. Picasso’s thesis shows that originality is actually only legend or myth, and its true content is imitation and cover-up. This can be used as the survival philosophy of some information technology companies. Certain information technology companies in China have become information industry giants step by step by copying, imitating, and "stealing". They have occupied the information life of the Chinese. Probably in the concept of business, interest always precedes morality. There is probably not much to be blamed, otherwise it may cause people to fall into a hypocritical situation. As consumers, what they enjoy is exactly those imitated or stolen information technology products.
7] Of course, in the context of capitalism, whether it is stealing in a material sense, stealing in a technical sense, or stealing in an emotional sense, it can all be measured by money. When unethical behaviors such as piracy or theft occur in the information technology or smartphone industry, the companies involved in the interests seek monetary compensation. If self-interest is not involved, moral blame is very weak. Consumers are not so ethical. If they do not harm their private interests, they will hardly care about moral dilemmas. Moral judgments are empty, and only money has power.
8] Emancipation and slavery are still unified dialectically: money is the liberator of the body, and money is also the slave of the body. In the film Paranoia, it is the power of money that determines the development of the character's plot, and there are few moral principles that influence the choice and judgment of the character. The protagonist of the film is an information technology worker. He likes to make smart phones. Maybe he has career aspirations in his heart, but he did not show it in his behavior. Although he complained about the capitalist distribution system, it did not translate into any moral principles. Even when he learned that his father's medical insurance would be revoked, he did not break with the boss of the smartphone company. Instead, he expected the master of the telecom company to adopt his smartphone application project and give him a chance. But he was kicked out after being taunted by the company master. At this time, I thought he would find a moral reason to retaliate against the telecommunications company master, like "Enjoy the Game" or "Lucky Number Slavin", even like "Invasion of Wall Street." That kind of thing is also good. But he didn't. After being driven out by the company master, all he thought of was stealing the money in the company's credit card, and all he thought of was naively enjoying the power of money. As a result, he was discovered by the original company master and was forced to act as a commercial spy for the original company. At this time, what he saw was still the promised money return from the company master. …Although the two telecommunications company masters were arrested with his assistance towards the end, it was more of a defensive behavior. The final happy ending was only that he obtained financial satisfaction. As for the friendship and love in the film, it is also expressed as the influence of money.
9] The power of money guides the people. This is the driving force of the capitalist system and, of course, it is also the driving force of capitalism in the age of information technology. The power of money is the source of the so-called freedom of the capitalist market economy. In its role, various capitalist paranoia symptoms or paranoias have been produced. The net of money is restored, but not leaking.
[Capitalism guides the people] or [Marxism guides the people]
10] The plot shown in the movie "Paranoia" is a manifestation of paranoia or paranoia in the capitalist system. The film does not whitewash the contemporary prosperity and the beauty of capitalism like the films in many eras. It shows the cunning, greed and bigotry of capitalists or corporate masters. "While the workers are bound by the lowest-class salary, the company elders lead a luxurious life." The film also expresses the situation of capitalists occupying high profits through the words of the male protagonist and pursuing profits recklessly. These are manifestations of capitalist paranoia or contradictions. However, the Marxist comprehension of the whole film is not high. It does not reveal the "basic capitalist contradiction between the socialization of production and the private possession of the means of production". The actor only expressed his dissatisfaction with capitalism as if complaining, but he did not raise his ideas and behaviors to the level of class consciousness. The protagonist’s ideas and behaviors show that the ideas of the bourgeoisie or technical workers are still being softened by the power of capitalist money. They also chase money or benefits like capitalists. They do not realize the importance of the anti-capitalist revolution.
11] The enslavement of smartphones to people and the enslavement of money power to people are the result of capitalist paranoia. To overcome this paranoia, we must get rid of the guidance of capitalism and let Marxism or communism guide the people! Marxism has long realized that capitalism will inevitably lead to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few people. Unscrupulous installments and bank loans set off the illusion of market prosperity. Capitalists are driven by interests and blindly expand production... In short, capitalism is paranoid in nature, and Marxism can scientifically cure the symptoms of paranoia.
12] Ideally, communism should indeed guide the people. However, the reality is a different story. Probably we cannot criticize the low level of class consciousness of the male protagonist in the film Paranoia, because the world he faces is a world of capitalism's overwhelming victory. The Soviet Union, the leader of socialism, has disintegrated, and few socialist countries have been revisionist. It is possible that pure socialism is restricted to a small area of North Korea, and the leaders there are just busy building theirs. "Socialist Wonderland", there is no time to look around...The whole world has been shrouded in the cloud of capitalist paranoia, how can we not let people who yearn for liberation be depressed.
13] Although the cloud of capitalism spreads over the world, "a single spark can start a prairie fire." The stars of communism will still shine in the hearts of the people and guide the people.
[Conclusion]
00] Some people say that this film is a flashy, boring thriller. Watching it is as exciting as watching someone send a text message. Therefore, I think that writing a long news about it will probably be quite exciting.
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