In David Fincher’s 2010 film The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg brings to life a fictionalized version of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, portraying a neurotic, yet determined figure who is at once unlikeable and infinitely interesting. There are many elements in Eisenberg’s quiet, intense performance that make Zuckerberg one of the more fascinating cinematic protagonists of recent years. In this essay, Eisenberg’s use of motivation, heightened language, physical character work, character private moments and substitution in The Social Network will be explored.
Motivation loads the action with meaning for a character (Hagen, p. 50). The motivation of Mark Zuckerberg can ...