Thursday, January 19, 2023

Hegemony in the Glass Onion


Glass Onion, through a Marxist perspective, reveals those in society who have wealth are the individuals who wield great power and that the powerful use their power as leverage over others and for their own personal gain. The plot follows Detective Benoit Blanc as he participates in a murder-mystery party thrown by Miles Bron, a billionaire entrepreneur. Bron's "friends" all have some degree of power and influence thanks to Bron, who has played a role in the development of each of their respective careers and consistently uses his influence as leverage for their success. Blanc, a representation of the proletariat, attends the party through circumstance and has no previous connections to Bron, giving him freedom to make less bias judgements.

This film presents an oppositional argument about the hegemony of wealth. When the characters meet to board the boat that ferries them to the private island they are presented with an oral injection that provides protection from Covid-19. While the rest of the world struggles with the pandemic, living in social isolation and wearing facemasks, Miles Bron, because of wealth and status, possesses a vaccine that allows him and his guests to live without fear of infection. The film presents that the wealthy have advantages, like access to a vaccine, while the rest of society is forced to endure life without.

Bron's display of wealth and nonchalant attitude towards objects of high exchange value is apparent in the film. Bron possesses objects that express wealth and power; for example, when attendees arrive to a frozen, but melting ice sculpture, doubling as a dock, that is identified as a Banksy, Bron is playing “Blackbird” on a guitar. As stated by Bron, it is the guitar “Paul [McCartney] wrote it on.” He then throws the guitar to the ground, disregarding its “value,” while his guest reacts in shock and quickly jumps to save the guitar from damage. (See the video below) Bron recognizes the value of the guitar, but chooses to treat it with less respect because his wealth affords him the ability. Scenes like this show the absurdity of the wealthy and lead us to question why they have been granted their level of power.


The conclusion reveals an oppositional argument. We learn that Bron fakes his intelligence and is actually a narcissist seeking credit for developing something revolutionary. It is argued that the wealthy cannot be trusted. Blanc reveals that Bron stole the plans to the technology that made him wealthy, while the fuel he wants to share with the world that is meant to build his fame is a dangerous substance that has not been properly tested. The end of the film reveals the oppositional argument that society should not entrust power to the wealthy simply because they are wealthy. This film displays that we should place our trust in those who are deserving through their actions. Blanc, the representation of the proletariat, helps the audience achieve this realization. The only thing Blanc stands to gain from his revelations is the truth; it reveals a sense of righteousness in a society where the corrupt, Bron, are given blind allegiance by the masses simply because they have wealth.

What does the destruction of cultural artifacts, or texts, at the end of this film reveal about the film’s representation of the sites of struggle discussed by Sellnow in the chapter on New-Marxist Perspectives?



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