Conflict Analyzation ("Hackers" movie)

Beneath the world we know is the world they inhabit. They penetrate; ravage private and publicly owned computer systems. It’s not something they do to pass the time but it is their life. They can crack any code and get inside any system. They infect computers with viruses and steal information for their personal usage. They posses a superior intelligence and use it in a destructive and anti social manner. They are domestic terrorists. They are a culture of their own…they are hackers. The movie conflict I chose for this assignment is yes, about hackers. The movie is called “Hackers”. I chose this particular subject matter because my personal information was stolen from Ebay by a hacker. The hacker then used my information to purchase items online. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy about the experience but I some how find myself drawn to what it’s like to be a hacker. In fact, “Hackers” is one of my favorite movies. “Hackers” stars Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller, Fisher Stevens, Renoly Santiago, Matthew Lillard, and many others. This was the first movie for many actors/actresses as we now identify them on the big screen in the theaters. For this particular movie, it was difficult to pick a specific conflict as there were several conflicts to choose from. After many days of thinking, I chose a conflict between Dade/Zero Cool/Crash Override (Jonny Lee Miller) and Eugene Belford/The Plague (Fisher Stevens) as it pertains to many subject manners discussed in the classroom. Briefly summarize the introduction of the movie, Dade (Jonny Lee Miller) was eleven years old when he crashed 1,507 computer systems including Wallstreet’s trading system. Fast forwarding seven years, Dade moves to New York with his mother as part of making a better career move for the two of them. It doesn’t take long for Dade to befriend a group of hackers in his senior year of high school. In doing so, it also comes with a bag of unforeseen trouble. Joey (Jessie Bradford) is arrested and Dade is instantly connected to him who is later approached by The Plague who is a security officer for a large corporate company. The Plague had made a virus to cause a world wide economical disaster in the Elliston Mineral computer system. One day, Dade returns from school, he is attacked by the FBI and placed into his bedroom. After a few minutes of interrogating, he is faced with a difficult decision of exposing his new found friends or lose his mother and go to jail. The Plague used a threatening and demanding tactic in trying to get Dade to summit to his request of getting the copied file from Joey. He used intimidation and threatened consequences for Dade if he didn’t comply to his requests. He also implemented Roger Dawson’s “Good Guy Bad Guy” tactic. After allowing the FBI to interrogate Dade in a harsh manner, The Plague asked for them to leave the room so he could have a moment with Dade. After closing the door behind the FBI guys, he said, “loser”. This is the first initial move for The Plague to portray himself as ‘the good guy’. The first conversation goes as follows… The Plague: I believe you’re only 11 when you wrote that. It’s quite an impressive virus. (referring to the virus he made back in 1988) Dade, I know how you might feel about narcing on your friends but we’re hackers. For us, there’s no such thing as family and friends. We’re each our own country with temporary allies and enemies. I’d like to make a treaty with you.” (picks up a bat) Dade: I’m sorry. Who are you? The Plague: I’m the one who understands you. Now give me the allies. Dade: Nah. I don’t play well with others. The Plague: (smashes Dade’s radio) Dade: Shit! Come on! The Plague: Watch which friends you do play with. A record like your could land you in jail, get kicked out of school, no colleges would take you, no future. Exiled from everyone and everything you love. I’ll be in touch. Oh, and Dade, stay out of trouble. Dade: Blow me The Plague: Thank you.

It is clear that Dade saw right through the ‘good guy bad guy’ tactic. He used passive avoidance by saying, “I don’t play well with others”. This tells The Plague that he doesn’t want to get involved. The Plague instantly demonstrates a destructive power-based approach that he posses in smashing Dade’s radio without any concern for Dade. He is strictly confrontational and is extremely dangerous. The Plague also used a direct behavioral approach. He didn’t express his position indirectly or used a third party but told him what he wants. The Plague knew the currency of a conflict is power. Something Dade knew he didn’t have. Dade had a record from when he was eleven and was only an eighteen year old high school student. Dade also wanted to go to college so he had to keep his record clean. The Plague used his perception of power. He and Dade believed that The Plague possessed the power in the conflict. The Plague used his professional position, association to a large corporate, and his knowledge of being a hacker to threaten Dade. In displaying The Plague held the power, he not only showed Dade physically (smashing of his radio) but by verbally telling him in a powerful and threatening manner of what would happen if Dade was incompliant. The Plague was daunting a challenge to Dade to obtain the disk. (Pg. 127). It’s evident that The Plague’s position is getting the disk. His interest is to cover his butt and prevent himself from going to prison. Dade’s position was not wanting to get involved because he had a juvenile record. His interest was his personal identity needs. He knew he was a hacker but at the same time wanted to protect his name as well not giving the names of his only new found hacker friends. The Plague in return used a bribing tactic in giving Dade a laptop containing a message. The message however is intimidating which he executed a threatening power over Dade as a reminder if he didn’t do what The Plague asked, there would be consequences. This time, he used coercive power and exposed some of the resources The Plague shows Dade that his innocent mother could hold a criminal record at the press of a button. Later, the Plague sends Dade a laptop containing a message. The Plague: You wanted to know who I am Zero Cool. Well, let me explain the new world order. Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people who have no idea what’s going on are the cattle. Mooo. I need your help and you need my help. Let me help you earn your spurs. Ahhh, think about it. Enjoy the laptop Cool. Let me where the disk is. (fades away) Later, Acid Burn and Cereal Killer go to Dade for help and he refuses to help but agrees to make a copy of it. The Plague then calls Dade… The Plague: The girl. The girl has the disk I need Dade: I told you I don’t play well with others The Plague: Turn on your laptop. Set it to receive a file. Dade: (does as he’s requested) The Plague: Lorrane Murphy is now a wanted felon in the state of Washington. Forgery. Embezzlement. Two drugs convictions. Plus she jumped parole. When she’s arrested, she will not have a trial. She will not pass ‘GO’. She will go directly to jail. Then I change this file back to the original and your mom disappears. Dade: That’s bullshit! The Plague: What could I tell ya? Computers never lie, kid. Your mom will be arrested at work. She will be handcuffed and later stripped searched. Dade: You lay a finger on her and I’ll kill you. The Plague: Kid, don’t threaten me. There are worse things then death and I could do all of them.

From this conversation, Dade’s interest based needs change from protecting himself to now protecting his mother and his friends. Dade grows fed up and wanting to fight back. After making a copy of the disk, Dade goes out to meet The Plague. Dade calls him from a phone booth to inform him that he’s got the disk and Kate (Acid Burn) didn’t know what was on the disk. The Plague comes flying on a skateboard and snatches the file from Dade. After Dade gives The Plague the file, he is left in the dark feeling like crap. That night, he tries to decode the copied file with Acid Burn, Cereal Killer and Lord Nikon. Dade is the one who figures out that it’s a worm created to steal 25 million dollars from the large corporate transactions to the little ten dollars a person pays for gas in cent increments. Dade no longer expresses his lack of possessing power but excerpts that power of association. He found he had power which stemmed from an individual’s connection with other people (Pg.56). Dade knew he and his friends wouldn’t be able to overcome the threats of The Plague but having an elite army of hackers would. In possessing associating power goes with having personal characteristic power. Dade wised up in finding that he did have intelligence, wit, determination to stay out of jail and protecting his friends and mother and Dade had courage to stand up against The Plague. Lastly, the Plague also lacked the correct communication and listening skills. He verbally expressed what his position and interest and ignored Dade strong refusal to participate in obtaining the disk from his friends. Like any other movie, the good guy wins the game. In my option, it was a good movie. Every time I watch it, I get just as excited up as I did when I first watched it. The tactics Dade implemented were well justified as I’m sure I would have done the same. The good guy/bad guy routine between Dade and The Plague was the main reason why I chose to evaluate their conflict. It was interesting and had many twists in it. Overall, this movie was a great lesson many ways…risking to lose your mother and friends and remain loyal what you only know or lose everything.