Mingxi Zhong

Prof. Mozzini
Sociology 1
26 June 2016
Video Analysis: The Most Beautiful Thing by Cameron Covell
The short film, which I found from YouTube and is written, directed and edited by
Cameron Covell, is called the Most Beautiful Thing. The story that is emotional and romantic
narrates how two people who are not likely to come together meet each other. To begin with, the
male actor who acts a young student receives a poster which tells a prom will hold, and ask
everyone have to find a dance partner. He is introvert and alone all the time, and he looks he do
not have friends. Hence, when he met another female actress which acts another student, he tries
to say hello in order to find his dance partner. Unfortunately, she is deaf, so she did not reply
him. However, they are not obstructed, when they meet each other at the second time, the girl
tries to talk with him bravely through writing sentences on notebook. Finally, they get along with
each other well and become lovers.
Auguste Comte states the positivism perspective which stands for discovering the natural
rules or scientific truth though social research and also indicates three basic methods which is
observation, experimentation and comparison. The idea plays the role of developing structural
functionalism and making every social group become more organized. Besides, Comte mentions
three stages, that are theological, metaphysical and positivist, represents social progress steps,
which express people do not understand the natural laws, realize how the society works and can
use laws for self-control in the end. One of mission of school is treating every student equally
whatever who are disabled or not, and creating harmonious and social atmosphere. However, the

deaf girl in the video still has troubles to interact with others at school, as she looks afraid and
embarrassed when others realize she cannot hear anything. The situation reflects relative
departments, such as psychological counseling, at school are not completely responsible for
disabled students. They are supposed to be suggested researching behaviors of these disabled
people to discover the way of changing their current positions through Comtes methods, and
school might revolutionize management methods and make them become more social. The
process about how people find out the above problems and solve them by various research ways
reveals the Comtes stages of cognition as well.
Karl Max focuses on conflict theory that represents limit resources in society cannot be
allocated equally, and different economic level appears. Some people are wealth and others are
poor, and then social classes appear, which cause fierce conflicts and is not helpful to maintain
stable society. The obvious social conflict in the video is difficult interaction and communication
happened between the deaf girl and an ordinary boy. When the boy met her at the second time,
he tried to prove if she really cannot hear anything. She looked at him and felt his confusion, and
she seemed to explain carefully her situation and looks worried that he cannot understand her.
After the boy showed apology with an embarrassed smile and wanted to leave, she looked really
anxious and wanted to keep talking with him by writing sentences on notebook. All of emotions
were revealed on her face and behaviors. She should not communicate with others like normal
people, so she is worried that others refuse talking with her. The unequal relationship brings
pressures and the senses of self-abasement to her. Even if these two people in the video
understand each other and overcome communication barriers, many people met the same
situation might do not solve problems. Someone who has physical defects cannot socialize

normally, break stable social environment or bring troubles to others, and how to resolve various
kinds of conflicts need to be considered.
Emile Durkheim functional perspective indicates every individual and social group plays
the respective role, share different values, languages, symbols and work together well in order to
make the society functional and steady. Individual development is affected by Social integration
as well, and gather everyones power to complete certain social goals. Students in school need
good atmosphere to socialize and develop bonds between students, which is one of the purpose
of prom. Moreover, a successful activity requires every member is responsible for their own
preparation work, and others also might meet new friends due to finding dance partners, like the
two characters meet. Everyone complete what they should do and achieve a common goal that
explains the Durkheims theories.
Interactionist perspective is reflected mainly in the short film in my opinion, and it means
people obtain information, ideas or advices through interaction with others to form their own
thoughts or create new products, and more focus on the face-to-face communication. Although
the two characters cannot talk with each other smoothly as the girl is deaf, they always write
sentences on notebook to share experiences, preferences, habits and anything else. They find
many similarities and become lovers, and the girl agree to come to prom with him together
finally. Communication barriers do not stop they friends, even they do not need actual
conversation. The words should be a kind of symbol that is powerful and can break the kind of
obstacle. The girl has special experiences that perhaps make the boy learn the different living
style and change views of others thoughts and feelings, so all things that can be received from
the girl widen the horizon and improve life qualities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP8psM4LWXk (Links to an external site.)