1. Most “Central” Character Network Used: The Grand Budapest Hotel character co-occurrence network. Measure Used: Degree Centrality
g1 <- make_star(15, center = 1)
V(g1)$name <- c("M. Gustave", rep("", 14))
plot(g1, vertex.size=30, vertex.label=V(g1)$name, vertex.color="gold", main="Degree Centrality: M. Gustave")

Reasoning: Degree Centrality counts the number of direct connections a character has. In this movie, the plot revolves around the hotel’s operations and the will’s execution, making the person with the most social contacts the most “central.” Character(s): M. Gustave Analysis: As the legendary concierge, M. Gustave interacts with almost every group: the staff, the elite guests (Madame D.), the authorities (Henckels), and the underground (Society of the Crossed Keys).

  1. Most “Strategic Position” Network Used: The Grand Budapest Hotel character co-occurrence network. Measure Used: Betweenness Centrality Reasoning: This measures how often a character acts as a “bridge” between other groups who don’t talk to each other. A high score indicates a strategic bottleneck for information. Character(s): Zero Moustafa Analysis: Zero is the strategic link. He connects M. Gustave to the younger generation (Agatha), the “outside” world during the escape, and eventually acts as the bridge between the past story and the future legacy of the hotel.

  2. Best Access to Others Network Used: The Grand Budapest Hotel character co-occurrence network. Measure Used: Closeness Centrality Reasoning: Closeness measures the shortest average path from one node to all others. A character with high closeness can spread information to the entire network the fastest. Character(s): M. Gustave (or Monsieur Ivan) Analysis: M. Gustave has the highest closeness because of his role in the “Society of the Crossed Keys.” However, Monsieur Ivan is also a strong candidate here as he facilitates the global communication network that saves Gustave.