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Directed by: Sidney Lumet Starring: Peter Finch, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall I first saw this movie by accident when my parents rented it, and thought it was truly astounding. The sheer anger of this film is incredible, yet it's so pervasive and subtle that you hardly notice until you find yourself wrapped up in it. It features fantastic performances by Peter Finch, William Holden (Bridge on the River Kwai), Faye Dunaway (Chinatown), and Robert Duvall (The Apostle); all under the direction of Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men) and the excellent screenwriting of Paddy Chayefsky. The way this film chronicles, and at the same time satirizes contemporary (for the time, and for the present) american entertainment culture is so jarringly accurate that one can easily imagine the films initial events unfolding in real life. A brief plot intro: Howard Beale (Peter Finch), a newscaster at a major network, has just been told that he is fired. After a lifetime of service and sacrifice, he feels that being dumped by his employer is the last straw. He drunkenly tells his friend Max Schumacher (William Holden) that he plans to blow his brains out on national television. Without a moments hesitation, Max tells Howard that they ought to make a big deal about it, a movie of the week, perhaps. Howard drunkenly concurs. The next night, while he is supposed to do his regularly scheduled broadcast, Howard announces to the world his plan of public suicide, and initiates a media shitstorm. What's more, he sets in motion the socio-political mechanisms that deal with boat-rockers, and eggs on those who would build the ripples into tidal waves. What results from this is one of the most beautifully crafted dramatic works since Oedipus Rex; the irony and hubris are unmistakable to all but the characters, and the horrible truth about the callous nature of television, and indeed, the audience who pleads for it are revealed in a most gruesome fashion. As the tension builds, the lines between entertainer and entertainee are blurred drastically, as well as those that separate dismissible homilies and armchair morality from real, immutable truth. In my opinion, this is a piece of cinematic and theatrical art comprable to George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion or Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Reviewed here.) On a sad note, this was Peter Finch's last feature film. This film was nominated for ten academy awards, and won four, including Peter Finch for Best Actor, Faye Dunaway as Best Actress, and Best Writing. PROS: Enormously well-written and acted, a gripping plot that is relevant to contemporary society CONS: May be too heavy handed for some, definitely not something you can just walk away from. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/
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May 4, 2004 07:27
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 00:05 |
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This is one of my favorite satires ever made, and is still incredibly relevant today, with the rise of the twenty four hour news networks like Fox and CNN that seem more focused on ratings and viewer loyalty than actually covering the news. Worth a look for anyone who is frustrated by the media's self-serving behavior.
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May 4, 2004 15:01
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This is one of my most absolute favorite movies ever. Incredible satire, excellent writing, and scenes that stay with you for a very long time. Chayefsky even predicted, however ironically, reality television and on-screen manhunts. Brilliant.
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May 4, 2004 22:46
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An excellent commentary on the public attention and network politics which remains relevant nearly 30 years later. Witty, well done, great movie. A rare 5/5
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May 4, 2004 23:05
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I certainly don't mean to pull some hardcore forum necromancy here, but this movie is absolutely incredible. Perhaps some of the smaller nuances in "Network" are lost on most people, but that's because I'm a broadcast journalist who picks up on the "in" humor - dark as it is - in the movie. It's so drat shocking to see that the theme of this movie still carries on in broadcast news nearly 30 years later. One of my college professors - a former network correspondent - told me "Network" could've just as easily been a documentary. Even if you don't know a thing about broadcast news, watch this movie. It's great on all levels, especially its dark combination of news and entertainment. One of my top ten favorites.
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Apr 28, 2005 05:40
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One of the absolute bests. The rants are pure classics, and its not like there's one famous rant, there's a half a dozen moments of pure writing perfection. The cinematograhpy is gorgeous. Max has an amazing love story that gets better with every viewing. The rant in the boardroom is one of the most chilling moments in cinema history. "You have meddled with the primal forces of nature Mr Beale! And I won't have it." Everything about this movie is perfect. 5/5
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Apr 28, 2005 23:22
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quote:supdewds came out of the closet to say: This is a great movie, with pointed observations that still ring true today. 5/5
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May 2, 2005 07:27
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