Network

Rating:
Summary: "Good morning, Mr. Beale. They tell me you're a madman."
Review: Sidney Lumet's "Network" was a movie ahead of its time. Many of its themes were relevant in 1976 but time has made them even more relevant with each passing year. The ratings-obsessed-anything-goes mentality of its fictional television executives helps to explain the questionable quality of the programming we ourselves currently see on our televisions. One can only imagine real world network meetings mirroring those of this film when tuning into the latest reality show or hyped-up event of the week.

After newscaster Howard Beale (Peter Finch) suffers a breakdown on the air and becomes anointed the "the mad prophet of the airwaves" because of his cynical honesty, network executive Diana Christiansen (Faye Dunaway) puts into motion a programming strategy to take advantage Beale's newfound popularity. Max Schumacher (William Holden), a news executive who is one of Beale's oldest friends, becomes uncomfortable with the plan to exploit his friend but his newfound feelings for Diana and his declining influence in the network's operations turns him into a passive figure in the unfolding events. After Beale's novelty wears off, the former network asset instantly turns into a liability and his reign is ended via a manipulative ratings stunt.

There's a sense of exaggeration to "Network" that firmly characterizes it as a satire. Yet, as with all good satires, the insights provided by the film forces us to confront the true nature of everyday life. Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning screenplay is crisp and clever and hasn't lost any of its bite over the years. Finch, Dunaway, and Holden deftly bring the power of his words to life on the screen and strong supporting turns by Ned Beatty, Robert Duvall, and Wesley Addy perfectly complement the three leads. For viewers who continually watch the fringe programming on the tube every day and wonder to themselves how television reached this point, sit down and view "Network" and your questions will be answered.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written and superbly acted drama of TV insanity
Review: Lets see a tale of media run amok all in the name of ratings and money. Sound like a "60 Minutes" piece? Well its not. It is incredibly articulate and scathing movie from 1976 which portends the coming age of media craziness in search of ratings. Paddy Chayevsky's screen play literally foretold the future of television and should be viewed in the same light as Kubricks prediction of the societal changes in his 60's movie "A Clockwork Orange". The acting by everyone in this movie is memorable. So much so that Beatrice Straight and Ned Beatty both garnered Oscar nominations although they appeared in but one scene. And lets not forget the other nominees from the movie - Faye Dunaway and William Holden. Top this off with the Oscar winning performance of Peter Finch as the insane (or is that messiah-like?) anchor man. Finch spouts one of the signature lines of the 70's when he whips up his audience with the cry of "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" The bottom line is that the powerful acting was fueled by an emotionally charged script that produced one of the best movies of the 70's. I highly recommend this movie not only for its entertainment value but because this movie was ahead of its time and has more relevance and meaning today then it did at the time of its release.

Rating:
Summary: "This is mass-madness, you maniacs!!!"
Review: This was the winner of 4 Oscars back in 1976, ultimately losing the Best Picture Oscar to "Rocky." But this film garnered every acting nomination across the board, winning three: Best Actress(Faye Dunaway), Best Actor(Peter Finch), Best Supporting Actress(Beatrice Straight). Other acting nominations included William Holden for Best Actor and Ned Beatty for Best Supporting Actor. Obviously, the acting here is amazing! Sidney Lumet's direction is also stellar, with fluid transitions and a professionalism that makes one forget how well-directed this film actually is. But the star of this film is screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. Back in 1971 he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "The Hospital" and wrote nothing else for the screen until "Network" in 1976 for which he won another Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. His writing for "The Hospital" is excellent, but his writing here is unprecedented. The writing is razor-sharp and savagely funny, primarily satirizing the television industry in all its lunacy. My favorite lines from the film are witty plays on poor journalism like the title of my review or "a wanton fiscal affront to be resolutely resisted." The next time you watch the news, particularly sporting news, listen for those annoying phrases where the newscaster uses absurd word-play, usually as a segue. This film actually changed my outlook on all entertainment industries, from television to radio, and showed me how everything is commercialized. We live in a capitalist society, so it is little wonder why networks are "in the boredom-killing business" to make money. Keep the viewers sedated with artificial bliss and you can make them believe anything. That is only one of the intelligent themes that this scathing indictment of the television industry has in store. The script is incredibly tight, with perfect concoctions of frantic word-play and insightful revelations. This is the only screenplay that I own in paperback. I believe the writing is that phenomenal. New viewers should be warned, however, that watching this film may make you never want to watch television again. I've seen this film dozens of times and I am now disgusted with the television industry, magazines, newspapers, etc. For me, this film really was a revelation. For most, in the least, it should be an intelligent and entertaining satire on a powerful part of American culture. The ideas here may not be as strartling as they were to an audience of 1976, but most of them still hold true to this day.

Rating:
Summary: This is what a top-notch script and cast can do.
Review: For reasons I struggle daily to understand, this movie has been all but forgotten. I never hear it mentioned by my peers -- even huge film buffs I frequently speak with have told me they haven't seen it. Why?

Every great movie begins with a great script, and that's what screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky had when he penned this dialogue-heavy satire of network television in the late 70's. But the script alone would not have sealed the deal, for it would take a truly talented cast to bring to life a script of this caliber.

And, boy, did they land a superb one. William Holden ("The Wild Bunch", Best Actor: "Stalag 17") plays a network head ready to hit retirement when he is told he must fire network news anchor and long-time friend Howard Beale (Oscar winner for this role, Peter Finch). Beale's nationally-televised response is hilarious and gives rise to a series of televised rants, including one of the most famous moments in movie history, the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!". It isn't long after that Beale has become a national TV sensation.

As great as this moment is, the rest of the film is hardly ever mentioned (though it did secure a spot in AFI's Top 100 Films of all time) despite sizzling performances by Faye Dunaway (in an Oscar-winning role) as the television-obsessed Diana Christensen, Robert Duvall as the "take no prisoners" Frank Hackett, Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen (in THE smallest part to ever garner a Best Supporting Actor nomination), Beatrice Straight (who also won an Oscar) as Holden's wife, and Marlene Warfield as the "[.....] Commie ______" Laureen Hobbs!

I urge you to rent first, then buy one of the greatest American satires ever made and winner of 4 Oscars (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay) and nominee for 6 more (including Best Picture, Director and Cinematography)... "Network".

Rating:
Summary: Sidney Lumet`s masterpìece
Review: The script doesn't get old. That's a good signal. Because all you can experience im this movie is far from being untrue. The echoes of that fabulous work of Aldous Huxley "A new visit to a brave new world", comes to my mind.

The conceptual density of the deep implications about the subliminal messages, the huge power of seduction that the mass media impact on our daily behavior, are underlined with clear maestry by the prodigal son of the camera. Mr. Lumet, a film maker that accostumed us to face with real consequences derivated from the excess of power. (Serpico, the Prince of New York, The offence, the Anderson tapes)

Remember his previous filmography. The hill is an example of men placed in a borderline. Lumet is a thinker director, extremely exigent and careful in every take he does.

His career reached the peak with this monumental movie. And I still wonder, twenty eight years after why the Academy prized Rocky instead of Network. I couldn't believe it.

In these difficult years, it prevailed the feeling of elusive behavior with the cruel reality of these days.

And pitifully, Network fell under this category.

But the time will be the best judge, and I'm sure Network will grow by itself, due to its inner power.

Maybe this fact justifies brightly other unexpalined facts like not to give the Nobel Prize to Jorge Luis Borges, by example.

Anyway don't forget that Balzac's statement: "The glory is the sun of the dead"

Rating:
Summary: SPECIAL EDITION! Give us a SPECIAL EDITION!
Review: On the 25th anniversary year of NETWORK a couple years ago, there were several news article looking back at the film and how its impact on movies/media seemed almost "prophetic": the degrading mess of news turning into entertainment, the fourth network, etc.

NETWORK is still a powerful film and its many messages are still relevant today--perhaps more so.
I've always been a big Paddy Chayefsky fan and I consider NETWORK to be his masterpiece. He's still the only screenwriter to win three Oscars (the other two were MARTY and THE HOSPITAL). You feel that the folks behind this movie really knew what they were talking about.
The cast is brilliant: Peter Finch deserved his posthumous Oscar and Faye Dunaway was a cross between Mary Richards from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Satan. William Holden, who originally wanted Finch's demented newsman role, brings all his world-weary cynicism that started in SUNSET BOULEVARD with him. And Robert Duvall has a few hilarious moments as, at first, the cool button-down "hatchet man" and then turning into a raving ratings monster when the Nielsens come in. Outstanding.

I would hope that someday we'll get the Special Edition DVD release that NETWORK deserves. Interviews, commentaries, whatever they've got.
We're waiting!

Rating:
Summary: Sidney Lumet`s masterpìece
Review: The script doesn't get old. That's a good signal. Because all you can experience im this movie is far from being untrue. The echoes of that fabulous work of Aldous Huxley "A new visit to a brave new world", comes to my mind.

The conceptual density of the deep implications about the subliminal messages, the huge power of seduction that the mass media impact on our daily behavior, are underlined with clear maestry by the prodigal son of the camera. Mr. Lumet, a film maker that accostumed us to face with real consequences derivated from the excess of power. (Serpico, the Prince of New York, The offence, the Anderson tapes)

Remember his previous filmography. The hill is an example of men placed in a borderline. Lumet is a thinker director, extremely exigent and careful in every take he does.

His career reached the peak with this monumental movie. And I still wonder, twenty eight years after why the Academy prized Rocky instead of Network. I couldn't believe it.

In these difficult years, it prevailed the feeling of elusive behavior with the cruel reality of these days.

And pitifully, Network fell under this category.

But the time will be the best judge, and I'm sure Network will grow by itself, due to its inner power.

Maybe this fact justifies brightly other unexpalined facts like not to give the Nobel Prize to Jorge Luis Borges, by example.

Anyway don't forget that Balzac's statement: "The glory is the sun of the dead"

Rating:
Summary: "This is mass-madness, you maniacs!!!"
Review: This was the winner of 4 Oscars back in 1976, ultimately losing the Best Picture Oscar to "Rocky." But this film garnered every acting nomination across the board, winning three: Best Actress(Faye Dunaway), Best Actor(Peter Finch), Best Supporting Actress(Beatrice Straight). Other acting nominations included William Holden for Best Actor and Ned Beatty for Best Supporting Actor. Obviously, the acting here is amazing! Sidney Lumet's direction is also stellar, with fluid transitions and a professionalism that makes one forget how well-directed this film actually is. But the star of this film is screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. Back in 1971 he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "The Hospital" and wrote nothing else for the screen until "Network" in 1976 for which he won another Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. His writing for "The Hospital" is excellent, but his writing here is unprecedented. The writing is razor-sharp and savagely funny, primarily satirizing the television industry in all its lunacy. My favorite lines from the film are witty plays on poor journalism like the title of my review or "a wanton fiscal affront to be resolutely resisted." The next time you watch the news, particularly sporting news, listen for those annoying phrases where the newscaster uses absurd word-play, usually as a segue. This film actually changed my outlook on all entertainment industries, from television to radio, and showed me how everything is commercialized. We live in a capitalist society, so it is little wonder why networks are "in the boredom-killing business" to make money. Keep the viewers sedated with artificial bliss and you can make them believe anything. That is only one of the intelligent themes that this scathing indictment of the television industry has in store. The script is incredibly tight, with perfect concoctions of frantic word-play and insightful revelations. This is the only screenplay that I own in paperback. I believe the writing is that phenomenal. New viewers should be warned, however, that watching this film may make you never want to watch television again. I've seen this film dozens of times and I am now disgusted with the television industry, magazines, newspapers, etc. For me, this film really was a revelation. For most, in the least, it should be an intelligent and entertaining satire on a powerful part of American culture. The ideas here may not be as strartling as they were to an audience of 1976, but most of them still hold true to this day.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: 'Network' is a really awesome and powerful film. The strength is its screenplay, which is probably one of the best in cinema history. But it is also carried by the crazed T.V. anchorman who has lets his real emotions loose. Unforgettable.

Rating:
Summary: Acceptable, but Disappointing
Review: They must have misplaced the microphones while shooting this one. The sound editors evidently tried to salvage what had been recorded, but the end result is that in several scenes: (i) The foreground and background sound level goes up or down by several dB each time a character bends his body by a few degrees; and (ii) The sound has that "tubular" quality--as if it's passing through a long, narrow tube.

Other than that, the film is well-done and quite humorous at times, but it's so steeped in that '70's breed of depressing cynicism as to make you wish afterward that you'd spent your last two hours doing something else.

The redeeming quality of the film is that it makes you glad that we survived the '70's--that decade when we thought we had known all there was to know and had done all there was to do. And it makes you appreciate the fact that the first post-'70's head of the Fed'ral executive branch brought a contagious optimism that survives to this day.

The true-classic film "Sunset Boulevard" gives you a similar, industry-introspective theme, better sound recording, no foul language, and a younger William Holden. If given the choice, choose "Sunset..." over "Network".