Network is a drama, and yet, it's probably one of the most darkly hilarious films ever made. Written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet, this film could have starred Steve Guttenberg and still been interesting. But with an all-star cast including William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Duvall, as well as Peter Finch and Beatrice Straight who received Oscars for their performances, the film takes on an incredible value.
The story probably seemed ludicrous in the 1970s, but in the 1990s, well, it still does. Or rather, we want it to. But ignoring our sentiments about television, it's pretty believable. While UBS had the Mao Tse-Tsung hour, Fox is airing When Animals Attack and The World' Scariest Car Chases. They're certainly not too far from Max Schumacher's (William Holden) sarcastic creation "The Death Hour".
This makes Network strike remarkably close to home and quite effective. But the real skill of this film comes from two performances: Peter Finch as Howard Beale and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's tour de force.
Finch gives a performance that's absolutely believable, and frankly, it's eerie that he managed to. Beale represents a man so brainwashed by his medium that he actually buys into the fact that life begins and ends on television. Of course, this makes the end all the more funny.
The script, although laden with vulgarity, still maintains an honest quality. Scenes such as Beale's meeting with Ned Beatty and most of Beale's monologues are so real that they scare the viewer, yet make him or her chuckle out of mere terror.
If nothing else, watch the beginning and the end, because as Lumet's tradition dictates (watch Dog Day Afternoon if you enjoyed Network), the beginning is witty, and the end, well, it'll shock you, but still leave you with a disturbingly black comedic ending.
I'd give Network 10 out of 10, although I'd recommend that you see it more than once before passing any major judgments on it.
The story probably seemed ludicrous in the 1970s, but in the 1990s, well, it still does. Or rather, we want it to. But ignoring our sentiments about television, it's pretty believable. While UBS had the Mao Tse-Tsung hour, Fox is airing When Animals Attack and The World' Scariest Car Chases. They're certainly not too far from Max Schumacher's (William Holden) sarcastic creation "The Death Hour".
This makes Network strike remarkably close to home and quite effective. But the real skill of this film comes from two performances: Peter Finch as Howard Beale and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's tour de force.
Finch gives a performance that's absolutely believable, and frankly, it's eerie that he managed to. Beale represents a man so brainwashed by his medium that he actually buys into the fact that life begins and ends on television. Of course, this makes the end all the more funny.
The script, although laden with vulgarity, still maintains an honest quality. Scenes such as Beale's meeting with Ned Beatty and most of Beale's monologues are so real that they scare the viewer, yet make him or her chuckle out of mere terror.
If nothing else, watch the beginning and the end, because as Lumet's tradition dictates (watch Dog Day Afternoon if you enjoyed Network), the beginning is witty, and the end, well, it'll shock you, but still leave you with a disturbingly black comedic ending.
I'd give Network 10 out of 10, although I'd recommend that you see it more than once before passing any major judgments on it.