Review of Network (1976) by Stefan N — 02 Aug 2013
"Network" is one of the few films that made my jaw drop. After having seen films like "The Godfather" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," its hard to surprise me - its hard to make me call a film a masterpiece-"Network" did.
The story is about a news anchor , Max Schumacher (William Holden)who goes crazy after hearing that he will be fired in two weeks due to low ratings. This triggers two episodes of him becoming enraged and throwing a fit on national television.
In the first, he says that he will commit suicide and in the second he criticizes television , and Network, his television production company. This gets his ratings through the roof and the top executives especially Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) interested.
I will not spoil the rest since this film has one of the greatest plots and scripts in the history of film. Every single line is quotable due to Paddy Chayefsky's wonderful screenwriting talents. The actors are all completely invested in their performances especially Faye Dunaway who simply shocks you.
I was disappointed in Robert Duvall who plays Frank Hackett, the big boss, since his performance appears mediocre compared to his fellow cast member,but is still amazing. The cinematography is not really the highlight of the film, but it only adds to the reason why this is a perfect movie.
The direction, although overshadowed by the script, is ideal with Sidney Lemut in the driver's seat. The film's humor is almost universally hilarious. I think its one of the funniest drama's up there with "Fargo.
" The critical message about society, its addiction to television, its escapism through other people's troubles, and the heartless studio executives is even more resonating today. I only know a few films that balance male and female characters evenly, that have quotable dialogue, that are laugh-out-loud funny, that have perfect performances, that have intriguing plots, that have wonderful cinematography, and on top of all of that, have a strong message.
"Network" is the greatest satire I have ever seen.
This review of Network (1976) was written by Stefan N on 02 Aug 2013.
Network has generally received very positive reviews.
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