Review of Network (1976) by Avery O — 06 Nov 2010
Everyone should watch this movie. The writing is absolutely superb--the most common contemporary comment about this movie is that it was prescient, decades ahead of its era. Ostensibly the story of Howard Beale (Peter Finch), a veteran news anchor who is fired and goes mad, "Network" is actually a black satire of the ratings-driven television industry and the resultant dehumanization of society.
Modern viewers will not see the humour--we live in an age saturated with reality television and extremist "news" programs. Beale's famous call to arms, "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore", has become the mantra of idiot spokespeople advocating barely disguised corporate agendas: "Hands off our health-care!".
Near the end of the movie, William Holden tells Faye Dunaway, the director of programming and architect of Beale's show, that she is "television incarnate... You're madness. Virile madness.
" I haven't heard a better summation of the manufactured culture we live in than those two devastating words. Virile madness. This film is a must-see.
This review of Network (1976) was written by Avery O on 06 Nov 2010.
Network has generally received very positive reviews.
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