Review of Network (1976) by Josh G — 03 Aug 2010

Having been 10 years unborn at the time of the release of Network, I was unable to take stock of the culture at the time and determine whether or not the story presented by the film was an accurate reflection of the times. According to the unimpeachable IMDB Trivia, "the director and the screenwriter claimed that the film was not meant to be a satire but a reflection of what was really happening." Is this true? Were newscasters really going mad on air?

The basic premise of the film, as you will hear it from most sources, is that news anchor Howard Beale (Finch) loses his marbles on air and goes into a series of anti-authority rants. UBS, the television station which Howard's news program airs on, is initially horrified by Beale's expletive-filled rants and intend to pull him off the air. But then the numbers come in, and it appears that Howard's rage is resonating with the typical American... his ratings are soaring. A quick cost-benefit analysis proves that paying fines to the FCC is more than worth the price of this kind of popularity. UBS goes from being on the brink of bankruptcy to producing one of the top-rated shows in the country. It sounds like a dream, don't it?

Of course, Beale's rants are just the icing on the cake. The real meat of the movie comes in the backroom deals that the television producers are making. It's a cut-throat business; if you're on top one moment, there's absolutely no guarantee that you will stay there. One misstep could send you falling. It doesn't matter if you've been with the company for 14 years or for less than a year, you've got to know how to fight your way to the top of the pile. Those who aren't willing to play the game - like Beale, or his friend Max Schumaker (played by William Holden) - are used up until there's nothing left, and then gotten rid of.

So on the surface, there's this nice bit of dark satire which is done mostly pretty well, although occasionally crosses over into a broad comedy which stands out from the rest of the film. Beale and Schumaker laugh over a beer early in the film about how funny it would be to make a show entirely about death - "The Suicide Hour", they'd call it. Or "The Terrorist Hour", or "The Homicide Hour", etc. Hilarious, no? Before long, the station is promoting a new show which does open with a terrorist attack before every episode. This development is revealed slowly and with some grace, so it works. Later on, during discussions with the leader of the terrorist cell, the scene is a lot more campy.

But underneath the satire is something much stronger - a real-to-life picture of the television business. You've seen political thrillers before; Network doesn't have the frenetic pace of other thrillers, but it nevertheless maintains the same intensity. Every time any two characters speak to one another, each of them is wondering (sometimes even aloud) what the angle is. Every moment of their lives is strategic, each interaction a well-thought move in the intricate game of chess that their careers have forced them into. Where Schumaker and network executive Diana Christensen (Dunaway) are checking their words before saying them, Beale plays a nice foil - he's unhinged. He's "mad as hell" and refuses to accept anymore: the one person who says what they really mean. When it comes down to it, even the Communists are willing to follow the rules of the business.

So all in all, Network is a pretty neat little movie. When it does the drama, it does it well - and when it blends in the satire subtly, it's an absolute joy. When the satire is less subtle, it can get grating. And though the movie won four Oscars, for acting and writing, oftentimes the script seems too preachy and overt. The characters spout monologues that seem maybe intended for a stage production, rather than film. But the actors' devotion to the scenes make it work, even despite those bumps into absurdity. Not a perfect film, but an unusually engaging one.