Review of Network (1976) by Rafael B — 25 Jul 2009

Sidney Lumet's 1976 praised "masterpiece" has found it's way to my dvd player and has since found it's place as one of the few movies that I give a perfect score to. There is no doubt that every compliment, every great review, and even every academy award this film has received was absolutely earned.

Now, it's a perfect 5 out of 5, does that mean everything worked 100%? Not necessarily. My only small problem with the movie was the relationship between Faye Dunaway and William Holden's characters. At first, I felt it would eventually take away from the whole pace and topic of the movie. However, before my small problem became a huge problem, the relationship became absolutely necessary. It dove deeper into the world of television and how powerful it can be on someone's life. It gave the movie a human touch, if you will, atop the various issues of business and economics. The ending argument alone, between the couple, summed up the entire film perfectly, leaving nothing else to question. So aside from this tiny problem, I would still give this film a 5 out of 5.

The script for this movie was the biggest surprise for me. It was full of smart dialogue and loaded with television/business jargon, but at the same time easy to follow and fun to listen to. And the performances by the entire cast (3 of whom won acting Oscars) made the words on the script so much more emotional and believable. Personally, out of all the great performances, I enjoyed Faye Dunaway's the most, followed by Peter Finch and William Holden. They're all great, but Dunaway became her character in every way possible and really sold me on the personality she was trying to express, or show.

The pacing of the movie was terrific as well. It started fast yet slow, and went even faster from then on (except for the small, short-lasting problem somewhere in the middle). By the end of every scene I was anxious to see what happened next and I wasn't disappointed.

All in all, only one tiny thing (at first) bugged me during this film, and everything else was spot on. I can easily say I had a blast with "Network", and can even say I learned something from it, as the issues in the film can still ring true in today's world. I look forward to seeing it again many, many times.