Network (1976) – Prescient, Still Valid today

Genre – Media Drama

Time: 2 Hours

Platform: Amazon India – Rent

Writer, Screenplay: Paddy Chayefsky

Director: Sidney Lumet

Cast: Faye Dunaway. William Holden. Peter Finch. Robert Duvall.

Plot: After working for years for a network, Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is asked to go as part of restructuring. He announces his retirement and says that on his last broadcast; he will kill himself on national TV. Beale’s manager and friend, Max Schumacher (William Holden) is asked to reign him in and control him. Max too is facing the heat because of the restructuring and arguments with new honcho Frank Hacket (Robert Duvall) while an ambitious aggressive producer Diane Christensen (Faye Dunaway) has ideas as to how to turn everything into the only thing that matters – ratings! Beale’s threatened suicide instead becomes a national phenomenon due to his mad ravings and rants, live on TV. Soon Beale gets his own show as The Mad Prophet. However, the ambitious Diane has an even more edgy show in mind – interviews with an armed bunch of anti-establishment radicals. Max starts an affair with Diane while Beale keeps antagonizing everyone including the network executives.…

In one rant Beale tells the studio television audience:

• “Because less than 3 percent of you people read books.
• Because less than 15 percent of you read newspapers.
• Because the only truth you know is what you get over this tube.
• Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that did not come out of this tube.
• This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation.
• This tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers.
• This tube is the most awesome goddamn force in the whole godless world.”

It is difficult to imagine that this was written in 1976 and is still valid today, with the added “benefit” of 24 x 7 TV :News Channels” and – “even worse?” – everything in your pocket due to the omniscient smart phone.

If we look at today’s multiple channels, all claiming to present “news” while actually pushing skewed narratives and outright lies, Beale’s rants become more real than ever. Ratings is all that matters and in the war for ratings, anything goes – including outright lies, as long as it doesn’t contradict the wisdom of the establishment. Max watches these developments whilst on the cusp of forced retirement and his affair with Diane gives him only more views about her fixations for ratings and not presenting facts.

This could be true of ANY TV “News” channel all over the world today!

The film glues you to your seat from the first scene and keeps going. This is also one of those rare films where EVERYTHING comes together perfectly.

The screenplay is awesome and fits in very well with Sideny Lumet’s typical / pet theme of one man against impossible odds. Lumet’s direction is tight; there is not a single wasted shot, scene or dialogue.

I am deliberately NOT writing more.

Last hook/ word of recommendation – over the years since its release, I have seen it five times. 😊

Oh yes – Lumet didn’t win any Oscars for direction but the film got four including a posthumous Oscar for Peter Finch.  Lumet not getting an Oscar for this film is  – shall we say – criminal . (But then neither did Alfred Hitchcock over the years)

It will be absolutely worth your time on Amazon Prime Rental.

Once again this is a rare flawless film that scores a perfect 5.

Script – 5 out of 5

Story – 5 out of 5

Direction – 5 out of 5

Performances – 5 out of 5

Total – 5 out of 5