Movie #184 Network *1976*

Faye Dunaway
William Holden
Peter Finch
Robert Duvall
Ned Beatty
Sidney Lumet (Director)

With the recent passing of Mr. Lumet I decided to re-watch some of his classic films.  I decided to start with Network.  I had seen this years ago and remembered the same scenes that most casual viewers would.  Mainly the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" scene.  But this movie is so much more than that performance.  I was truly surprised that a movie that I remember being so of it's time was still incredibility relevant today with a few minor modifications.

THROW YOUR TV'S OUT THE WINDOW!  I love the basic theme of this movie.  On the surface level it is a film about the decline of integrity of television news, and TV programing in general (reality television anyone?).  At it's core is a theme as old as storytelling its self.  The inevitable struggle between the blind, instinctive nature of youth vs. the experienced unquestionable old guard.  It is King Lear told through the eyes of Archie Bunker. 

By in large I don't watch TV.  With very few exceptions (Always Sunny, PTI).  I find the medium to be generic, bland pandering.  Afraid to offend or challenging the viewer in fear of loosing its audience.  Which in turn leads to few sponsors and on to fewer profits.  TV is a prostitution of culture.  The viewers are categorized and analyzed in an attempt to determine demographics, only to better pollute their brains with detergent and fast food advertisements.  Network is the first movie that dared to take on such risky politics.

I don't have blinders up to the product placement and mass media that have invaded my beloved cinema.  But the films that I gravitate towards tend not to be mainstream and therefore take more chances.  Films like Network.  One risk the film was not willing to take was the possibility using unknown actors.  This movie is crammed full of top notch talent and it paid off.  This is Dunaway's second best performance behind Bonnie and Clyde.  Peter Finch gives a stellar performance as a televangelist and Messiah.  Robert Duval (America most valuable resource) and William hold up very well also.

This movie reminded me of another TV News movie.  No, not Broadcast News.  Good Night and Good Luck.  Both films deal with censorship and integrity.  Both movies have large casts of well known actors.  Both movies deal with the role TV plays in how people get their news, and the responsibility that comes along with that.  Both are commentaries on society in general and both expose the power struggles between the young and the old.

This is difficult subject matter to handle.  It would have taken a master at his craft to direct this big of a cast with this weighty of subject matter.  This film was meta before meta was meta.  Lumet was just the man for the job.  His pedigree and training on films like 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon perfectly set him up for a film like this.  Thinking about it, I would have like to have seen what Robert Altman would have done with the same material.  But that can be said for nearly any script.

I enjoyed this movie and I look forward to catching up with more of Lumet's work.  I give Network ★★★★.  This film is available on Netflix Watch Instantly.