Review #294: 'Network' (1976)

American cinema in the 1970's revealed a more personal, "gritty", and quite often profoundly moving approach to film-making. This was in part due to the "changing of the guard" at the studios that began happening in the 1960's. The Moguls that had created the studio system, and also the golden age of cinema, were leaving, and the studios were being sold off to corporations that had no connection to the cinema industry. This led to a multi-million dollar industry being run by companies such as Coca-Cola; therefore, the studios were being run by people who did not know what makes money. Fantastically for the new film makers, this led to a certain amount of freedom, and produced some of the most challenging and interesting films. It seems to me that this all occurred simultaneously with some interesting social and political challenges in the real world.

In the media throughout the 1970's, there were many stories about political kidnappings (such as the well-known Patty Hearst kidnapping that had the world gripped through the bizarre change in the newspaper heiress and socialite who eventually became a member of the terrorist gang), and of course the biggest political story of the decade, the Watergate incident. This latter event highlighted the inconsistencies of political power, and (along with the JFK assassination in 1963) almost essentially created the conspiracy theory - and the modern political conspiracy was born, and is now a popular part of culture. So it seems incredible today that under this atmosphere of paranoia, and particularly with the corporate mergers of industries, that Network was made - a film that is mainly about a television network that is going through changes after a corporate merger/takeover.

"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this anymore!" This is the mantra of Howard Beale (Peter Finch who won a posthumous best actor Oscar for this role), anchorman of the UBS Evening News, who at the start of the film, is told that due to poor ratings, he was to be fired. On his next broadcast, Beale announces that he will kill himself in a live broadcast next Tuesday. This of course creates a bit of a media sensation, and the interest in the anchorman extends, making the network executives take notice. This leads to the freedom for Beale to have a platform in which he berates the consumerist world, along with the machinations of the financial and media industries. Whilst the "downfall" of Beale's psychology seems to be the main event in this film, he is simply a protagonist that gets the narrative going. the main focus here is the relationship between news executive, Max Schumacher (William Holden) and the younger programming executive, Diana Christenson (Faye Dunaway). This relationship is essential to the narrative. This is where we discover that she will stop at nothing for the acquisition of ratings and therefore money, and that Max, whilst obviously enjoying his affair with the young woman, is fundamentally concerned with Beale's well-being.

This last point raises an interesting question about the nature of sanity. Whilst the money-men in the executive offices simply look at the ratings boost, and care less about the content, Max is worried that his friend is losing the plot. Of course this would be easy to say when we see Beale, soaking wet and dishevelled, ranting in a seemingly frantic manner. However, the fact that he is voicing opinions that were very popular at the time, shows that maybe he has in fact had enough of the machinations of the "system".

To say that the film is still relevant today is an understatement. In fact, much of what occurs in the film has become very much an everyday reality. So it could be argued that the film was an incredible piece of prescient cinema. Network has an amazing cast, and all performances are first rate - particularly Ned Beatty's small role, where he informs Beale of the future of industry which is stunningly shot also. Network should be celebrated in the same way that other films of the decade are, such as Taxi Driver (1976). It has utterly relevant social commentary, and rings as true today as it did 35 years ago - perhaps a depressing thought, highlighting that nothing has really changed, and that in fact, we are living in an unchanging civilisation that has only one obsession: Money.


Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Marc Ivamy