Network
(1976)
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 Hours
Reviewer: Dale
Grade: A+"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
"Network" is remembered primarily for these words and, boy, it ain't kidding. Of all the movies I have seen, few of them were as completely pissed off as this one. And it's filled with truth. Pages upon pages of truth are on display here. This is not a heartwarming movie. It is not a happy movie. It is a movie of hard, brutal truths and it deserves to be seen.
Peter Finch plays Howard Beale. Howard has worked as the anchor of the nightly news on the UBS network for eleven years. One day, because of saggy ratings, he learns that he will be fired in two weeks. Howard responds by announcing that, in a week, he will blow his own brains out on the evening news. "That should get me at least a fifty share", he says.
The network execs respond by firing him at once. But he convinces them that he was just under a lot of stress and they should let him have a last chance to say goodbye to his viewers.
They agree. Howard then goes on the air and dismisses life as "Bullshit". The network cans him again. Then they realize that by telling it like it is, he is getting them better ratings than any show they have ever had. The people love him, even if the executives don't.
Howard's best friend, and producer of the nightly news, Max Schumacher (the awesome talent that is William Holden) wants him off the air however. Not because he is upset by what he's saying but because he is worried for the mental health of his best friend. But soon he has other problems. Despite the fact that he has been married to the same woman for twenty-five years, he is finding himself irresistably attracted to the woman who is angling for his job (Faye Dunaway). Faye plays Diana Christensen, a woman who is trying to get a weekly series made about a group of terrorists who film their activities. She's even in talks with the terrorists to get rights to their footage. Diana soon sees Howard Beale for herself. She immediately markets his rants and makes him into the biggest draw on television.
The greatness of "Network" relies on two big factors, primarily, the sterling silver quality of every performance and the unquestionable brilliance of its screenplay. The screenplay is so good that the screenwriter's name is credited right after the actors' are. And in huge letters.
And it deserves to be. This is an amazing script. Not only is the story top notch, but the characters are awesome and it has some of the best dialogue that I have ever heard. This movie is the sharpest satire I have ever seen. It's razor-sharp, in fact, and dead right when it comes to the subject of the sensationalistic wasteland that is television. If anything, television has only gotten worse since then. This movie is almost psychic when you consider that it was made in 1976, years before programs like "Geraldo" and "Jerry Springer" were ever conceived. It's also nothing short of riveting. You can never tell where this tale will take you next. Like all the best stories, it has the feel of being made up as it goes along, yet it has a purpose in mind all the way.
Now, onto the actors. Peter Finch DESERVED to take the Oscar from Robert DeNiro.
Yes, DeNiro was great in "Taxi Driver", but DeNiro was at the beginning of his career. DeNiro would go on to rule in so many other things. He would shine for years. This was Finch's one moment of glory. This was his big break. And this was his last movie. He died before he was able to receive his Academy Award. Which is a shame. Plus, Howard Beale is a more fascinating character than Travis Bickle (never thought I would say that about anyone) and Peter Finch inhabits him flawlessly. William Holden is also great in this movie. Then again, I've never seen a BAD William Holden performance. He is always riveting. So is Robert Duvall, who excels in virtually anything. But Faye Dunaway is shockingly good here. I have seen a few movies with her in them, but she has never floored me as she did here. And Ned Beatty has one flawless monologue that he delivers effortlessly.
Bottom line: this is a tremendous achievement in filmmaking. Easily one of the best films I have ever seen and easily better than "Rocky" (which it lost Best Picture to). It deserves to be seen, and seen again and again. I mean, how can you resist a movie in which the lead character is just endlessly bitter and pissed?