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Network (1976) More at IMDbPro »

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This isn't one of your Scripts, Diana!, 18 March 2006

Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

"Network" is a blazing, ballsy, and smoothly calculated satire of all things American and Corporate as seen through the tunneled vision of mass market consumerism in the form of television. Made in 1976 with no-nonsense old-school direction from Sydney Lumet and a so-good-it's-almost-sick script from Paddy Chayefsky, this is not only the second best film satire ever made (behind only "Dr. Strangelove" in my book) but also a simplistic hologram of what every great film, no matter what the genre, should be: a stone-cold acting, writing, and directing tour-de-force.

Faye Dunaway (Oscar winner) is icy perfection as the programming exec who will put anything on TV for higher ratings. Peter Finch is "mad as hell" in his Oscar winning performance as the "mad prophet of the airways" spouting off tangents on everything from soulless consumerism to the dangers of MidEast corporate buy-outs (sadly things are still the same thirty years later). William Holden is equally good in his part as an aging and recently axed news exec looking for old-fashioned love in a crazy god-less new world. Robert Duvall (with his dreams of big-titted hits), Ned Beatty (with his forces of nature), and everyone else involved are all amazing. This is one of those films so perfectly tailored to its cast and sublimely directed that an actress (Beatrice Straight as Holden's wife) can walk onto screen for a mere five minutes, exorcise her lines as if this is her death dirge as an artist, and walk off with an Oscar.

Then of course there is the writing. This is a film not only of great lines (like "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!") but also of grandiose, verbose, and articulate dialogue (take any of the Dunaway-Holden scenes or the Beatty/Finch showdown of apocalyptic proportions). Only "Casablanca," "Annie Hall" and perhaps "Paris, Texis" can compete with "Network" for best film dialogue ever.

And finally, this is one of the few classics ripe (and dare I say begging) for re-imagining. In 1976 this was a hilariously dark satire joking about the worst case scenario of a new world order. Viewed today, it's a horrifying oracle of things that came true. If ever was there a film from the past with a more urgent message, I dare you to name it.

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