Back in the mid 1970's, cable TV was a luxury. There were three networks, two forms of channels to surf (UHF and VHF), and the national news was either in print format or available through only ABC, CBS or NBC. Women anchors were few, let alone executives, so Faye Dunaway's character here (Diana Christensen) is far ahead of her time, and admittedly "one of the boys". Peter Finch's fictional network national news anchorman Howard Beale has been through the ringer and has been given his notice, and like "Meet John Doe's" Long John Willoughby, plans to kill himself. Unlike Willoughby, however, his suicide is planned to be real from his own lips, where Gary Cooper's "Meet John Doe" character only planned to disappear after the circulation scheme created by columnist Barbara Stanwyck passed its target date. It's the people behind the scenes in "Network" who pull the strings here, and instead of just newspaper owner Edward Arnold in that Frank Capra classic, you've got bigwigs from around the world it seems playing puppet master with Finch's life. Sidney Lumet, one of the great directors of the modern era of cinema, leads the way for what is considered one of the all time classics of the past 40 years.
With one of the greatest ensembles ever assembled for a big budget cinematic release, "Network" grabs you from the moment of Lee Richardson's voice popping up to narrate Beale's story. Gradually, you get to meet the important people involved behind the scenes which includes Vice President of programming Dunaway, Finch's old pal, executive William Holden, and Robert Duvall as the head of a conglomorate who has bought up the network for its own selfish purposes. Others behind the scenes in smaller but equally important parts include veteran actors William Prince, Wesley Addy, Jordan Charney and Ned Beatty, each add to the bubbling volcano boiling within the network, not only focusing on the news program, but potential series Dunaway considers to help build up ratings which seem to be at an all time low, having it at the bottom of the four.
TV series of the time from other networks are mentioned as ratings giants dominating the airwaves, and political events and tensions are added in fictional subplots to create even more tension. Marlene Warfield and Arthur Burghardt get an interesting subplot as members of a black extremist group whose cause becomes Dunaway's prize ratings cash cow, even though you can tell that she really could care less about any cause except pushing her own career up the ladder. Dunaway's affair with Holden causes a split between him and his long devoted wife (Oscar winner Beatrice Straight in probably the greatest cameo in motion picture history) and leads Holden to see what is behind the dwindling soul of the very troubled Dunaway. As she reveals the history of her failed love life (a husband who ran off with another man and her inadequacies in bed), you see someone with one direction in life that is easy to see ending with either suicide or a mental hospital. Twists involving her at the end might even have you drop your jaw in shock. By this point, there's no turning back for her, and it really makes you feel sorry for her as well as her victims.
While the temptation is there to compare her performance to her notorious role of Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest", the subtle nuances Dunaway utilizes here makes her fascinating to watch. Diane Christensen has been compared to several powerful women in business who had reputations for being horrible to work for, the character of Diane is written as more commanding than demanding, somebody you might respect at first glance for her intelligence and beauty, but once subtleties make her real character known, she becomes closer to Sigourney Weaver's comical executive in "Working Girl" rather than Meryl Streep's nasty Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada". The scenes between Holden and Dunaway exploring the nuances of their relationship show a very damaged woman, a fascinating view into the future of people obsessed with social media and unable to see reality past the push of their finger from their electronic devices.
Then, there's the powerful cameo of Ned Beatty as one of the heads of the social destructive conglomerate, tearing Finch down for taking things too far in his sudden fame after his "I'm as mad as hell!" declaration and basically threatening to destroy the agendas Beatty, Duvall and others have set up in their attempts to manipulate and control society. Like Ms. Straight, Beatty takes over the film for one five minute scene and becomes unforgettable. It is with his appearance that this film delves into the darkness of the future from 1976 which now seems to be our present. A well received Broadway version of "Network" has opened to raves and sold-out performances, and dismisses any notion film historians have made in discussing the relevance of "Network" in movie history. There was much tension at the 1977 Academy Awards because of the powerful competition "Network" faced (two films, "All the President's Men" and "Taxi Driver", also show dark glimpses into American society; the winner, "Rocky", was a crowd pleaser that stood the test of time), but winning three out of the four acting awards as well as screenplay, "Network" is a modern classic that film students will be discussing for years.
With one of the greatest ensembles ever assembled for a big budget cinematic release, "Network" grabs you from the moment of Lee Richardson's voice popping up to narrate Beale's story. Gradually, you get to meet the important people involved behind the scenes which includes Vice President of programming Dunaway, Finch's old pal, executive William Holden, and Robert Duvall as the head of a conglomorate who has bought up the network for its own selfish purposes. Others behind the scenes in smaller but equally important parts include veteran actors William Prince, Wesley Addy, Jordan Charney and Ned Beatty, each add to the bubbling volcano boiling within the network, not only focusing on the news program, but potential series Dunaway considers to help build up ratings which seem to be at an all time low, having it at the bottom of the four.
TV series of the time from other networks are mentioned as ratings giants dominating the airwaves, and political events and tensions are added in fictional subplots to create even more tension. Marlene Warfield and Arthur Burghardt get an interesting subplot as members of a black extremist group whose cause becomes Dunaway's prize ratings cash cow, even though you can tell that she really could care less about any cause except pushing her own career up the ladder. Dunaway's affair with Holden causes a split between him and his long devoted wife (Oscar winner Beatrice Straight in probably the greatest cameo in motion picture history) and leads Holden to see what is behind the dwindling soul of the very troubled Dunaway. As she reveals the history of her failed love life (a husband who ran off with another man and her inadequacies in bed), you see someone with one direction in life that is easy to see ending with either suicide or a mental hospital. Twists involving her at the end might even have you drop your jaw in shock. By this point, there's no turning back for her, and it really makes you feel sorry for her as well as her victims.
While the temptation is there to compare her performance to her notorious role of Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest", the subtle nuances Dunaway utilizes here makes her fascinating to watch. Diane Christensen has been compared to several powerful women in business who had reputations for being horrible to work for, the character of Diane is written as more commanding than demanding, somebody you might respect at first glance for her intelligence and beauty, but once subtleties make her real character known, she becomes closer to Sigourney Weaver's comical executive in "Working Girl" rather than Meryl Streep's nasty Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada". The scenes between Holden and Dunaway exploring the nuances of their relationship show a very damaged woman, a fascinating view into the future of people obsessed with social media and unable to see reality past the push of their finger from their electronic devices.
Then, there's the powerful cameo of Ned Beatty as one of the heads of the social destructive conglomerate, tearing Finch down for taking things too far in his sudden fame after his "I'm as mad as hell!" declaration and basically threatening to destroy the agendas Beatty, Duvall and others have set up in their attempts to manipulate and control society. Like Ms. Straight, Beatty takes over the film for one five minute scene and becomes unforgettable. It is with his appearance that this film delves into the darkness of the future from 1976 which now seems to be our present. A well received Broadway version of "Network" has opened to raves and sold-out performances, and dismisses any notion film historians have made in discussing the relevance of "Network" in movie history. There was much tension at the 1977 Academy Awards because of the powerful competition "Network" faced (two films, "All the President's Men" and "Taxi Driver", also show dark glimpses into American society; the winner, "Rocky", was a crowd pleaser that stood the test of time), but winning three out of the four acting awards as well as screenplay, "Network" is a modern classic that film students will be discussing for years.