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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Network

22:31 / 04.03.06

Has anyone seen Network, directed by Paddy Chayefsky and starring Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, etc.? Just watched this last night and I was amazed at how timely and relevant it was given that it was made thirty years ago. The basic premise of the movie is that a news anchor's psychological break precipitates a failing network's changeover to sensationalized news programming and reality-drama hybrids about domestic terrorism.

There is a certain amount of preaching in the film on the evils of television culture, global capitalism... the dialogue is not naturalistic, it was stylized and sometimes bombastic, other times poetic... but I didn't find any of that irritating because I was too busy being amazed at how prescient it all seemed. Watching it now is almost eerie... there are so many similarities between the American pop culture and political climate in 1976 and 2006. Overall it's a very funny movie, though that humor is mostly quite dry and dark (the way I like it).

I also had no idea this is where the famous line came from - "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!"

I hope someone else on the board has seen it and is willing to share their thoughts - if not, run out and rent it immediately!

23:21 / 04.03.06

I loved it. There's a nice new special edition coming out on DVD. George Clooney has also expressed interest in making a live version of this on TV.

Keith, like a scientist

03:51 / 05.03.06

Network was directed by Sidney Lumet, it was written by Paddy. I only point this out because of I love this era of Lumet films, easily one of the most underrated directors.

There was a very interesting CNN article about Network the other day...it truly is an amazing film and they were talking about it's relevance today in terms of violence on television and the prescience of reality based drama.

16:35 / 05.03.06

This is the best American screenplay ever produced, without question. It would be the best American movie ever made, except that Lumet beats himself with Dog Day Afternoon. Network still feels like 25 hours in the future...and it's among Faye Dunaway's only watchable performances (that is, watchable with the sound on)--in fact, she kicks ass in it. I don't know that I've seen a sex scene as nasty-funny as the one where she works herself up to orgasm talking about the ratings of the "Mao Tse-Tung Hour." No movie I've seen since has been able to top the satire, the anger, the intelligence, and the general badassitude (it completely belongs in the cool movie thread as well) of Network.

16:37 / 05.03.06

Network was directed by Sidney Lumet, it was written by Paddy.

Ooops, sorry about that. You are quite right of course.

Keith, do you have a link for that CNN article by chance?

Keith, like a scientist

17:46 / 05.03.06

Ah-ha! I found it. Here you go.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

18:15 / 05.03.06

I haven't seen it in a long while (so my viewing may be different were I to watch it today), but with that proviso I'd agree it's an absolutely fucking brilliant film. (A few years later I read Norman Spinrad's excellent novel "Pictures At Eleven", and, while the stories are very different, I was reminded of Network throughout- they both seem to satirise news media from the same angle, but using very different tools).

I really have to watch it again now.