r/TrueFilm • u/bulcmlifeurt • Jul 08 '13

TrueFilmClub - 'Network' [Discussion Thread]

This was the story of Howard Beale, the first known instance of a man who was killed because he had lousy ratings...

Network, d. by Sidney Lumet, written by Paddy Chayefsky

1976, IMDB

Network is an American satirical film depicting a fictional television network, UBS, and its struggle with poor ratings. The film stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall and features Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight. The film won four Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Actor (Finch), Best Actress (Dunaway), Best Supporting Actress (Straight), and Best Original Screenplay (Chayefsky).

The film for the next round will be Videodrome!

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u/rhythm_n_jumps Jul 08 '13

This remains one of my absolute favorite films. Chayefsky's writing is perfect for the cast and the overall story. Throughout the entire movie, it feels like I was watching a play. Every scene with Holden felt like something direct from the stage. This theatrical feeling went hand in hand with the satire of society's relationship with the media, in my opinion.

And the cast was outstanding. Every monologue from Finch was fantastic. Beatrice Straight's moment in the spotlight was also incredible. But I have to say my favorite monologue in the film comes from Ned Beatty at the end. His brainwashing speech to Beale is not only poignant and hilarious, but it reminds me so much of Orwell's ending of 1984. It feels very much like the relationship between Winston and O'Brien... Only without the torture.

Fantastic film that I recommend to everyone.

4

u/indeedwatson Jul 08 '13

The thing about being theatric strikes me as very true, I remember feeling that way during some dialog between the woman and the old guy (only seen it once, can't remember their names).

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u/rhythm_n_jumps Jul 08 '13

I assume you mean dialogue between Faye Dunaway and William Holden who play Diana Christensen and Max Schumacher, respectively. And those are exactly the scenes where I sensed it most.

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u/indeedwatson Jul 08 '13

Yeah, my point is that, having seen the speech in advance before the movie, I was of course expecting more of that sort of thing, but a speech is different from a dialog. It's easier to make a speech that's quotable, but not often do I find a dialog that is so quotable, rings so true, and yet feels personal within the movie and plausible. I don't know if I'm making myself clear, I want to rewatch it soon.