Day 181: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANY MORE!!!"

Yet another brilliant film from my Second Golden Age of Movies, Network is one part satire, two parts social commentary, and ten parts brilliance.  Yet another case of a movie poster's tagline being 100% accurate, and in this case: visionary.   Network, put simply, is the story of television and its impact on everything.  Network, put correctly, is the story of Howard Beale.  An over-the-hill anchorman who has just received his two week notice from his employer who is replacing him due to dropping ratings.  He proceeds to have an on-air breakdown where he informs the watching audience that he will shoot himself on live TV the following week as one last defiant act.  The funny thing is, the crew doesn't even notice for a short while.  Several breakdowns in front of the camera, and ratings increases later, an icy, overly ambitious programmer decides to give him his own show to air his "revelations."  From there, everything goes completely to hell.  This movie is one of the best social commentaries disguised as drama that I have ever seen.  In 1976, when this was originally released, TV was a much more innocent creature, and this story must have been one of those, "That would never happen in REAL life" moments that people discussed as they left the theater.  In 2011, however, most of this has already occurred, making Network one of the single most prophetic pieces of film ever produced.

William Holden stars as Max Schumaker, an old school newsman who is seeing the world he loves and dedicated his life to being torn down around him.  Holden puts such passion into the part, I actually think that he believes the character's views himself.  Schumaker is the only scrupulous, principled person in the movie.  Peter Finch is absolutely brilliant as  Howard Beale, a man who has had his entire world taken from him, and is pushed to beyond his breaking point.  The amazingly written diatribes are delivered with a passion that has rarely been seen on-screen.  Faye Dunaway is ice queen Diana Christensen.  A programmer who has, unwisely, put television (as an entity) before her social life, career, and even morals.  Another amazing performance.  Robert Duvall is Frank Hackett, a penny-pinching bureaucrat who represents the corporation running the network.  Ned Beatty has a small part, but his performance was also phenomenal.

Nominated for ten Oscars and winning four (including Finch, who was awarded his Oscar for Best Actor posthumously) Network is a brilliant film on every level that is broached.  One can only wonder how far away modern television programmers are to attempting Network's shocking and controversial ending.  No spoilers here, just watch this movie.  One of the best I've ever seen in every aspect of it's production, from script to cinematography.  10/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!