Network

It begins like any other film. Two generic men, drunk, go into a generic bar. They work at a generic TV network. Man fired in generic fashion.  Man has generic breakdown on TV and has rant against the corparate state of America that captures the heart of a nation. Hold on…

From the moment Howard Beale shouts “I’m not gonna take this anymore!” to the climatic, if a little disheartening, ending, Network is a brilliant piece of filmsmanship, the result of a an acclaimed writer (Paddy Chayefsky) working with a brilliant director (Sidney Lumet). As a drama, or a comedy, it can certainly hold its own against the greats of the genre.

However, it is as a social commentary that Network truly comes into a league of its own, with its cutting portrayal of people whose lives have been taken over by the “machine”. Despite being released in 1976, the film has just as accurate a reflection on todays world than it did then, if not more so. Who knows what Paddy Chayefsky would have made of the Jerry Springers of our day.

In conclusion, Network is a brilliant film, and one which I would urge all to see.