Network: The Transformation of Journalism
A Struggling Network Employs An Insane Retiring Newsman For Ratings
Apr 17, 2009
The 1976 film Network takes a glimpse into the changing landscape of journalism – one obsessed with ratings rather than integrity.
Directed by Sidney Lumet – who directed the Al Pacino classic Dog Day Afternoon only one year before Network – it follows the rise and fall of Howard Beale (Peter Finch), a fictional newsman slowly going insane at the end of his career.
Perhaps most recognizable for the scene when Beale screams “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore,” the film not only captured the political and economic frustrations of the late 70s and early 80s but also showcased the downfall of network journalism.
Network won four Academy Awards including the awarding of Best Actor to Peter Finch, posthumously. The only other actor to receive an Oscar after death was Heath Ledger.
Finch gave an iconic performance of a mentally-ill man desperate to stay in the spotlight. Throughout the film he clearly delineates the path that Beale takes from depressed retiree to ranting showman.
Powerful Performances Dig Into The Lives of Journalists
In the film, Howard Beale is days from retiring from UBS, a network not quite as popular as NBC, ABC or CBS, when he mentally unravels before his viewers’ eyes. First, he announces during a live broadcast that he will commit suicide on television and later begins ranting about issues of the day.
Veteran producers, including his best friend and boss Max Schumacher (William Holden), are mortified by Beale’s actions, yet an executive named Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) notices that ratings are higher than ever and convinces corporate executive Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall) to give Beale his own show.
Dunaway gives a chilling performance as the amoral, opportunistic Diana Christensen. Her unscrupulous character lies, manipulates and pushes sex to get what she wants (which is to make UBS the most popular network in the country.)
Holden’s portrayal of Max Schumacher – an aging newsman who often reminisces about working at CBS with Edward Murrow – captures the torn emotions of a man reaching retirement, but who still yearns for the golden days. Following the quintessential actions of a man experiencing mid-life crisis, Holden leaves his wife for the younger Diana Christensen.
As the star of his own show, Beale acts like a televangelist, news anchor and militant.
Network Showcases The Transformation of Journalism
It’s no secret that broadcast journalism nearly ended newspapers, but in Network the plot follows the rise of sensational news on television.
Editors and producers in the film find that news involving crime, violence or sexual abuse receive more ratings and viewers are especially entertained by Beale's madness. Diana Christensen capitalizes on Beale’s insanity by creating The Howard Beale Show where he rants in expletives and unending shouts addressing the ails of society.
UBS becomes the highest rating network until Beale ironically reveals a corporate deal between the network and investors in the Middle East and the network loses billions of dollars.
Today, the notion of the 24-hour news channel and lightning fast snippets of breaking news are catering to instant gratification and sensationalism. Although released 30-years-ago, Network continues to be a viable film that documents the changing landscape of journalism.
Enjoyable Rating: 6 out of 10 for an intellectual look at journalism and what human nature drives us to watch.
MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language.
Minutes: 163
Cast:
- Faye Dunaway as Diana Christensen
- William Holden as Max Schumacher
- Peter Finch as Howard Beale
- Robert Duvall as Frank Hackett
- Wesley Addy as Nelson Chaney
- Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen
If You Like “Network” You’ll Also Like: All The President’s Men or The Paper
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