Network
1976 · Directed by Sidney Lumet
Original language: English
- drama
The story
When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.
What it’s like
Hard, saturated 1970s studio lighting with fluorescent glare over the newsroom and the sour sheen of the boardrooms, all shot in tight, restless cutting and long talky takes that let the performers lunge and rant at the lens. Sidney Lumet's New York City is grimy and overlit, full of cigarette haze, cluttered desks, and corridors that feel like they're closing in, while the sound is a clatter of teleprinters, ringing phones, and a jittery, mostly percussive score that drops out for the big speeches. The vibe is caustic, feverish satire, a bitter laugh that curdles into unease. It suits a sharp-tongued night with the lights on, or a viewing with someone who wants to argue about what television does to people. Pacing is brisk and talky, and the emotional register swings between dark comedy and genuine dread, with the main figures following a veteran pushed toward breakdown and a younger executive sliding into ruthlessness. The intensity is adult: strong profanity, a sharp scene of violence, a brief, startling death, and sexual talk and an affair handled frankly rather than graphically. It is for viewers who like cynical, dialogue-driven media satire and sharp ensemble performances.
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