The Network Always Wins
We're reaching back to a classic on this one... Once again a paper originally written for Gary Schnittjer's Film, Culture, and Theology class, Sydney Lumet's 1976 Oscar winning film Network is a must see for film buffs who are curious about the effect of the TV upon the world of filmmaking. Lumet is a phenomenal director who's repertoire of films puts most other directors to shame; with over 50 films made since 1957, he is also known for being the leader of a pack of directors that made successful transitions from TV to film. This move from one medium to the other can almost be felt in this movie's "affair" with TV.
Once again, beware, for here be spoilers...
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From the moment of Network’s opening montage of Howard Beale in competition with other newscasters of his day, the narration of his declining rating and market share quickly gives us the sense that it is more than simply his shrinking audience that we are to be concerned about. In a way that will become more apparent as the film goes on, it is the very value of Beale’s life that is tied to his market share, a sad fact that goes far beyond the central characters in the story. In a world driven by TV broadcasting and high-stakes consumerism, there is only one bottom line: how one can ultimately turn the events of life into profit. Sydney Lumet’s Network grants us a comical – and at times frightening – vision of a world where capitalism itself has become a god to be served, and a man’s value is determined by how much money he can make for his superiors. It is a world not too far from our own.