Film Review: Network

Director: Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet has proven himself to be a genius over the years by directing great movies such as 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon to name just two. The film posters for the movie told you to prepare for a "perfectly outrageous motion picture" and they were right. Peter Finch became the first actor ever to win a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor with only Heath Ledger receiving it since, Finch died in 1977 before the awards.

Howard Beale (Peter Finch) mid-rant

Howard Beale (excellently cynical Peter Finch) is the longtime anchor of UBS Evening News which has slowly slipped down the ratings. He is told that he has just two weeks left on the air before he is replaced so he announces that he will commit suicide live on air next week but is sacked after the incident. He is given a chance to apologise on air so he can go out with dignity but decides to launch into a tirade about life is ''bullshit" which improves the ratings and he is kept on. He then becomes famous after persuading viewers to open their windows and shout "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!". But his fame and freedom to say anything he likes on air isn't liked by everyone.

A distorted but deeply satirical look behind TV and the hunt for ratings between different stations which is more prevalent in America than anyone else in the world. The film mocks many things from the 1970's and not just the world of TV, the beauty of the film though is it's relevance today in a world full of talentless celebrities and reality shows. It is genuinely deserving of it's mentions amongst the greatest films of all-time.

The production team watch Beale on air with worry

The rant's produced by Howard Beale are fantastic but some of the shouting is over the top at times by other characters. It's like all the main characters get a shot at playing Beale during the film by having a big rant about something. Watching this film you can certainly see the similarities that were captured for Anchorman that was released in 2001, but this is at the other end of the scale in terms of being witty and intelligent to Anchorman's random anarchic humour.

3.5/4 wildly satirical look at fame in the TV industry