I normally don't get much out of watching movies, but I was recommended this not too long ago, so I figured I'd check it out. I was honestly struck by Network's brilliance in portraying the gritty corporate reality behind all the smoke and mirrors that keep millions transfixed to their television sets everyday. I had never heard of this movie until very recently, and with it's unenlightening portrayal of the media I guess that's no surprise.
Network is about Howard Beele, a veteran network anchorman who's been fired because of low ratings. His response is to announce he'll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman's descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity.
Although released over 30 years ago, Network is still relevant today. Howard Beele's "descent into insanity" can be seen as a response in a desperate man that has finally come to terms with modern society and the absurd life it creates. Although very generalized, it demonstrates the ills of a profit oriented corporate structure. Making a profit by any means necessary, ignoring the inherent inhumanity of such an approach.
A great film that decades after it's release continues to receive recognition from reviewers, but largely forgotten by the masses.
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