Network

Title: Network (1976)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall
Rank: 64

There is a great debate on whether people are naturally good and turn evil, or are inherently bad and must over come it to become pleasant and kind. In Network, all of the characters seem to have an easy enough time doing evil deeds. Extra-marital affairs, cheating others for profit, and even murder, all because of television ratings.

It is interesting to see the lengths people will go to gain something for themselves, whether they want power, money, fame, or all three of them. Some people will do anything for success, without regard for the feelings and well-being of others. At one point or another, everyone gets selfish and does things that aren't the most honorable to benefit themselves. It is tempting to do mischievous things to get what we want, and people willing to do those things are not in short supply. Especially with the economy in the state it is right now, there are people who are doing some pretty sleazy things for money, scamming defenseless people who still have trust in humanity.

Lying, cheating, stealing, and all those other sinful doings are, sadly, not uncommon in this world. We tend to not trust others until we get to know them because of personal experiences and stories we hear from others and on the news. It is hard to know who to trust and who not to trust, especially since it is so easy to lie these days- people can become anyone on the internet. (How do you know I am really a 23-year-old woman living in Southern California? For all you really know, I could be a 97-year-old man living in Scandinavia, or even a purple horse who has been given fingers to type and the ability to speak English from a old wizard who owed him a favor. You never really know!)

In Network, everyone speaks with such an eloquent quality and in educated language, even when the scene is intense. There is a scene in which Max Schumacher (played by Holden) tells his wife (played by Beatrice Straight) that he is having an affair. Mrs. Schumacher gives this speech to him, ever so eloquently, and the final line is this: "I'm your wife, damn it. And, if you can't work up a winter passion for me, the least I require is respect and allegiance. I hurt. Don't you understand that? I hurt badly." If I had just found out my husband was cheating on me, I would use much harsher words towards him than "winter passion" and "respect and allegiance." This use of vivid language makes it that much easier for people to do deceptive things. Hitler, for example, was a very good speaker and very convincing of his points, even though the things he did were absolutely appalling. We must be cautious of falling victim to people like this, because it is these people who can sway the most followers and do the most damage.

It often astonishes me to hear about the deceitful things that people do to each other. Sometimes it is hard not to completely lose faith in humanity when we see stories like Network or watch the evening news, but there are still plenty of good people out there. Unfortunately, they don't always get as much attention as the ones who do dirty deeds. Perhaps we need to shift our focus and praise more of the good and leave out a little more of the bad. Think positive, be positive.

Trivia: (source: IMDb)
•Won 4 Oscars (1977): Best Screenplay (Paddy Chayefsky), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Faye Dunaway), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Peter Finch), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Beatrice Straight).
•Peter Finch became the first actor to receive an award in an acting category posthumously.



Movies to Go: 92

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