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Despite, Network being a famous classic, I was unsure whether I would like it at first because I just don't really like those kind of films but the actors and director that were involved with the film made me watch. When I did watch this film, I wasn't disappointed but I was blown away by it! What a powerful film Network turned out to be that I was gripped by all the way through. It was obviously a drama but I also found some bits within the film pretty tense because of the chemistry between the characters. It is one of these films that I would find very confusing and complex but after watching Network it wasn't half as complex as I was expecting it to be.
Faye Dunaway's performance as Diana Christensen was absolutely brilliant! I haven't ever seen her in a film like this before. Faye has always been an actress of giving out very powerful Oscar-nominated performances including Bonnie And Clyde and Chinatown. Diana starts to become a producer of entertainment programming. Diana's desire is to produce a hit show for the network results in her cutting a deal with a group of left-wing terrorists robbing banks, to use as the cold-opening for a new series based on terrorists for the network that she wishes developed for the upcoming fall season. Diana as feelings for Max Schumacher who is the president of the News Division and the network's old guard news editor. William Holden's performance was absolutely terrific as Max Schumacher. I actually felt sorry for Max because he loves his job, his best friend Howard Beale is on the verge of getting fired and his personal life starts to change around. His performance was really powerful. Personally, I thought he was better than Peter Finch who won the Oscar for Best Leading Actor in 1976. I think that Finch's role was more supporting than leading because not only was Finch not in it THAT much but also he didn't really get involved with other characters within the film. Peter Finch's performance was absolutely incredible as Howard Beale. Finch's performance is one of the two posthumous Oscar winning performances. The other one being Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Finch was awesome because he was a real weirdo and a bit insane. He has a condition and I feel for him because he wants to go on air but he can't because of his condition and most likely getting the sack due to low ratings of the show. Robert Duvall made a big name for himself in The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II but he makes his name even bigger in this film as Frank Hackett. He is the boss of the network. He is worried about Beale wrecking the show due to the low ratings and the reputation of the show. All four actors in this film were absolutely phenomenal and there's no denying that!
Sidney Lumet is a director of creating dark films but with mixed genres and different themes but his work on Network was so fascinating because you could see what is behind the scenes on the news and also it can inspire young people to work in a network or anything similar to it. Every single film that Lumet has done have all been ones that I think have taken an awful lot of working into to build up. It obviously was hard but when you watch it, you would appreciate that due to it's top-notch acting, directing, writing and producing.
Overall, Network is an absolutely terrific work of art that I think will be remembered for many years to come. I have absolutely no idea how neither Network nor Taxi Driver didn't win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976 over the actual winner which was Rocky. Network has one of the most powerful and most shocking endings of all time as well. Faye Dunaway is still a legendary actress and after seeing three of her most famous films (Network, Bonnie And Clyde and Chinatown), I have decided that her performance as Diane Christensen is the best that she has done (of what I've seen from her so far). This is my favourite Sidney Lumet film so far from the ones I have seen. I even loved Network more than 12 Angry Men. Network is one of the greatest films of the 1970s as well as of all time!!
9/10
