Lumet was at the top of his game here, and was aided by one of the greatest screenplays ever, written by Paddy Chayefsky. It’s outrageously, cruelly funny in its satire of television and media, although as time has gone on, it has become nearly prophetic. The performances are all top notch, and Lumet’s understated direction is a perfect match for the script’s wild humour. The comedy, however, never overwhelms the fact that there is an extremely serious story going on here; the main conflict is for the human soul, which is in danger of being swallowed up by the various forces of the modern age. It now has the feel of a warning that was sadly ignored.