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Synopsis

Howard Beale is an aging TV anchorman for UBS who is fired, effective in two weeks, after his ratings have been steadily deteriorating. He reacts to this by sensationally announcing on live television his intention to commit suicide on air. In doing so, Beale becomes a major TV icon and one of the most valuable assets to the Communications Corporation of America (CCA), the company that is gradually taking control of UBS. As a result he is given his own show as ‘the mad prophet of the air-waves’. He appears live on television every week-day evening to tell the real truth to the people of America. The program is a huge success but Beale uses his power to make startling revelations about CCA, leaving the company executives with a serious problem. –IMDb

Director

Original

Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet (born June 25, 1924) is an American film director, with over 50 films to his name, including 12 Angry Men (1957), Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982), all of which, except for Serpico (1973), earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director.

According to The Encyclopedia of Hollywood, Lumet is one of the most prolific directors of the modern era making more than one movie per year on average since his directorial debut in 1957. He is especially noted for his ability to draw major actors to his projects. “Because of his visual economy, strong direction of actors, vigorous storytelling and use of the camera to accent themes,” states Turner Classic Movies. “Lumet produced a body of work that could only be defined as extraordinary.”

One of his steady themes during his career has been the “fragility of justice and the police and their corruption,” according to Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film. He can deliver… read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 80 wall posts.

Victor Karlik-Marx

23May12

sensational, masterful writing ... you can defend a dissertation on such material

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Mark

19May12

Watch Faye Dunaway act up a storm on this one. She struts in and delivers a performance that is frenzied, breathless and electric. Her rat-tat-tat line delivery zaps you right in and takes you along for the ride. And who can forget Peter Finch, all stentorian and grave, with that demented mantra?

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uyumayanadam

30Apr12

Splendid acting.

Riley Jessett

20Apr12

Definitely some of film's best acting here

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Fans

Displaying 5 of 2834 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

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By David Hudson on April 9, 2011

"Sidney Lumet, a director who preferred the streets of New York to the back lots of Hollywood and whose stories of conscience — 12 Angry

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The Auteurs Daily: Venice and Toronto. Videocracy

By David Hudson on September 10, 2009

  "If you wanted to script a cautionary tale about the politics of fame (and the fame of politics), you couldn't come up with anything

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Reviews

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ABUELITO, TWITTEAME UN CUENTO, la fábula contemporánea en networks.

By Jorge Negrete on January 8, 2011

Cada fenómeno social nace de un profundo resentimiento, ira o fuertes sentimientos destructivos (hacia uno mismo o vertidos hacia el exterior). Estos fenómenos suelen ser casi circunstanciales, eventos…  read review

Untitled

By Pierlui​gi Puccini on July 13, 2009

The cruel and caustic story of Howard Beale, a newscaster who had a breakdown due to the loss of his family, the booze, and all the fallacies he regurgitated to millions of automatous viewers.
  read review

Untitled

By J. Ridicul​ous on June 8, 2009

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…  read review

Untitled

By pickpoc​ket on January 23, 2009

This movie howls with righteous indignation, in a decidedly good way. What’s amazing to me is that, thirty-three years after the movie was made, it still manages to indict us, me, for our terrible…  read review

Forum

Displaying 2 discussion topics.

A BRIEF TRIBUTE TO PADDY CHAYEFSKY (1923-1981)

7 posts by 4 people 10 months ago

TELL ME WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT NETWORK

15 posts by 10 people about 2 years ago