Network: Sidney Lumet's Satirical Masterpiece Comes to 4K (Criterion 4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

Without a doubt, one of the most underrated directors to have ever worked in the business in the great Sidney Lumet, who gave us a multitude of great works that included "12 Angry Men," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "Fail Safe," and "Dog Day Afternoon." However, even with that list of amazing films, there are many who would say that the five-time Oscar nominee's greatest accomplishment of his illustrious career was his 1976 satirical masterpiece "Network," which came from a brilliant screenplay by the incomparable Paddy Chayefsky.

Not only was the film a major critical & box office hit, but it also went on to receive an astounding ten Oscar nominations in nine categories, winning four for Original Screenplay, Actor, Actress, and Supporting Actress. Furthermore, the film has gone on to become one of the definitive works about broadcast news, one that is seen as being rather prophetic in its sensationalistic treatment of the material. With the film reaching its incredible 50th anniversary this year, Criterion is honoring it by inducting it into their prestigious collection with a stunning 4K upgrade, so now it's time to delve into this masterful satire to see why it was hailed as an important work upon its first release and why it continues to resonate strongly with audiences five decades later.

As the film opens, Howard Beale (Peter Finch), the anchor for UBS Evening News, receives the news from Max Schumacher (William Holden), president of the news division, that he is being fired in two weeks due to low ratings. When he goes on the air the next night, Howard declares that he's going to commit suicide on the show in one week, which immediately causes an uproar from the network. UBS wants to fire him right away, but after a brief chat, Max decides to let him return to give a final, dignified farewell. However, when Howard goes back on, he launches into a rant about how life is bullshit, which causes his ratings to go through the roof.

Naturally the network wants to take advantage of Howard's angry man routine, but his ratings soon hit their height, so chief programmer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) approaches Max to see about helping him develop the show further. He declines, but she finds a way around him by getting her boss, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), to move the show to her division, giving her control. "The Howard Beale Show" quickly becomes the number one program on television, with Howard becoming "The Mad Prophet of the Airwaves" as he preaches about TV & other subjects. However, when he starts to rant about a certain shady business deal that the network is trying to carry out for its very survival, the executives find themselves in a panic as they try to deal with the upheaval that Howard's interference has caused.

So what is it about "Network" that has kept audiences coming back to it for the last 50 years? Well, as far as this critic is concerned, having returned to it many times over the years myself, it's always been about the sheer absurdity of the entire situation, from Howard's initial outbursts and his decline in becoming a "mad prophet denouncing the hypocrisies of our time" to the network's over-eagerness to take advantage of his rantings and their willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the incredible ratings up. It's the way the film disregards just about every decent rule of TV news to turn it into nothing but a sensational spectacle, a pulpit for Howard to rant & rave about whatever topics he wants. Again, as long as it gets those ratings, the network couldn't care less, that is until the chosen topic hits a little too close to home.

It's particularly fascinating to watch as Diana takes the driver seat for the program, not only giving Howard his platform, but also filling it with other extraneous segments that don't even come close to representing news ("Sybil the Soothsayer," "Skeletons in the Closet," etc.), all while trying to put together another TV show ("The Mao Tse-Tung Hour") in which they'd use actual footage recorded by a terrorist group that they're trying to make a deal with. All of this is what's led to the film being called eerily prophetic in its prediction of how sensationalism can sometimes overtake journalistic integrity, a trend that would certainly become prevalent in the years to come.

That said, while the film is indeed a masterpiece, it's not quite "perfect." However, the only thing holding it back from being so is the bizarre inclusion of a superfluous subplot involving an affair between Max & Diana, a subplot that has nothing to do with the main focus of the film and adds absolutely nothing to it, making it feel like nothing more than an extra piece thrown in there to give a few of the cast some overly-dramatic material to chew on. It doesn't hurt the film too much, but there was really no reason for it to be there in the first place, so it would have been a far better decision to leave it out entirely.

When all is said and done, "Network" is simply an utterly compelling dive into the wild & wacky world of exploitative television, featuring marvelous performances all around. It's hardly a wonder that Finch, Dunaway, and Beatrice Straight, as Max's wife, all won Oscars (with Straight holding the record for shortest Oscar-winning performance of all time at around five minutes). However, it could easily be said that the biggest star of the film is actually Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant, Oscar-winning screenplay, which laid out this incredible tale in the first place (it's well-worth noting that the WGA named it the 8th greatest screenplay ever written). With all of these compelling elements, it's not hard to see why the film has endured so strongly for the last 50 years, and will do so for many more to come. It was a riveting & relevant tale in 1976 and absolutely nothing has changed five decades later.

Video/Audio:

This edition of "Network" comes with the film on both 4K (2160p, UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p, HD) in 1.85:1 transfers of stunning quality, with the new 4K restoration presenting a beautifully sharp & clear picture throughout its entire 121-minute duration. Likewise, the uncompressed monaural audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, as usual, Criterion has done a marvelous job in both departments for the film's gorgeous new upgrade.

Special Features:

Commentary by Director Sidney Lumet

The Making of Network (86 Minutes): A six-part documentary about the film.

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words (89 Minutes): A documentary that explores the work of the Oscar-winning screenwriter.

Conclusion:

50 years later, Sidney Lumet's "Network" remains a startlingly relevant & wildly compelling masterpiece, featuring marvelous performances from the entire ensemble (three of whom won Oscars) and a brilliant, Oscar-winning screenplay from the incredible Paddy Chayefsky. Criterion's new 4K upgrade is simply stunning, featuring a beautiful transfer and a pair of fascinating documentaries about the film & its writer, ultimately making it a release that any cinema fan needs to add to their collection.

Score: 4.5/5

Available on Criterion 4K/Blu-ray starting today.

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