If I could, I would make a song out of Howard Beale’s rant on national TV from Sidney Lumet’s Network (1976) and make it the national anthem of every country. Maybe that way, we would have nagged our political leaders and the media enough to actually care about us (or at least, grown some spine ourselves to not just sit and watch). Since I can’t do that (at the risk of being accused of national treachery and blasphemy and getting arrested), this seems like the perfect opportunity to talk about how politically attached I am to this monologue from Network. In this article, we analyze the legendary broadcast rant, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take this anymore,” from Network—a quote that only seems to become more and more relevant with each passing day, as society and the economy degenerate in the name of progress. Context Is EverythingLumet’s Network follows Howard Beale, a former hit TV anchor, who’s facing serious career downsizing after the ratings of his shows drop drastically. But when the network fires him with two weeks' notice, Beale does the unthinkable—he declares on national television that he will blow his brains out live on national television within one week. His stunt is hardly received in good spirits, and the management fires him effectively when he pleads for one last telecast in the spirit of a dignified exit. Looking at his years of service, the network grants his wish. But even there, he pulls another stunt,...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Friday, 10 October