Analysis Of ' The Movie ' Network '

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“Right now, it’s an industry dedicated to one thing. Profit.” This quote by author, Paddy Chayefsky, perfectly sums up the motives behind the movie “Network.” From hiring soothsayers to risking a man’s mental heath for the sake of a successful television program, the characters in “Network” have truly been blinded by fame and top ratings. This satire fiercely describes just how far a television network will go to achieve such accomplishments. In the 1950’s, television changed American entertainment from showing sitcoms to serious news broadcasts. In the movie “Network,” the setting revolves around a news station, where the ratings are suffering and the workers are growing desperate for attention. Television executive, Diana Christensen, is tirelessly racking her brain for the next big hit, and her ideas are deemed crazy by more than just one coworker; however, in desperation, her ideas are put to the test on live television. Even after news anchor, Howard Beale, has a mental breakdown on camera, Christensen fights to keep him on the air because of the rising success the network found in his entertaining yet uncontrollable rants about a failing society (Ebert). Eventually, Christensen manages to secure Howard Beale’s very own television series featuring a soothsayer to predict future shows and Beale himself to demand people to take control of their lives. Almost all of his shows ended in him falling flat on the ground from fainting; this reveals the toll that the program is
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