How NETWORK (1976) Satirises The Co-Optation of Radicalism | Film Analysis #sidneylumet #network1976

How Network Satirises The Co-Optation of Radicalism in the 1970s In Sidney Lumet’s incisive 1976 satire film, Network, we are introduced to Howard Beale, a depressed, alcoholic newsman facing cancellation. In his unhinged desperation, Beale transforms his nightly broadcast into a pulpit from which he delivers the eruptive sermons that have become the film’s most iconic image. The Network itself, having recently exposed its news division to the invisible hand of the free market, finds itself in a dilemma. Beale is violating the norms of conventional broadcasting, but the audience can’t get enough of it. Eventually, the higher-ups at Beale’s channel allow the ratings to make their mind up for them, and the frenzied Jeremiads continue to be beamed across the nation. However, in the film, both textually and subtextually, there is another phenomenon driving the change in direction aside from ratings, revenue, and audience popularity. The scenario that fosters Beale’s televised breakdown is