The William Holden-Faye Dunaway romance subplot is trite and irrelevent
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PlatinumScreen — 14 years ago(December 30, 2011 04:38 PM)
i see your point, but if this romance had not occurred, then we wouldn't have that brilliant response by max's wife when he told her of the affair and later max's equally brilliant words to diana when he left her. those two sections of dialogue were incredible and masterful writing about human emotions
of more importance, however, is if the romance had not occurred, then diana would possibly have not been exposed as a cold, insensitive, less-than-human being outside the confines of her work which adds to the whole theme of the movie. -
sstack-3 — 14 years ago(January 11, 2012 08:03 AM)
Yeah, I think it really showed just how cold and emotionally detached Diana wasand how Max came to the realization that he had mistaken infatuation for love and had hurt those who really loved him in the process. That all set in on him when he and Diana started to live together and I think he realized, too, just how much his friend Howard was being used by these same type of people.
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GuyOnTheLeft — 10 years ago(September 09, 2015 02:16 AM)
But although that scene when he left her was brilliant on its own, it doesn't really fit in this film. I did like the affair subplot otherwise though.
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dlade-1 — 14 years ago(January 11, 2012 02:45 PM)
I would respectfully disagree.
As others here have suggested, I think this subplot fleshes out Diana's character in that we see the dramatic contrast between her work and personal life. It also give us those two great scenes with great dialogue, the ones PlatinumScreen points out.
Finally, I think the Max-Diana relationship is meant to be a metaphor for what passes as television entertainment. It's all about the pleasure of the moment and looking fabulous, but with no substance, value or real emotion. By rejecting Diana and going back to his wife, Max is rejecting all that television has become. His final words as he leaves even reference the eternal mindless churning of television entertainment: "And here are some scenes from next week's show."
Network is one of my favorite movies: masterful acting, masterful writing. -
lgander41 — 14 years ago(March 17, 2012 02:49 PM)
I agree with dlade-1.
It fits into the theme of the movie.
The only thing was that Faye Dunaway shrieks so much that it is hard on the nerves. LOL. Really.
Diana was kind of a fake person. She was a nutcase at times. Then ,she was also cold. -
Naughty-God — 14 years ago(January 20, 2012 03:45 PM)
I thought that it contributed to the movie's brilliance. Both writer and director were able to inject what appears to be a standard romantic subplot into the narrative and weave it as part of the moral fabric that was being deteriorated by commercial television jungle it was portraying.
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iteration2 — 14 years ago(January 26, 2012 03:13 PM)
I thought the romantic subplot was what made the movie, by showing us that behind Diana's enthusiasm for her job, she was a truly cold person, incapable of love and sentimentality. Her enthusiasm for the murder conspiracy would have come completely out of left field if not for us (and Diana) realizing the truth of Max's exit speech in the previous scene.
And speaking of Max's exit speech, wow! Probably the most scathing breakup speech I've ever seen. I loved how her vitriolic commentary on his lovemaking abilities don't phase him, because he knows that it comes from a position of petty anger. His docile rebuttal, coming from a position of love, hurts her so badly because she knows he's right, and realizes just how isolated she really is.
Had the romantic subplot spent any significant time on romance, I might agree that it would be out of place. But as it was, it was a chance to interject some actual truth and human emotion, juxtaposed against the cold world of ratings, ravings, and corporate politics. -
MrVibrating — 13 years ago(July 30, 2012 04:48 PM)
As others have said - the romance was another view on the damaging effect television is having on people - and one people might relate more easily to. I for one wouldn't change a thing.
If dolphins are so smart, how come they live in igloos -
jellric — 13 years ago(August 31, 2012 09:51 PM)
If you think the supposed "sub" plot was irrelevent, then you missed a big chunk of the movie. Human beings, even the most intelligent ones, don't operate in a world of pure ideas and intellect. That is Spock territory. Non-human.
No, this was a very human movie about human beings. I could probably write a book about their relationship, but one thing it did was highlight by contrast Diana's lack of empathy for real human beings. The relationship REALLY shone a spot light on her character like nothing else could. She was talking about ratings during sex, for God's sake.
Go watch the movie again until you GET IT. -
crunkrocka — 13 years ago(September 07, 2012 05:14 PM)
I would agree that the romance does nothing to advance the main plot, but it doesn't have to. That's why screenwriters often refer to the love story as the "B Story." It doesn't have to serve the main story. The purpose of the B story is to reveal character and help develop the theme.
Network does this beautifully, in both cases. As someone already mentioned, the B story reveals quite a bit about Diana and her complete inability to connect with anyone. It also builds sympathy for Max, as he's in two relationships, both of which are loveless. Also, as someone pointed out, it gives him a flaw. Because of the B story, Max becomes someone that we're really rooting for.
Perhaps the greatest contribution Network's B Story makes is in terms of theme. By showing an affair between Max and Diana, we see firsthand the differences between the old media (Max), which is based on truth and integrity, and the new media (Diana), which is driven by instant gratification.
Okay. Now I'm going to do his teeth and cut off his fingers. You might want to leave room. -
drbuckley — 13 years ago(February 06, 2013 07:11 AM)
I think you are entirely correct, crunkrocka. Max's final scene with Diana neatly summarizes Chayefsky's contempt for the TV-generation, using eloquence to condemn the banal images of the boob-tube.
Diane's character presciently anticipates not only the dumbing down of the American people, the debasement of journalism, and the increasingly violent images on the screen (could "NCIS" have ever been broadcast in 1976?), but also the rise of "reality television" ("The Mao Tse-tung Hour"). Chayefsky was an artist fifty years ahead of his time. -
madpogue — 13 years ago(February 15, 2013 04:01 PM)
Evidently the Academy didn't think the affair, or at least Max's confession to Louise about it, was superfluous. For that scene, Beatrice Straight's part was the shortest screen-time role in history for one that received a Best Supporting Actress or Actor award.
Also, Diana's banal chatter during the cabin scene fleshed out (no pun intended) her character, and Max's blow-up in her apartment toward the end helped us to know him more fully.
As to the "tone", I think it helps a great deal for a movie not to carry the same tone, whether it's satirical, romantic, high suspense, etc., through every scene; it's just more "natural" to change it up for one or two (or more) scenes. Trivia take-away - Lumet made it a point to be "in charge" of the confession scene, telling Chayefsky (in effect) "You know irony and satire, but I know divorce". -
Mr_Nin — 13 years ago(March 08, 2013 05:48 PM)
OP yep you are missing something. The relationship reflects everything else that's going on. The caring, benevolent Holden, enticed by the exciting but ultimately shallow and emotionless Dunaway. News Vs Entertainment, Socialism Vs Business, Truth Vs Money.
"If you haven't watched it til the end, you don't know what you're talking about"