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Network
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (17th March 2015). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** In 1976 two of the key players in the Golden Age of Television, writer Paddy Chayefsky and director Sidney Lumet, delivered a coruscating attack – at once savage and hilarious – on the medium that made their names. To speak Chayefsky’s Oscar-winning dialogue, Lumet enlisted a powerhouse cast list, including Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch (as ‘the mad prophet of the airwaves’ Howard Beale), Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty and Beatrice Straight. Five of them would be nominated for Academy Awards, three would win. As well as its four Oscars, Network was also garlanded with a quartet of Golden Globes, a BAFTA and numerous other awards. In the years since its release, its reputation has only grown: the Library of Congress granted it a place on their prestigious National Film Registry; the American Film Institute named it as one of the greatest American films of all time; and the Writers Guild of America declared its screenplay one of the ten best of all time. It remains a true classic.
Video
Arrow Films latest release in their acclaimed Arrow Academy range, is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer receives an AVC MPEG-4 encode, and is 1080p. This is the first time I have ever seen the film, despite owning the DVD for over ten years, and after a quick look at that old disc, this is a vast improvement. One of the first things that struck me whilst watching the feature, was just how good the levels of details were. Sure, Blu-ray can provide better, but this still showcases some great close-ups. Facial close-ups look excellent, with every facial blemish and out of place bit of fluff on the suits of the characters looking great. Reflective detail in glass like (23:07) also impresses. Shadow details do tend to struggle at time, like at 20:48 with the darkened office environment losing some of the details on clothing momentarily, but they are generally problem free. There is quite a soft look to the film, but this was the norm for the seventies. Colours are consistently natural looking, with all the various greys and browns of the newsroom and suits looking particularly good. Looking at screenshots of the American Blu-ray from Warner (which may not be fully representative), it appears as though Arrow have more natural flesh tones too. A natural layer of grain runs throughout the feature, and it is quite consistent throughout, though as per usual, a slightly heavier structure is present during darker scenes. The print is typically clean, with just the occasional light scratch and speck (mostly in what seems to be stock footage, such as a plane landing at an airport). There are no obvious issues with aliasing, edge enhancement, banding, or digital noise reduction, and the encode is solid. The feature is uncut and runs 121:23.
Audio
Arrow Films have included a single English LPCM 1.0 mono track for this release, and it sounds as expected. "Network" is very much a dialogue driven feature, and the dialogue here sounds fine. There is no mumbling and volume levels are consistent throughout. There aren't a huge amount of sound effects apart from some behind the scenes newsroom and office chatter, telephones, and doors closing, but these effects are un-problematic if a little flat at times. The score by Elliot Lawrence is used sparingly and suitably. The track does sound slightly busy for a single channel on occasion but it is handled well. There are no major issues with the track such as drop outs, scratches or pops. One scene did sound as though it perhaps had light background hiss, but I think it may have actually been the sound of a piece of newsroom equipment, so I won't deduct for that. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hard-of-hearing.
Extras
"The Directors: Sidney Lumet" is a 1999 documentary on the director, containing interviews with Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Christopher Walken and others clocking in at 59:38. This isn't the first time Arrow have used an episode of "The Directors" as an extra, having previously used the John Frankenheimer episode on their release of "The Manchurian Candidate". I sure hope it isn't the last we see either! The interviews within this documentary are very personable which helps truly understand Lumet's career that little bit better. I really enjoy these types of supplements that cover the wider career of revered cinema figures, and this is no different. A great, if slightly dated feeling extra. "Tune in Next Tuesday" is a visual essay by Dave Itzkoff, the author of "Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies" running 47:06. A home grown supplement from Arrow, this is a really fascinating extra, but boy was it loud in comparison to the rest of the disc (I had to immediately reach for the remote). This is a very in-depth look at the main feature, and a perfect extra for anyone with a deep interest various aspects of the film (film students will find it essential). It's broken down into easily digestible chapters (but a play all only from the menus) including "Conceiving Network", "Scripting Network", "Selling Network", and "Casting Network". The on-disc extras end with a theatrical trailer (3:17). The release also comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Walker and a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Mike Sutton and an American Cinematographer article by director of photography Owen Roizman, illustrated with original stills and artwork.
Overall
I can't believe I waited so long to view this film as I loved every second! The A/V of the disc is very good, and the extras welcome (though I guess I've been spoilt by Arrow in the past, and wanted more).
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