At the beginning of the film, Howard Beehe is a news host who is about to be fired. Because of his resentment and alcoholism, he said in the program that he would commit suicide in the farewell program, which attracted the attention of the whole city. The sobered Howard did not commit suicide on the show. Instead, he made a cynical remark. At the time of the Great Depression in the United States, the TV station executives were very angry. Howard was talking to himself one night, as if he was talking to God, and then he made a wild speech on the show, which became popular again. The TV station took advantage of this to create a new show, and kept using Howard's madness until things got out of control. ...
Actually, Howard was the first person who fell into madness in this TV mode. As a host who used to have high ratings, he collapsed in the face of multiple attacks from career lows, utilitarian and ruthless TV stations and a decaying world. As if he had obtained the will of God, he vented his dissatisfaction with the world in his heart, and his sharp remarks were supported by the same repressed people. It seems that lunatics have always grasped the truth. Those who speak madly and madly talk directly to the ills of society. In fact, they are the most sober people. It is precisely because of this that when Howard realized that no matter how much he shouted, he still could not get a response or change, and the society had become corrupted. When he was hopeless, his fierce remarks brought a deep sense of pessimism and despair, but how many people are willing to admit that there is no way to go in reality? So a sober madman, the road came to an end.
Compared with Howard, who became the best actor after Peter Finch's death, I prefer Max played by William Holden. This character sees the situation clearly but doesn't try to change it. He just wants to live in peace, he doesn't. They will be addicted to the fictional world like the fools in front of the TV, and they have no ambition to become the spokesperson of God like Howard to point out current affairs. I lost my job, but I don't need to fight anymore at my age. It's more important to save a few days for a few days. So he said that Howard was a lunatic, but he took care of him when he was down and homeless; he had a showdown with his wife and fell in love with Diana, and he also knew that Diana was not in love with him, but with the middle-aged The "script" of the plot of a man falling in love, but still decided to stay with her; the same is true of breaking up with Diana in the end, although he asked her to love him, he knew in his heart that it was impossible. As long as he can still feel happiness, pain and love, it means that he is not crazy, and he can still protect himself in this hard time and retreat. Although Max is not very successful, he lives with the status quo, humble and cowardly, and he lives in a dashing manner. This should also be the way of life for most people. Even if they are dissatisfied, they have to follow the hair of this era.
Max said that Diana was "the embodiment of television, indifferent to pain and insensitive to pleasure." This is a generation that grew up watching TV, and all values were drawn from TV. Diana, as a show producer, only had in mind Things like ratings and rates, and even when dating, eating, and having sex, are not words of love. They are all planning for the show. It is these things that fascinate her, make her fall in love, and make her orgasm. Compared to the executives of the businessmen, she is a machine that succumbs to the TV show. She recruited those revolutionaries not to promote political theories, but to use their own controversy to gain ratings. She has absolutely no sense of justice, and doing these things is nothing more than to prove that she is a successful producer. So in the end, when she conspired with the executives to murder Howard because of the ratings, she was indifferent and determined like a stone.
That's right, Howard was shot live on the show, only because his ratings dropped and dropped. Without too much foreshadowing and nonsense, as soon as he appeared on the stage, he was shot to death without allowing him to say a word. And this bloody scene was just broadcast as one of many TV programs, with a calm attitude like killing a chicken on live broadcast, mixed with other commercials, how many people would care, maybe two or three days later. No one remembers such a live-broadcast murder incident, no one will be held accountable, and everyone still has a new TV show to watch.
Sidney Lumet is worthy of the title of "the ruler of social conscience". He used his lens to pierce the ugly faces of those who took the picture. He was never afraid and never had any extra shots. It opens with a mess of multiple shots, where Howard is a living loser, and it ends with multiple shots, where Howard is still a loser, but he's dead. The movie is also a fest of actors, everyone gave their best, and it proved its greatness with three acting Oscars after [A Streetcar Named Desire].
Everyone wants to shout in the hard times, but no one can guarantee that they can speak smoothly and survive in the world. No matter how wonderful the world on TV is, it is always fictional, you can learn from it, but dare not indulge.
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