Three by Lumet: Thoughts on NETWORK, THE FUGITIVE KIND, and THE VERDICT.

It’s not often that I watch films exclusively by one director in a short amount of time (I had a Buñuel binge in January), but last week I had a lapse into Lumet. On the 6th, I revisited Network, on the 9th I saw The Fugitive Kind, and yesterday I watched The Verdict. One was good, one was a masterpiece, and one was pretty middling (not in respective order). All three were very different films showcasing Lumet’s talent as one of the greats.

Network (1976)

This is the masterpiece of the three. Unfortunately, it’s not distinctly Lumet. The movie is dominated by the once-crazy-still-crazy-but-also-prophetic script by Paddy Chayefsky, who nailed characters in Marty, originality in The Hospital, and both with what is probably his most famous work. The movie has three Oscar winning performances from five nominated performers, all three (or five) were deserved. Of course there’s the “mad as hell” reporter Howard Beale (winner Peter Finch), the wicked programmer Diana Christensen (winner Faye Dunaway), and heartbroken widow to Max Shumacher (winner Beatrice Straight). Shumacher himself, the news division president at the fictional UBS station, is played by nominee William Holden. The other nominee is chairman of corporate communications Arthur Jensen, played by Ned Beatty (he only has one scene in the movie, but it’s a doozy). The first time I saw Network was in seventh grade, and I believe a lot of it went over my head. Watching it again revealed a lot to me- Howard Beale is not even the main character! Controversial opinion incoming, but I believe that William Holden should have won Finch’s Oscar, for playing a man divided by his slipping grip in the division he’s worked in for so long, and his affair with Christensen. I’m also appalled that Ned Beatty was able to snag a nomination based on a single scene, but Robert Duvall wasn’t able to for many scenes. With Coppola dominating directing in the seventies, I think Duvall dominated supporting roles, evidenced by his work in this, but also The Godfather films and of course Apocalypse Now. I’m getting sidetracked, but here’s the bottom line: Network has fantastic performances, a fine wine script, and great direction by Lumet, who was able to make it all work. (9.8/10)

The Fugitive Kind (1960)

This is the middling Lumet. I heard about this film, and saw so much promise: it’s a Criterion release today (but so is Armageddon), it’s got Brando reunited with Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire is a masterpiece), and of course it’s directed by Lumet. However, this just didn’t work. Consider the passions of Streetcar. Compared to that high bar, The Fugitive Kind fails. All romance feels false, but there’s a reason behind it: co-star Anna Magnani tried to get it on with Brando off-set, but failed, leading to negative tensions between the two. And it’s not just an off-set clash between Magnani and Brando that sunk this ship, too. There was just conflicting acting styles. Magnani (and Joanne Woodward too) tried something stagy, but Brando did the realistic, unprepared casualness that he was known for. His worked the best. The Fugitive Kind could have been a great film with a lot of edge, but there’s just too much wrong that can’t be ignored. (5.3/10)

The Verdict (1982)

This one is the very good Lumet. In fact, it may be great. Even though it plays out like airport-pulp, it’s David Mamet’s unsentimental script and Paul Newman’s late great performance that makes it all work. To some it may be boring, but those willing to pay attention to the twists and turns and follow a flawed underdog like Newman’s Frank Galvin will be richly rewarded. (8.1/10)