Thanks so much! This is exactly the kinds of analysis essay you will find on my page, and hopefully they will only improve as I get better at writing and understand film more deeply.
Sounds like you are ready for “Chinatown.” Summarizing plot is great—the depth comes from metaphor, finding ways to describe how the director used their specific art to evoke the emotion. You begin to do it with Ned Beatty’s character development. Go for it next level on all of it.
Also, the actors themselves bring their craft. Why is Christensen like no other woman on screen we have seen before? Fay Dunaway is immaculate in her delivery of what a woman had to do to be at The Top in a man’s world. What did she bring that another actress might not?
Finally, the writing. Chayefsky is like no other. Watch it multiple times to get the nuance of the script. As a matter of fact, you can even download it and print it or save it onto a file to mark it up. Find out what makes his work tick like a bomb in your head. He makes it look easy. It is not.
Wonderful first foray into your movie career! Learn from the BEST. We are fortunate to have this kind of film still available. Your love of this kind of storytelling is what we need in cinema, again.
The scary part isn’t how prophetic Network was, it’s how numb we’ve become to the world it predicted. Maybe it’s time we stop scrolling and start screaming.
Hey! I saw your post pop up on my homepage and wanted to show some support. If you get a chance, I’d really appreciate a little love on my latest newsletter too always happy to boost each other!
This is an outstanding article, Benjamin. I am several decades older than you and NETWORK is one of my favorite films. You are right that the movie has not yet outlived it's relevance. I would love to hear your reaction to my newly published articles on Reinventing Legacy Media, because I, like Howard Beale, am tired of the bullshit. I am also a cinephile. Scorsese is my favorite but I also love Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Kubrick, John Landis, Tony Scott and even Michael Winner, who most people regard as a hack, but I really love a few of his movies. I look forward to reading more of your reviews. What Scorsese films are you familiar with?
I really appreciate it, it truly is relevant now more than ever. I will definitely check out your articles, I love finding other people with the same interests! These are outstanding choices for favorite filmmakers, really impressive. In terms of Scorcese, I have seen a decent amount but I am still missing a lot of the big ones. I have seen Killers of the Flower Moon, The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, Hugo, The Departed and Taxi Driver, my favorite clearly being The Departed. The ones at the top of my list that I really want to see are Goodfellas, Casino, The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, Silence and After Hours.
It’s too bad you saw The Wolf of Wall Street before Goodfellas. While Wolf is wildly entertaining, it’s hard not to see it as a bit of a remix of Goodfellas in terms of structure, energy, and even the voiceover style. Once you see Goodfellas, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
As for The Departed—it’s a very solid, entertaining film, but it’s much more plot-driven than the Scorsese films I truly love. Movies like Goodfellas, Casino, and The King of Comedy stand out because of the quirky, unexpected moments that reveal so much about the characters. They're tightly paced and engaging, but they’re not tethered to plot in the same way. Instead, they breathe—they make space for weird, specific, human scenes that stick with you.
I’d really love to hear your thoughts as you watch each of these. There’s so much to talk about—not just what happens, but how it feels.
This is really interesting, right up my alley
Thanks so much! This is exactly the kinds of analysis essay you will find on my page, and hopefully they will only improve as I get better at writing and understand film more deeply.
Love it, let’s connect
Sounds like you are ready for “Chinatown.” Summarizing plot is great—the depth comes from metaphor, finding ways to describe how the director used their specific art to evoke the emotion. You begin to do it with Ned Beatty’s character development. Go for it next level on all of it.
Also, the actors themselves bring their craft. Why is Christensen like no other woman on screen we have seen before? Fay Dunaway is immaculate in her delivery of what a woman had to do to be at The Top in a man’s world. What did she bring that another actress might not?
Finally, the writing. Chayefsky is like no other. Watch it multiple times to get the nuance of the script. As a matter of fact, you can even download it and print it or save it onto a file to mark it up. Find out what makes his work tick like a bomb in your head. He makes it look easy. It is not.
Wonderful first foray into your movie career! Learn from the BEST. We are fortunate to have this kind of film still available. Your love of this kind of storytelling is what we need in cinema, again.
The scary part isn’t how prophetic Network was, it’s how numb we’ve become to the world it predicted. Maybe it’s time we stop scrolling and start screaming.
Absolutely! We as a people have fallen into a complete coma.
Hey! I saw your post pop up on my homepage and wanted to show some support. If you get a chance, I’d really appreciate a little love on my latest newsletter too always happy to boost each other!
This is an outstanding article, Benjamin. I am several decades older than you and NETWORK is one of my favorite films. You are right that the movie has not yet outlived it's relevance. I would love to hear your reaction to my newly published articles on Reinventing Legacy Media, because I, like Howard Beale, am tired of the bullshit. I am also a cinephile. Scorsese is my favorite but I also love Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Kubrick, John Landis, Tony Scott and even Michael Winner, who most people regard as a hack, but I really love a few of his movies. I look forward to reading more of your reviews. What Scorsese films are you familiar with?
I really appreciate it, it truly is relevant now more than ever. I will definitely check out your articles, I love finding other people with the same interests! These are outstanding choices for favorite filmmakers, really impressive. In terms of Scorcese, I have seen a decent amount but I am still missing a lot of the big ones. I have seen Killers of the Flower Moon, The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, Hugo, The Departed and Taxi Driver, my favorite clearly being The Departed. The ones at the top of my list that I really want to see are Goodfellas, Casino, The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, Silence and After Hours.
It’s too bad you saw The Wolf of Wall Street before Goodfellas. While Wolf is wildly entertaining, it’s hard not to see it as a bit of a remix of Goodfellas in terms of structure, energy, and even the voiceover style. Once you see Goodfellas, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
As for The Departed—it’s a very solid, entertaining film, but it’s much more plot-driven than the Scorsese films I truly love. Movies like Goodfellas, Casino, and The King of Comedy stand out because of the quirky, unexpected moments that reveal so much about the characters. They're tightly paced and engaging, but they’re not tethered to plot in the same way. Instead, they breathe—they make space for weird, specific, human scenes that stick with you.
I’d really love to hear your thoughts as you watch each of these. There’s so much to talk about—not just what happens, but how it feels.
Wow… this was beautifully written✨✨
Oh my God thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means.