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by MikeH
Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:57 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Recent movies that trumped older classics
Replies: 29
Views: 8418

Re: Recent movies that trumped older classics

Nightcrawler and Network are very different movies indeed. However, as their main focus, they both tackle the issue of the lengths to which those involved in news media will go to to film and profit from people's misfortune, general violence and death, and also the complicity of the viewing public in terms of providing the viewing figures.

Several critics have pointed out the similarities between the two movies, as did Riz Ahmed (Rick in Nightcrawler) in an interview with BBC radio 4.

The main difference is in the scenarios that they use (broadcaster gone mad given his own show vs predatory cameraman selling footage to a news agency) to address the issues. While I absolutely loved Network and consider that it entirely deserved its Oscar haul, personally I found the Nightcrawler scenario a little more effective and believable -- to the point where it almost felt like watching a documentary for periods of it. In contrast, I felt like I was always aware that I was watching a dramatisation with Network and some parts, like people shouting "I'm mad as hell!" out of their windows [spoiler]and the filming of a broadcaster actually dying on air,[/spoiler]felt a little over-egged. Having said that, it could be said that some elements of Nightcrawler were over-egged, too.

I understand everybody might not share my taste for realism, or agree with what my perception of cinematic realism is.