While a brilliant skewering of the vapidity of American television and the lengths to which soulless people will go in that industry, the film wastes significant time in the seemingly tacked-on affair between Holden and Dunaway. While the segments of Howard Beal's rantings are riveting, the film slows as we are forced to endure the mid-life crisis of Holden's character and his involvement with the thoroughly revolting character played by Dunaway. This seemed a needless distraction, perhaps inserted to keep Holden's character throughout the film and to pad it's length-- otherwise, there seems little need to waste so much time jumping from commentary on the media to character drama.
That said, Chayefsky's dialogue is always brilliant and savory, even when they may be more stagey than realistic. The humor is intelligent, even subtle, and there is no funnier scene in most movies than the communist revolutionary screaming "Keep your hands off my distribution deal!"
That said, Chayefsky's dialogue is always brilliant and savory, even when they may be more stagey than realistic. The humor is intelligent, even subtle, and there is no funnier scene in most movies than the communist revolutionary screaming "Keep your hands off my distribution deal!"
