“Network” / 「ネットワーク」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1977, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) E265
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1977 Japanese release of Network / 「ネットワーク」, Sidney Lumet’s landmark 1976 satire of American television starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall.
Written by Paddy Chayefsky, the film presents a darkly comic vision of television news transformed by ratings, corporate control, and the commercial exploitation of public anger.
Film background
Veteran news anchor Howard Beale is informed that he will be dismissed after declining ratings. During a live broadcast, he responds by announcing that he intends to commit suicide on air.
Rather than ending his career, the outburst attracts enormous public attention. Ambitious programming executive Diana Christensen recognises its commercial potential and remakes Beale as the network’s impassioned “mad prophet,” encouraging his increasingly unstable denunciations of contemporary society.
Long-serving news executive Max Schumacher objects to the conversion of journalism into spectacle, while corporate executive Frank Hackett remains primarily concerned with ratings, profitability, and institutional power.
As Beale’s broadcasts grow more popular, the network exploits his emotional collapse as entertainment. His famous declaration—
“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
—becomes both a genuine expression of despair and a carefully marketed television event.
The film was directed by Sidney Lumet, from an original screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky, with cinematography by Owen Roizman.
The principal cast includes:
Faye Dunaway
William Holden
Peter Finch
Robert Duvall
Ned Beatty
Beatrice Straight
Network received ten Academy Award nominations and won four:
Best Actor – Peter Finch
Best Actress – Faye Dunaway
Best Supporting Actress – Beatrice Straight
Best Original Screenplay – Paddy Chayefsky
Its treatment of ratings-driven news, manufactured outrage, and corporate media consolidation has given the film an enduring reputation as one of Hollywood’s most prescient satires.
Poster design
This Japanese poster uses a complex layered montage to present the people and systems controlling the fictional television network.
A large portrait of Faye Dunaway as Diana Christensen dominates the foreground. Her direct, composed expression reflects the character’s ambition and emotional detachment.
Behind her appear William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall, arranged against the Manhattan skyline. The Empire State Building and surrounding towers establish the world of powerful New York media institutions.
The lower montage incorporates a television programming schedule, studio clocks, a smaller full-length image of Christensen holding documents, and a circular zodiac graphic resembling the set of one of the network’s increasingly sensational programmes.
These elements evoke a television industry governed by schedules, audience measurement, manufactured personalities, and continuous programming.
The blue headline across the top reads:
「全米テレビ界の恐るべき全貌を抉る衝撃の大作！」
Translated:
“A shocking major production exposing the terrifying reality of the American television industry!”
The smaller text above the title promotes Sidney Lumet as the director of:
「オリエント急行殺人事件」
Murder on the Orient Express
and:
「狼たちの午後」
Dog Day Afternoon
The enormous Japanese title:
「ネットワーク」
appears in bold red lettering across the lower section. A black television-screen emblem containing a white lightning bolt and the English word “NETWORK” divides the title at its centre.
The principal cast names appear below in blue, alongside the production credits and the United Artists distribution mark.
The clean cream background, saturated red title, and carefully constructed photographic collage create a striking piece of 1970s Japanese film advertising.
Condition
Excellent condition. A highly attractive example with strong colour, clean photographic detail, sharp typography, and excellent overall presentation.
There are only light signs of age and handling consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from this period.
Reference: E265.
Please review the photograph carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.
This is an original Japanese theatrical poster from the film’s 1977 Japanese release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is now approximately 49 years old.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
