The Medium Is The Message

Rating: Null/10 (7 May 2006)

Media critic Marshall McLuhan coined the famous adage "the medium is the message" nearly half a century ago. The idea is that powerful people can use technology selfishly to manipulate mass human behavior. And so, Redford's "Quiz Show" gives us a real life example of McLuhan's insight by showing how, in the 1950s, corporate TV sponsors sought to increase the number of viewers by rigging game shows. The boob tube was the "medium" used to transmit bogus entertainment that camouflaged the real "message", namely that TV sponsors used deception to attract a larger audience, thereby increasing product sales potential. McLuhan's insight was, and still is ... potent.
In no uncertain terms, Redford's film renders a scathing indictment of television "entertainment" in the 1950s. What shocked me was the extent of viewer gullibility in those days. But the film's story is relevant now because it shows that today's unethical TV programming has a historic precedent. Current game shows may not be rigged. But, the lack of ethics has invaded shows that are more important, like news and current events, with gullible viewers assuming that what they see and hear represents the absolute truth with no hidden agenda.
While the film's theme is potent, its cinematic package is less so. For one thing, the film is too long. Some scenes could have been edited out, especially home life of the main characters, and the film's first three minutes.
Casting and performances are generally good. I especially liked Paul Scofield as the erudite professor. And Allan Rich was perfect as executive Robert Kintner. But Rob Morrow's Boston accent seemed unnatural and forced. And some of the main characters were annoying, like Herb Stempel, Dan Enright, and Al Freedman. The film's production design was impressively lavish, almost to the point of looking too slick. Cinematography was acceptable, but for such a big budget film I could have wished for more photographic pizazz.
"Quiz Show" is best considered as a cinematic study of a culturally significant set of historic events. One should remember, however, that film is a medium, too. If the viewer keeps in mind that this film is an interpretation of history, not history itself, then he or she will be more discerning, and be less prone to gullibility.