Good Night, And Good Luck. Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
We will not walk in fear of one another.
In A Nation Terrorized By Its Own Government, One Man Dared to Tell The Truth
They Took On The Government With Nothing But The Truth
In the early 1950's, the threat of Communism created an air of paranoia in the United States and exploiting those fears was Senator 'Joseph McCarthy (II)' (qv) of Wisconsin. However, CBS reporter 'Edward R. Murrow (I)' (qv) and his producer 'Fred W. Friendly' (qv) decided to take a stand and challenge McCarthy and expose him for the fear monger he was. However, their actions took a great personal toll on both men, but they stood by their convictions and helped to bring down one of the most controversial senators in American history.
| David Strathairn | Edward R. Murrow |
| Robert Downey Jr. | Joe Wershba |
| Patricia Clarkson | Shirley Wershba |
| Ray Wise | Don Hollenbeck |
| Frank Langella | William Paley |
| Jeff Daniels | Sig Mickelson |
| George Clooney | Fred Friendly |
| Tate Donovan | Jesse Zousmer |
| Thomas McCarthy | Palmer Williams |
| Matt Ross | Eddie Scott |
| Reed Diamond | John Aaron |
| Robert John Burke | Charlie Mack |
| Grant Heslov | Don Hewitt |
| Alex Borstein | Natalie |
| Rose Abdoo | Millie Lerner |
| George Clooney |
7.80 out of 10 (30819 votes)
Visitor Reviews
The battle for the soul of America is still on.
posted on 30 Aug 2009If the awesome message in Harold Pinter's acceptance speech of the Nobel Prize for Literature needed a worthy friend it couldn't have done much better than Good Night,and Good Luck. Senator Mc Carthy's logic and rhetoric perfectly mirrors the injustices ever more evident in todays America. Make no mistake the corporate advertising pressure and current mantle of media interests "dumbing-down" a seemingly indifferent voting society is even more evident today than it was back then. If you don't believe this think about the principles of not detaining humans without trial, spoken during the film by a contemporary 1950's true American and contrast this with the detention and psychological torture of humans in camps ultimately controlled in name of the American people right now, today. The message can't be any clearer, if as a society we allow this to happen to one of us it will one day happen to us all. We can't allow these principles to slip. Think about issues involving media control and the important bearing this has on democracy working as best it can, this film is a statement by its makers that they believe those that watch it will understand this message and demand higher standards from those they have elected to govern them. The real elegance of the message lies in Clooney and Heslov as makers of this film echoing the deeds and integrity of Murrow and Friendly. Simply substitute the likes of Fox News and Cheney, powerful enemies, for Hearst and Mc Carthy in the film itself. The Communist Witchunt like the War on Terror serves to excuse the injustices perpetrated in the name of "security". If none of this bothers you in the slightest just go and see the film for the sheer brilliance of the acting, screenplay ,direction and critically for it all to work visually -the art direction. Particularly impressive are Strathairn, Wise and Langella. Downey, Clooney, Clarkson and Daniels are great but their characters demanded less. Eisenhower was just great too!. Orwell and Pinter will sleep easier in their beds tonight lulled by the great use of music in the film and the historical reminder that ultimately McCarthy was beaten even if similar forces that backed him are still running loose in America today.
Good Night, and Good Riddance
posted on 28 Aug 2009Can I really have been watching the same movie as the multitude eulogizing on IMDb? I knew we were in for something profound when in the opening titles we were reminded this was an independent film made under the Warner banner, a feeling reinforced by the fact that the film was shot in B&W. Or was it that Mr Clooney's budget wouldn't run to colour stock, after all, he did boast in the pompous commentary to his brainchild that he hired the lead because he was "cheap".Seldom have I seem such an unengaging movie with such a lack of character definition masquerading as important work apart from the equally excruciating Crash. The unbelievably one-dimensional characters merely come across as smug as they slap each other's backs at another blow for freedom and democracy, while David Strathairn staring moodily into the camera and blowing smoke everywhere as he educates an awestruck US public with his masterful insights merely made me splutter with laughter. As for the character that is so hounded he gasses himself, the issue is treated in such a perfunctory way that five minutes later it is easier to remember he was the barber in the Man Who Wasn't There than who he was in the movie. Joe? Bob? Bill? So Mr Clooney, stick to playing hunks in shoot-em-ups and gung-ho war movies or the lead in toe-curling romantic comedies and spare us your half-baked efforts at directing a film about some 50s TV presenter that only an American could really care about.The only good things about this debacle are that it is gloriously short and ends so abruptly you'd think they'd run out of ideas had you not just watched it and realized they didn't have one in the first place.Good Night, and Good Riddance.
Fine Film - Surprising Fact Mixed with only a bit of fiction
posted on 26 Aug 2009You can see the great pains this film took to tell a story about the most important moment in media journalism in this country, and then the unfortunate consequences of that moment. Edward R. Murrow achieved greatness by using the truth to bring down Joe McCarthy. Murrow used Joe against himself. He did it with honestly & integrity, which sadly were missing from media journalism almost since this happened. The film shows the hard work behind getting the truth & the pains involved in telling the truth. It shows that truth does not get rewarded in this type of work. It proves how hard truth is to get. The acting is perfect, the telling of the tale is perfect though a bit static, definitely not for the action picture crowd. The ending surprised me in how well it tells to truth. This will spoil it for you but at the end of all this, William Paley, head of CBS, calls Murrow into his office with the ultimate good news-bad news agenda. The good news is Ed that you show is now going to be an hour instead of 30 minutes. The bad news is, your show is moving from prime time to Sunday afternoons, effectively killing your show. This shows how much power & influence government & corporations already had on the media in 1954. Murrow later quit CBS in disgust before he died. It proves that the media has not been accurate since then. To prove this, a quote from Dan Rather in the 1960's on seeing the home movie of John Kennedy being killed - "Kennedy jerked forward when he was shot in the head." Rather was the only pool media reporter allowed to see that film, and when he filed one of his journals just before he retired from the CBS EVENING NEWS- he aired it again, word for word. For a film which can make you think, Good Luck, because the media will never ever get back to 1954, to telling the truth the way Murrow had the guts to do.
No One Suffered Quite Like Hollywood Stars of the '50s
posted on 20 Aug 2009The cinematography of this film is outstanding as are the actors in this movie. It's also a pleasant change to see a movie made for adults that garners a PG rating. That having been said...I've seen other commentary that George Clooney's making of this movie is courageous and bold, etc. It's not exactly groundbreaking to make a movie attacking McCarthyism--it's been done before. It's also not particularly courageous to make a movie showcasing opinions that you know most moviegoers, save members of the John Birch Society, are going to sympathize with.Of course the movie was biased, but I don't have an issue with that. Everything, whether it's a movie, TV show, or news article, is going to reflect somebody's personal spin on an event. However, this movie is just more cinematic evidence that for Hollywood, nobody suffered quite like the rich and famous under the Red Scare. Those people in the gulags didn't even know what misery was all about. And isn't the timing of this movie interesting? We've just recently witnessed the glitterati of America cry McCarthyism and censorship when the benighted fools in the general public decried their incessant, one-sided, harangues against the administration and the ongoing war in Iraq.If Clooney really wants to be bold, what about a movie on Stalin's purges or the people that were murdered under Chairman Mao? How about modern-day suffering in China under Communism? Now, that really would be groundbreaking.
A half-hearted recommendation
posted on 20 Aug 2009I can only give this film a lukewarm recommendation. It has nothing to do with the thesis. Those who have commented that Venona intelligence somehow vindicated McCarthy by proving that there were highly-placed Soviet spies are, at the very least, putting the cart before the horse. McCarthy or no McCarthy, it was assumed that there was a Soviet spy network operating in the US, and that it would be placed as highly as the Soviets could manage (otherwise, what would be the point?). However, the thesis of this film only addresses McCarthy's *methods*, and the passive tendency of TV as a medium in general. At any rate, there is no indication that McCarthy had any direct access to Venona intelligence, which was unavailable to Truman and Eisenhower.No, the film didn't thoroughly impress me just because it wasn't that good. Every scene was skin deep, there was no probing into character or motivation and nothing going on below the surface. The direction was undistinguished, a connect-the-dots job, and the inclusion of the jazz numbers (which in themselves were very good) added nothing, and evoked such devices used on pedestrian TV shows, such as "Ally McBeal" and the like. What little development there was, was so painfully foreshadowed by the acting that it came as little surprise.This just coasted along on a rather obvious "Newsreel Noir" atmosphere, a competent ensemble cast, and the quiet charisma of Strathairn as Murrow. Ironically, it offers as little to chew on as most of the medium it's critical of.
We Will Not Walk In Fear, One Of Another
posted on 20 Aug 2009Clooney deserves a pat on the back for taking such a risky subject and making a remarkable film of it. Good Night, and Good Luck.' is impactive. The film gives the feel of a documentary where we see the passionate journalists of CBS at work and this is intercut by real footage. Clooney excels as both writer and director. His actors also seem to share a good comfort zone which may have influenced their on screen interactions and extract authentic performances. I disagree that this movie is 'deviod of emotions'. The performances are subtle but one can relate to the characters' dilemma and empathize for them. Strathairn is truly remarkable and he is supported by the likes of Downey Jr., Clooney himself and Clarkson who are all fantastic. The costumes and black and white colour evokes a feeling of the past. Cinematography is smooth. The dialogues are skillfully written. The film wonderfully reminds us of a forgotten dark period in American history that has haunted many lives, a time when hypocrisy was running high. Many have criticized it for being too documentary-like but I feel that it has instead worked towards its benefit because documentaries enlighten viewers of the truth. At the same time you don't forget that it's a movie you're watching because there is a story to be followed, a fascinating story that provokes ones thoughts.
An important allegory for modern times
posted on 18 Aug 2009Expertly directed, superbly crafted and well acted, "Good Night, and Good Luck" is as much an allegory about what's going on today regarding civil liberties as it is about journalist Edward R. Murrow's fight against Sen. Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt in the 1950s.George Clooney and Grant Heslov have crafted an engrossing story that - in this day and age - dares us to recognize the importance of questioning our leaders; that doing that is not only ethical, moral and responsible, but also patriotic.The film masterfully transports us to a time and place when HUAC frightened Americans and politicians and the courts were too fearful to take on McCarthyism. (Funny, isn't it, that a simple query from Joseph Welch - "Have you no sense of decency?" - finally exposed McCarthy for who he was.) Journalists and producers of the caliber of Murrow and Fred Friendly are rare these days, if not extinct. Today, we have an administration (aided by a bullying "news" channel) that questions the patriotism of anyone who criticizes its decisions or policies and vulgarly suggests its critics give succor to the enemy. After all, just see what our leaders named the anti-terrorism law after 9/11. Who would dare vote against something called the Patriot Act? We have leaders who consider the Geneva Conventions antiquated, have no qualms about torturing prisoners or shredding the Bill of Rights.And, instead of Murrow-like dogged journalists, we are inundated with sycophantic, gutless reporters cowed by our leaders, simply buying into any malarkey fed to them by elected officials and bureaucrats. I'm sorry, but the New York Times' and Washington Post's apologies that they did a lousy job in the lead up to the Iraq War doesn't absolve them of their shame. Imagine what the last two years might have been like had our journalists done their job and questioned claims of WMD, being welcomed as liberators and other crucial issues.Clooney's film is studded with brilliant performances, starting with David Strathairn as Murrow. Just as Chris Cooper was finally recognized by Oscar - for "Adaptation" (2002) - perhaps the always wonderful Strathairn also will be honored soon.Also, look for a wonderful turn by Ray Wise as Don Hollenbeck. With all the accolades going to Clooney and Strathairn, it's easy to forget Wise's beautiful, understated performance.Filming this in black and white was a bold move; color would have spoiled it. Also, it was a very wise decision to use real footage of McCarthy, as opposed to having someone play him. What Clooney and Heslov do effectively is make us realize through a 1950s event what exactly is happening today. It's akin to Andrzej Wajda using the 1793 drama, "Danton" (1983) to expose Polish politics in the Soviet era.It's easy for leaders to simply justify their questionable behavior and policies by hiding behind the excuse that they can do anything because we're at war. They prey on our (rather obscene) obsession with patriotism to further their fear-mongering.This film shows that occasionally a few strong, principled, brave, patriotic people stand up to say no against all odds. And they're right. If only we had similar examples in our media to point to today.
A timely and accurate commentary
posted on 08 Aug 2009Many will accuse George Clooney of using this film as a statement of his left wing views. But as a person who lived through the McCarthy era, I found the movie not only to be very faithful to the actual events, but startlingly timely in relation what is happening presently. While the movie is outstanding, it does not really bring out how bad McCarthyism was. It only hints at it and viewers unfamiliar with how radical the anti-communists were between the end of World War II and 1954 will never fully understand or appreciate the story this movie tells.What happened during the McCarthy period is of particular interest to Hollywood because so many in the film industry suffered as a result of McCarthyism in that for many years they were barred from the industry as a result either of their association with communist movements or because out of principle they refused to rat on their fellow members.It is not that I was a liberal or even a leftist during this period. I was a staunch anti-communist and a veteran of two combat tours in Korea. However, I was never afflicted with the paranoia that gripped America after WWII. I never saw American communists as a threat and I was well aware that many of those that associated with the communists prior to 1946, particularly during the Great Depression, did so out of a mistaken idealism, and that almost all disassociated themselves with communism after the Iron Curtain fell over Europe when the utter brutality of the Soviet regime and its failures became obvious. Almost all of those tarnished during the McCarthy era were very loyal Americans and it troubled me greatly at the time that the America I was fighting for could be so cruel to them.This movie is about Edward R. Morrow, who had the guts to stand up against McCarthy, and until recently I have always been a fan of CBS News for showing the way. But in firing Dan Rather CBS yield to the extreme right and it has lost the way. It is no longer the network Morrow made it to be. Fox News and radical right talk show hosts now are the McCarthys of the 21st Century and people like Bill O'Reilly and his ilk are today's McCarthys. If you watch or listen to these McCarthy disciples they follow his precept of constantly attacking the press as "liberal" or "far left" just as McCarthy and his contemporaries attacked any newsman who dared challenge McCarthy. An example was depicted in the movie when CBS news analyst Don Hollenbeck committed suicide because of the attacks on him.
Astonishing!
posted on 06 Aug 2009Good Night, and Good Luck is a singularly gripping, powerful movie about the epic battle between a blustery, Red-obsessed senator and a resolved veteran newsman. Photographed in stark black and white and infused with a real 1950s feel, George Clooney's sharp homage to one of the greatest journalists America's ever known is utterly captivating and discomfiting.Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) was one of the biggest stars in CBS News as the host of "Person to Person" and "See It NoW." When he gets wind of a soldier who's been fired from the Air Force for a tenuous Communist connection, Murrow springs into action, choosing to use Senator Joseph P. McCarthy's own words and actions against him, rather than attacking the man.What Murrow did was nothing short of astonishing. This was the mid-1950s. The press genuflected to royalty (i.e., politicos) much more than exercised genuine critical analysis of it. What's more, McCarthy's fellow senators did little to prevent the man from running roughshod over the rights of those suspecting of being "card-carrying Communists." With no press to question him and no colleagues to rein him in, McCarthy had carte blanche to root out the evil-doin' Reds from all facets of American life.The stand that Murrow took - putting the reputations of himself, producer Fred Friendly (Clooney), and the CBS network on the line - took an incalculable amount of courage. One misstep by Murrow and his team, and his career would be over. (As it turned out, his undoing of McCarthy was also his own undoing, but that was less his fault than the fault of CBS chief William Paley.)More than fifty years have passed since Murrow won by decision over McCarthy (the senator was censured by his colleagues, which allowed him to remain in the Senate but severely diminished his influence), but the events that take place in this film resonate deeply today. Indeed, it is not unimaginable to see a politician like McCarthy run amok in a avaricious grab for power and prestige. The passage of time, however, allows us to reflect perhaps a bit more objectively, to examine the fight for the civil rights of every man, woman, and child in the United States. How far have we come in the ensuing half-century? Who are the Murrows of today?Strathairn is nothing short of remarkable. He's not an especially large man, but he has such gravitas in this film that he seems to fill the screen even when he's merely sitting in the background. He is a man of many faces and expressions, and every one of them seems to ring perfectly true. Strathairn has knocked around Hollywood for more than a quarter century, earning scores of accolades from his peers and the media, but he's never been a leading man in a such a widely praised film. Indeed, he's the kind of actor who disappears into roles, who is a superb character actor, adding color and depth to every role he touches. He's been nominated for an Academy award at this writing, and he stands a good chance at bringing home the statuette. It's long overdue.Strathairn is ably supported by a well-picked cast, including Robert Downey Jr. in his fortieth comeback, Frank Langella as Paley, and Clooney as producer Friendly. Even more beneficial, though, is the look and feel of the movie, and the near-flawless direction by Clooney. Clooney wisely stuck to the main tet-a-tet between Murrow and McCarthy, rather than building up Murrow as a character first; indeed, there's little else in the movie besides the row with McCarthy. For one thing, we learn virtually nothing about the personal lives of Friendly and Murrow. And that omission works very well within the structure of this film.Good Night, and Good Luck is a mesmerizing glimpse at how the power of the press can be used to uphold the rights of man, and a chilling snapshot at what can happen if ego and authority go unchecked.
This film makes me hate humanity.
posted on 04 Aug 2009The people portrayed in this movie are not my people. They are grubby little parasites. They sit around discussing things that no person would be interested in unless their jobs depended on it. What can you learn from this movie? You can learn about historical events that are uneventful. What I mean is none of the history in this historical lesson has any real impact except to show you how stupid people were back then. If you want to know that, just look around. People are about as stupid now as they were then. Yes, it does tie into important historical events, but doesn't everything that occurred at the same time and place tie into those events? What bothers me is WHY anybody would think this is worth making a film about OR watching. What boggles me is that very boring people have written unbearably boring reviews ten pages long praising how good this movie is. Wouldn't the person who praises a boring historical film this much be just as happy reading any non-fictional textbook you could find at any public library??
A true but boring story about the press freedom...
posted on 02 Aug 2009The film shapes around 1950's the press's condition under pressure. A classical black and white view film is directed by Clooney.The story that is chosen is good for this theme.It would be better than that if it was in 1970's.The direction is very poor.I think George Clooney isn't so successful as his role talent.Almost whole story continues in studio and it got me boring.I couldn't find so remarkable comments.My comments come to an end because there is not too much thing to comment.
Style over substance, no real controversy here!
posted on 02 Aug 2009Good Night and Good Luck has more style than substance. The photography, costumes and the music were great. But that is where the brilliance of this movie ends.Joe McCarthy is shown only in newsreel footage making him something of a 2 dimensional character. This really diminishes his impact. He certainly isn't the ugly threat the filmmakers would like us to believe in. There is a tragic and human drama in the story of McCarthy. He played a high-stakes political game and self-destructed in public. Why that sort of real drama is completely missing from this film is beyond me.There is no attempt to explain the real reason for anti-communist paranoia and that makes the film feel historically unbalanced. The sort that Clooney associates with apparently thought there was no need to put the McCarthy era in proper context. But younger generations who don't remember these events firsthand will wonder what all the fuss was about. With tens of millions of people dying in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin paranoia on all sides was impossible to avoid. The party purges under Stalin make the politics portrayed in this movie look like something from the Sunday comics.The very cool "smooth jazz" music in the movie is great and that, unfortunately, is also one of the films biggest problems. That style of music was not widely popular in the 1950's. The pop charts of the time were full of the sort of light pop vocal and musical show tune crap that spells box office disaster today. The real pop music of the 1950's was the type of thing that made the rise of rock and roll inevitable! A dramatic orchestral score could have heightened the impact and would not have drawn undue attention away from the story as do the musical performances in this film.Controversy always has more than one side. There simply isn't much room in Clooney's world for type of real controversy that would have given the film some dramatic tension and turned it into serious entertainment. In short, the film presents a highly skewed view of events oversimplified and tailored to fit the biases of one man. The unintentional paradox is that while presenting the story of a neutral journalist, Clooney shows a distorted view of the surrounding historical events. I guess it is just too bad for us that the real world is so out of touch with George Clooney.
It's great. No more than is needed, and no less.
posted on 31 Jul 2009I HIGHLY recommend this one. If you have any interest in either McCarthyism or TV journalism's history, this is up your alley. George Clooney made the right call here to only go as far's the record allowed, not to try and make a three hour Stone-like epic, and not get into histrionics. The footage of McCarthy speaks volumes alone.David Straithairn is the best part of this, as Murrow you couldn't ask for anymore. Clooney wisely steps back and acts as the capable supporting co-star and doesn't get in the way. You get some nicely menacing shots of The Powers that Be-in the form of two Air Force Colonels, William S Paley(knowing he has to look over his shoulder at his sponsers etc all the time), and McCarthy's minions in the press and gov't.I am not so sure that the suicide of Hollenback was well-thought out, you get a few nasty columns about you(as an experienced reporter why would he care?) and then you check yourself out? I didn't quite buy that. There hadda be more to his story.The same can be said for Robert Downey Jr's side-story w/ his wife; it's not developed the way you need to make the audience really care about their plight. This is after all Murrow's story, and we get nothing about the guy's personal life.All that aside-this is Oscar material. Daniels and Langella are especially fine as supporters.**** outta ****. It's great. McCarthy was a bastard and good for Clooney for showing us that again.
Fear ...it's what's for dinner
posted on 31 Jul 2009It was with great joy that I finally got to see GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK today. This is film-making and tension at its best. Although there's no bloodshed or external battles, the strain of what was going on during the McCarthy hearings in the 50's is palpable in George Clooney's excellent script.Not having been born until years later, I only remember my parents commenting on how disgraceful the nation felt for letting a bully push around individuals and companies without due process here in the U.S. (where we pride ourselves on a system of justice!) The film is taut with dangerous choices that could have very well ended the careers of thousands of people at CBS. Edward R. Murrow (played beautifully by David Strathairn) pulls off the performance of a lifetime by using every mannerism ever noted in Murrow's early television career. The close-up facial shots were excellent and added tension to the film without any musical score (music is only used as a kind of introduction to different segments of the story but sung in low jazz tones by legendary singer Dianne Reeves). The use of black and white film adds an extra sense of the time period and allowed George Clooney and company to meld together stock footage of McCarthy and other Senators in a very seamless fashion.It is noteworthy to point out that fear was the prime method that allowed McCarthy to continue his ridiculous claims of communist infiltration into the United States (people feared the communists because of the nuclear threat and because they felt that the communists would overrun our beloved country ....boy, does this sound familiar. Are we still in the 1950s? Hmm. Is George Bush and company allowed to get away with lots of things because of the fear of bombings, religious fundamentalists, and those who disagree with America?) The "you're either with us or against us" mentality is easily focused on in the film by allowing Senator McCarthy to play and hang himself. If you were against McCarthy, you were a communist or, at the very least, a communist sympathizer (watching him attack Murrow as a communist was ridiculous).It's funny to read the mind-numbing reviews of individuals here at Amazon.com who think that there WERE communists in high places within our government. And they still believe it! Even after the fall of communism in the USSR. Grow up gang. It's the 21st century. The only thing we need fear is not questioning our leaders, and this movie is a nice reawakening to that thought.
Blown Away by this Picture
posted on 25 Jul 2009As someone who lived through this period and remembers every terrible moment of it -- initially as a college student and later as a member of the U.S. Army -- I believe this film has everything exactly right. The words are (with small exceptions) Ed Murrow's, McCarthy's words are his own, the atmosphere at CBS is depicted pretty much as it was depicted at the time (and later on) by those who were in the middle of it. And although Ed Murrow was handsomer (by far) than David Strathairn, Strathairn had Murrow's voice down pretty well and the cadences exactly right. George Clooney took a chance on making this movie, was right to do it in black and white, smart to accept a subordinate role as Fred Friendly (believe me Clooney is a lot handsomer than Fred Friendly was), and the script and editing were excellent. I hope it wins a ton of prizes. There is only one thing I wish had been done a little differently. I wish they'd given a few minutes late in the film to the McCarthy attack on one of Joseph Welsh's young associates so as to provide the context for his famous remark: "Senator, have you no shame. At long last, have you no shame." His question was greeted with applause that reverberated through the hearing room and was heard around the country. All credit to Ed Murrow for what he did and to the unmentioned heroes like Margaret Chase Smith who attacked McCarthy on the floor of the Senate when it was inexpedient to do so. But, in my opinion, it was the Army -McCarthy hearings and Joseph Welsh who ultimately drove the stake through McCarthy's heart. I wish the movie audience had been shown just a tiny bit more of what McCarthy did that provoked Welsh's devastating response.
An excellent movie that should make people think
posted on 21 Jul 2009Good Night, and Good Luck is one of the best and fiercest movie I have seen lately. It is very well done.If only the American people could understand that something very similar to what is described in the film is happening right now in their country there would be hope of a change.Unfortunately, I don't see an Edward R. Morrow standing up.Seen from the country above yours what is going on in the Bush administration is very frightening. The character assassination that was one of Joseph McCarthy's favorite tool is still largely used. Everyone that opposes President Bush and consorts is labeled as non patriotic (unamerican was the term that Joseph McCarthy and his followers used).Let's hope that for the sake of your country and the world you will to something about the situation very soon.
Stunning movie, with a lot of current day relevance
posted on 15 Jul 2009I was moved by this film. Not just by the expert-direction (the set and the moods created) and the superb lead acting (Strathairn). I think the most impressive element of the movie was the dialogue as delivered by Strathairn. McMurrow had to tread very carefully and not resort to gutter tactics to take out McCarthy. The threat that McCarthy posed was massive. He used the fear of Communism to smear anyone who didn't agree with him. 40 years on and Fox News' Bill O Reilly is using precisely the same tactics to smear anyone who doesn't agree with his rabid Republican views ! He is analogous to the journalist who repeatedly smeared CBS in the movie. (Phrases like we are at war, accusations of unpatriotism etc). I was moved by the monologues to camera given by McMurrow. They represent the core ideals of democracy. Someone should nail them to the forehead of Rupert Murdoch.
Black and White and Red all over
posted on 13 Jul 2009A brief but engrossing bit of Political-Clooney and his most biting work since Batman and Robin (It was a satire of Hollywood Blockbusters…wasn't it?). Needless to say, so here I am doing just that, that it's a period piece about the here and now with Whistler from Sneakers recovering his sight to star as Edward R.Murrow, CBS News Anchor and champion of liberal, anti-neocon sentiment…vis a vis 'freedom of speech' as its known nowadays. Sentator McCarthy doubles as the Bush Administration to give us a timely reminder of what fear can do to would-be democracies and the movie is spot-on in laying out its stall with efficient, direct exactitude. This is Steak Pie and Potatoes film-making – lean, no-frills, no bulls*it stuff – satisfying and substantial. It makes it point very convincingly, not least because it doesn't editorialise too much itself so to speak – a neat little mirror to to the choice of Murrow and co. The use of archive material is well considered and plentiful meaning that often whole sequences are shown in full as if to say 'no dramatisation required', while the CBS scenes are restrained and well-judged –ultimately the facts, Clooney suggests, speak for themselves and indeed they do – lucidly. The, dare we say, artistic decision to shoot in Black and White is a solid one as it marries the drama with the archive in a fairly seamless fashion and heightens the sense of period. The final lines about Television's role as a means for education rather than crude entertainment is as relevant as ever and although Tocqueville contended that we have absolutely nothing to learn from History whatsoever, I think Clooney safely kicks that one to ground...but would the Frenchman have done Schumacer's movie? Very good then and the best movie about communism since Hesterkefilis' "Chairmam Mao Mao and the Teen Kitten Chorus" (1985) – a must see by the way.
What Happened?
posted on 07 Jul 2009I was truly looking forward to this movie. I admired Edward Murrow and his succinct, prescient remarks re the news of the day. Of course, the main objective was his comments about Senator Joe McCarthy, who was the man responsible for ruining many lives after tainting them as a Communist. During the '50's I was literally glued to the television set and spent that time in despair at McCarthy's innuendos, distortions surrounded by his lackeys. I think some of the more prominent names who were attacked should be mentioned even if the characters weren't shown. Very prestigious people; including George Marshall and Adlai Stevenson. The only one shown was General Eisenhower briefly. The movie lacks the anger I felt at the underhanded tactics used by the Senator and though it does not whitewash him, it leaves us wanting to know what happened. I know what happened but the movie doesn't show the finality of McCarthy's viciousness and his subsequent censure by the Senate.
A Must See Film with Oscar Possibilities: There will never be another Murrow
posted on 30 Aug 2009"Good Night and Good Luck" is a must see film for everyone whether you know the story of the battle between CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joe McCarthy or not. Sitting in a half filled theater with patrons with an average age of 50 only strengthened my belief we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past because there are so few of the current generation who want to learn the history of how we got to where we are.The film, which is George Clooney's second as a director, is a gem. Interestingly enough it took a big screen project to give renewed life to a small screen voice. The fact it is only 93 minutes only enhances the story it tells.Beautifully shot in black and white it draws upon a narrow focus of scenes shot entirely inside the CBS building. You never wander outside except for a moment in the beginning and you constantly feel the intensity of this important story, even with its side journeys. These side journeys are neither little, nor unimportant. Instead they lead to the bigger issue at hand which are myriad personal freedoms we enjoy today which were kept from us 50 years ago.For 93 minutes, despite the side lights as important as they are, the main issue the story focuses upon of course is the purge of Communists and the US Senate hearings conducted by McCarthy. Clooney brilliantly decides early on in the process he will not get an actor to portray the junior Senator from Wisconsin but instead uses actual clips of McCarthy as he purges, twists and manipulates his way through the terror of these historic hearings. Clooney shows how Murrow and his team take on McCarthy in defense of the constitution over the objections of CBS head William Paley and the sponsors.One of the cool things shown in the film is several commercials of the day. The one for Kent Cigarettes is particularly troubling as it admonishes the pleasures of smoking and how intelligent people are the ones who know to smoke Kent Cigarettes. It shows how far we've come. It is also interesting since Murrow himself has always been synonymous with smoking; never without a lit cigarette in hand even on the air. Imagine that today? Clooney's use of Diane Reeves soft yet powerful jazzy vocals help set the mood everywhere they are used as breakers or transitions from scene to scene. It is a nice touch and yet not overdone. The music is gentle enough but poignant to where you believe it's something from above, someone higher up looking down on what is happening. The music gives you just enough time to digest the points made moments earlier and Reeves smooth tones help you digest it perfectly. Clooney is moving into Oscar land with this one.Another key focus of the film is Murrow's insistence TV is a powerful medium which if (said in the 1950's) we aren't careful will become a tool used to broadcast mindless gibberish. Murrow was a prophet in this respect because what he warned of is so true today. Murrow likely turns in his grave at reality television. It all came down to money and Murrow was lucky enough Paley stuck with him to a point. A point which helped McCarthy eventually self destruct.Through all of this you almost lose sight of the fact actor David Strathairn, who plays Murrow flawlessly, is acting. He is Murrow and will deservedly get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal. It won't hurt Murrow is so highly regarded among the Hollywood elite but even so Strathairn as they say "nailed it." There are a few easy going funny lines in the film and Strathairn handles them so deftly you wonder why this established actor doesn't do more comedy.For fans he has been excellent in such films as "Eight Men Out" and "A League of Their Own" along with dozens of other pictures. He is likable and while usually permitted only to play under stated characters, he uses this same technique to give Murrow the depth he deserves. Murrow is deep in his convictions and while sometimes troubled by them, remains stern and true to the course. This in the end is the legacy Murrow leaves behind; true to the course of true, fair, enterprising and analytical journalism. Always asking the question of "why" backed with the facts.Seeing a true newsroom allowed me to remember my days at UPI, at the time one of the only remaining facets of real journalism, a wire service independent of advertisers. I was reminded of one of the reasons I left the world of commercial journalism because TV and radio had become just what Murrow warned they would become; garbage in and garbage out. Finishing with the film in question, "Good Night and Good Luck" shows us all something else. It shows us why there will never be another Edward R. Murrow. The medium has gone past his wildest criticisms and sunk to depths he would never survive. He'd be off in seclusion likely writing a book, or thriving on PBS.