Good Night and Good Luck
By: Mark Runyon | Category: On DVD | 03/12/06 | 10:26 PM
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Grade: A | Genre: Drama
Summary: Good Night and Good Luck is one of the year's best releases, marking an important film about journalistic responsibility. It really makes you wish we had an Edward R. Murrow to take down our McCarthy's.
Did you know that there was a time when news organizations actually covered the news? I know this seems like a baffling concept after watching the watered down broadcasts of CNN, MSNBC and the network news, but, I assure you, it's true. There was a time when facts were king, and newsmen like Edward R. Murrow had balls made of titanium, standing up to the gross tyranny of McCarthyism. He did battle with the Senator, knowing with certainty that he'd be labeled a Communist himself. In 1950s America, that's not a tag you wanted to get stuck with. Good Night and Good Luck is the story of Murrow and his team of journalists at CBS news. They were pitching a heated battle to unveil truth and justice in the face of a dark political landscape, busily stripping American citizens of their liberties by instilling fear. Does this sound vaguely familiar? The similarities between the current political climate and the red scare of McCarthyism shouldn't be lost on anyone. |
The first thing you notice about Good Night and Good Luck is its rustic feel. The film is shot completely in black and white to draw you back in time. It is complimented perfectly by the vocal jazz styling of Dianne Reeves, carefully slicing up the vignettes. This is the story of America's obsession with the perceived encroachment of Communism during the '50s. The fear machine was chugging out propaganda based on rumor and innuendo at breakneck pace. Not only had Communists infiltrated the highest levels of government, they professed, but also your next-door neighbor Fred could be a Red. No one is safe. In this heightened atmosphere of fear, Edward R. Murrow headlines a CBS news program much like 60 Minutes. He juggles fluff pieces so the network will allow him to do the investigative reporting that gives his life meaning.
He runs across an obscure news story about an Air Force reservist, Milo Radulovich, being released from the service without a trial based on his father and his sister's suspected ties to the Communist party. Murrow pounces on the story, causing the armed services to backpedal over the perceived injustice. The network doesn't like it because sponsor Alcoa doesn't like it, yet they grudgingly go along with it anyway. Then Murrow's news group sets their sights on the biggest fish of all: Senator McCarthy. He was knocking down civil liberties like A-Rod working over a pinata. No one was safe from his overzealous reach and speaking out against him insured you would be labeled a Communist for your trouble. Would McCarthy wrap Murrow up in his web of faulty perception? Even if he were spared the politician's wrath, would the jittery network yank the plug in the midst of his controversial stand?
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| Good Night and Good Luck |
| Starring: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Rose Abdoo, Robert Downey Jr. & Patricia Clarkson |
| Director: George Clooney |
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| View the Trailer (Quicktime) |
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This film is a showcase for the talents of David Strathairn and George Clooney. Strathairn (Blue Car, The Firm) has been a little used talent up to this point and really comes into his own with this beautiful performance in Good Night. On the surface, Murrow appears to be a confident, cocksure journalist, casually firing words to battle injustices that crop up on the national landscape. Behind the scenes, he's petrified of the consequences that taking a stand as a journalist will exact on him personally. Strathairn's careful balance between the Murrow that sat in America's living room and the struggle of the inner Murrow was perfectly executed. He is a very full character with massive ideals, bold courage and an utter disregard for accepting obstacles. This role actually drove him to smoking. A non-smoker prior to, Strathairn was going through 50 cigarettes a day to fit the chain-smoking habits of Murrow who would often be seen smoking during broadcast.
Clooney does a marvelous job manning the camera and sharing the screen with Strathairn. Good Night marks Clooney's second directorial effort, the first shot out of the box being the uneven Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. He has a great eye for it. His cutaway shots are very compelling. He substitutes talking with soothing jazz to transition us between the mounting tensions as the film moves silently forward in the background. Dianne Reeves was a perfect pick to custom craft this sumptuous vocal jazz soundtrack that is honey for the ears. The black and white really sweep us into this 50s mindset that is such a foreign perspective to us now. Clooney seamlessly weaves the new film with the documented footage of McCarthy.
Good Night and Good Luck is one of the year's best releases, marking an important film about journalistic responsibility. The press has always served as the unofficial fourth branch of government, ferreting out graft and corruption whether it's McCarthy or Watergate. The press is tasked with sifting through the half-truths and hearsay to deliver the reality. Yet today's press seems more intent on drowning us in Michael Jackson coverage rather than digging into the Valerie Plame cover-up that duped a nation so the Bush administration could sell us the Vietnam War: Iraq Edition. Why isn't the press asking the tough questions of this administration to force out the answers we deserve? This film is an indictment of our modern press, reflecting what they could be if only they had the stones to enter the fight. In these times, it really makes you wish we had an Edward R. Murrow to take down our McCarthy's.
Originally Posted: November 2, 2005
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