A Must See Film with Oscar Possibilities: There will never be another Murrow

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2005)

"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.