The Very Best Movie I've Seen in a Very Long Time!

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2005)

(I'm fairly new at writing reviews on IMDb and I'm not certain exactly what a "spoiler" is by IMDb definition, so their may be one or more spoilers herein. For this I apologize.)
This movie is an accurate and stirring reminder of a turbulent time in the history of America. World War II had been over for less than 10 years, the so-called "truce talks" in Korea were in their second year with no end in sight and a nation America had supported as an ally in WWII turned out to be a sneaky and dastardly enemy. The film is done in black and white to not only take advantage of archival footage of the time, but also to transport the viewer into the world of network news in 1953 America, which it does admirably.
Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy (Tail-Gunner Joe) began his anti-communist campaign in 1950 with vague and groundless charges that the U.S. State Department was "infested" with communists. Those charges were summarily dismissed, but that didn't stop him. Over the following years, he used accusations (mostly unsupported), innuendo and outright slander to tarnish the reputations of those he considered communist and therefore enemies of America. People were afraid to speak out against him, as he would use their opposition to infer that they were communist sympathizers, or "Pinkos." But not Ed Murrow and his boss, Fred Friendly of the CBS news department.
That's where this movie picks up. Murrow confronting McCarthy, unafraid (or so it seemed to his viewers) and with the full support (apparently) of his network, CBS.
And here also is where this movie excels, picking up on the undertones of the man (Murrow) the whole news team and the network in the person of President William Paley. Murrow's inner conflicts when it came to going to Paley's office or dealing with the death of his friend. We can only imagine what his home life was like.
One of the things that struck me was the way the actors were presented. The makeup was subtle; it took me quite a while to make out that Murrow was portrayed by David Strathairn. I had to hear his voice to make the connection and even then, I found it hard to believe that the man I saw on the screen was NOT the real Ed Murrow. The same holds true for George Clooney. I suppose it was the authenticity of the clothing, harsh reality of the black and white filming and the fact that nearly EVERYONE was smoking... heavily. I could almost smell it.
Performance wise, David Strathairn gave a powerful yet subdued rendition of a historical figure, a man known and respected in most of the free world to this day. The feeling of roiling emotions under his facade of cool control gave the impression that this was not a man to mess with, even though he was slight of build and did not carry himself in any sort of confrontational manner. I cannot think of any actor more suited to the role. Watching him delivering Murrow's broadcast gave me shivers it was so powerful to see.
I won't waste time or space naming the other performers except to say that they helped to make the scenario believable and thereby add to the feeling of being transported to 1953 and watching history unfold. Congratulations to all and especially to George Clooney. It will be a crying shame if this film doesn't win at least 4 Oscars for best actor, best supporting actor, best director and best cinematography.
I strongly recommend this movie to everyone born before 1950 as a reminder of the times we lived through and to those of later generations as a lesson in history, one that can be applied to the world today.
10 out of 10 ("Excellent" is too tame for this film. I think it rates a more powerful adjective like "Outstanding" or "Superior")