Morrow's Luck

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2006)

Great film, great acting. David Strathairn is exceptional, it is about time he had a leading role after the many excellent non-lead performances I've been impressed with. The essence of 1950s broadcasting is captured in this film and choosing B&W over colour was a stroke of genius, as are the facial close-ups which zoom the focus on to the personalities and individual integrity (or otherwise) rather than a more general survey of the parallels between the McCarthy-led prejudices then and the fundamental attitudes today. The 3 piece suits, incessant smoking, claustrophobic broadcasting rooms, 50s mores (such as the policy against marriage within the workplace) add compelling verisimilitude.
Cross cutting CBS footage from the period (complete with the grainy film quality) strengthened the political punch and one wonders how on earth McCarthy gained such powerful influence - he is boorish, mind-bogglingly narrow-minded, ignorant, slow-witted (of course, a reminder of a certain President). The irony, by comparison with the intelligence of the CBS reporters and broadcasters, is searing. I hope this pithy, scathing insight into an important aspect of media and political influence will inspire contemporary viewers to look further into the full history of this difficult era of American indoctrination (remember, it was also the period of the Korean War and the real entrenchment of the Cold War). It amazes me now how Murrow in fact got away with his views, and all credit for Paley for supporting his team. The implication that Murrow directly influenced the investigation of McCarthy is a new and fascinating slant on the whole issue of McCarthyism. Murrow makes it quite clear he has no Communist or Socialist sympathies and Strathairn brilliantly evokes his absolute integrity combined with 'American dream' idealism. Again, the contrast with the rampant prejudice and increasingly narrow focus of American thinking (the military as well as government) is concisely illustrated with effective economy of scene and screenplay. The film's frame - Murrow's speech criticising the way American TV is developing at the end of the 50s into moronic brain-numbing mush instead of challenging, through-provoking programming along with high-quality entertainment - neatly contains the whole film's theme of how closely media and politics have combined to sugar-coat the American people into complacency and ignorance.
One fantastic additional bonus to an already superb production was the inspired casting of Dianne Reeves. The soul singer provides a late-night relaxed broadcast immediately following the powerful Murrow broadcasts, her mellifluous voice and emotive lyrics singularly contrasting - and balancing - with the stringent gravity of Murrow's deceptively restrained tone. Her plangent delivery indirectly emphasises the emotion and idealism behind Murrow's unemotional delivery and is one of the most effective devices in the film, as well as providing a very pleasing rendition of some favourite 50s songs.
I could add several more compliments to this brilliant film, which in my opinion deserved Best Film Oscar or Golden Globe. But this year it competed with so many other marvellous films - it's been quite a year for serious issue films. I've seen all the others, Brokeback Mountain, Crash, Walk The Line etc. but this one has my vote for the best film of the year.