Too Serious and Demanding to Get Oscar

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2005)

You've seen the kind of movie this is: a movie that takes you back to a horrible time in our nation's history with no sex and violence. So of course, it will never win an Oscar. But the writing is superior, McCarthy plays himself ...which is hilarious, when you hear the criticisms of the 'actor who played McCarthy', and David Straithairn is more Murrow than Murrow was himself.
I practically caught lung cancer from all the cigarette smoking. That and the jazz captured the mood of those dark days in our country's history, much like today. The sound track of all that jazz will be a great addition to your collection.
Having been a high school junior at the time of these hearings, I was unaware of what courage Sen. McClellan of Arkensas showed, as he fought back against the un-American tactics of the demagogue, McCarthy (think a combination of Rush and O'Reilly). He used lies spoken with great authority, repeatedly by many people, much as Georing and the Bush crowd do, to obtain 'credibility'. The fact that he goes down in flames is not credited to Murrow, but it DOES happen after Murrow takes him on. The suicide of the newscaster Don Haversham is treated with great seriousness, as this subplot continues throughout the movie. Thus, the great damage done by despots such as McCarthy is shown, That he could be put in a good light by the revisionists of today's goons indicates how our society has degenerated.
The part played by Langella can't have been a lot of fun, since he plays Paley...but not as a dictatorial monster. He plays Paley as someone who is trying to help CBS survive, and knows the mood of the Congress right then can be very dangerous. As it was, Murrow gauged the mood of the American public and won. He was taken off the air for his work, another Profile in Courage.
Tblack and white used for the film was completely appropriate, not only because that's the way we the people saw TV back then. But also because of the mood: a dark time, where suspicions were easily aroused of neighbors by neighbors and jail time was done by innocent people for innocent political activity when such was popular among 'intellectuals'.
This movie was altogether timely, in view of the tight censorship being placed on reporters today. The government isn't so much actively censoring the media, as subtlety NOT allowing access to the sources of news for those reporters who refuse to spin. It took a few brave souls, as depicted by David Straithorn in a role that SHOULd net him an Oscar, but won't since we don't give honor to such high quality movies with such a message as the need for liberty in a time when despotism is called 'patriotism' and speaking out against the lying is called 'being a traitor'.
See it, even though you'll have to find it in some art house around. Hope Arkensas shows it in every little town, as Sen. McClellan makes a Southerner such as myself feel proud of our accent, something we rarely do these days.