Scary But Well-Cultured In Details

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2013)

"Good Night and Good Luck" is an uplifting confrontation between longtime news journalist Edward Murrow and the infamous Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy who once accused Mr Murrow of being a Communist in 1950's America. The script was penned by George Clooney which is apropos since Clooney was a journalism student in University and was co-written by Grant Heslov. The movie provides a plethora of archives that would make this movie almost documentary like rather than a political drama. In addition to that, Clooney also directed and performed here as well. The movie begins with Murrow (David Strathairn) being honoured at a dinner ceremony, which then quickly shifts gears to a heated battle with Senator McCarthy. Murrow defends himself with a CBS executive based on a news story about an Air Force officer being dishonourably discharged after McCarthy claimed he was secret spy. And from there the heat takes off from there. There are tow other worthy subplots one that involves the marriage of two CBS employees and a news anchorman on the brink of suicide.
There is no doubt that George Clooney is one of the best performers in the world today. He's come a long way from the 80's sitcom "The Fact of Life" to the hospital drama "ER" to the big screen. Edward R. Murrow was an iconic journalist in his time and became a public figure back in World War II when he was doing broadcasts in London during the air raids.
The movie itself is a gripping and and upbeat political drama that leaves no stone unturned. And sure we never look into Mr. Murrow's personal life, but the black-and-white images have that certain nostalgic look of what and how the news was covered in the fifties. I was expecting something a little more satirical almost to the point of being like a farce. Boy was I wrong! But I digress, this movie was serious in delivery and everything looked and felt authentic. The stories and coverage being shown felt like I was on a class. The release done in black-and-white was symbolic and yet very scintillating. Even the cigarette smoking tolerance was pretty much in the 1950's.
If I was to pinpoint a weakness to "Good Night and Good Luck", it would have to be that it was way too short and a lot of coverage was still underdeveloped. The Red Scare fiasco could have been more further explained and more of the fear and paranoia that materialized towards the civilians during the 1950's. McCarthy didn't intentionally wanted fear and doubt on America, but he surely relished it like a conductor holding his baton.
This is a good film for those who are studying journalism or pursuing goals in journalism and too see the physical and metaphorical black and white of journalism in the 1950's. The script by Clooney and Heslov was truly a masterpiece that truly earned its Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Historians will love the film for its accuracy and how television news that was in its infancy operated. The dramatic and excellent dialogue make this film all the more poignant.