A Showdown Between Murrow & McCarthy

Rating: 10/10 (28 September 2012)

Good Night, and Good Luck. is a drama that portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, especially relating to the anti- Communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.It stars David Strathairn and George Clooney together with Robert Downey, Jr.,Patricia Clarkson,Frank Langella,Jeff Daniels, Tate Donovan and Alex Borstein.The movie, although released in black and white, was filmed on color film stock but on a gray-scale set, and was color corrected to black and white during post-production. It focuses on the theme of media responsibility, and also addresses what occurs when the media offers a voice of dissent against the government.It was also directed by its lead star,George Clooney and the screenplay was written also by Clooney and Grant Heslov.
In 1953, Edward R. Murrow was one of the best-known newsmen on television as host of both the talk show Person to Person and the pioneering investigate series See It Now. Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, was generating no small amount of controversy in the public and private sectors with his allegations that Communists had risen to positions of power and influence in America, and an Air Force pilot, Milo Radulovich, had been drummed out of the service due to McCarthy's charges that he was a Communist agent. However, Radulovich had been dismissed without a formal hearing of the charges, and he protested that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Murrow decided to do a story on Radulovich's case questioning the legitimacy of his dismissal, which was seen by McCarthy and his supporters as an open challenge to his campaign. McCarthy responded by accusing Murrow of being a Communist, leading to a legendary installment of See It Now in which both Murrow and McCarthy presented their sides of the story, which was seen by many as the first step toward McCarthy's downfall. Meanwhile, Murrow had to deal with CBS head William Paley, who was supportive of Murrow but extremely wary of his controversial positions, while Murrow was also trying to support fellow newsman Don Hollenbeck, battling charges against his own political views, and working alongside Fred Friendly, the daring head of CBS News.
This is a film that will live on for years, because it bears a message about dissension, and the power of the press.Also,it still proves that it is still possible in the cinema, if not in television, to inform without being boring and entertain without condescending for it is an excellent film that uses the past to make today's media and their audiences address their responsibilities.Aside from that,it is a passionate and concise civics lesson from the past, arriving with much political and cultural relevance to today.Finally,the film imparts a cautionary tale: Don't let anyone else do your thinking for you.