Truth,justice and the American way...

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 2005)

In the '50s, paranoid US senator Joseph McCarthy led a witch hunt against all people suspected of being communists, ruining a lot of lives (Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo was among his victims). This compelling and honest movie is about the one man who tried to take down the senator, a journalist who eventually started a chain of events leading to the end of McCarthy's terror.
That man's name was Edward Murrow (the film's title comes from his trademark sign-off at the end of each broadcast), and like fellow journalists Woodward and Bernstein (see All the President's Men) he looked for the truth, knowing about the consequences and facing his enemy fearlessly. He was the kind of anchorman we really need nowadays, and thanks to George Clooney's second directorial effort, he'll never be forgotten.
In the movie, McCarthy is shown through archive footage, making it more realistic (besides, there's no need for an actor to embody his buffoon-like personality), as we see Murrow ( David Strathairn) and his colleagues (including Clooney himself, who's also written the script, and Robert Downey Jr.) reveal the truth about all the people who are dragged in court because suspected of supporting communists or being communists themselves. Even Murrow is accused of being anti-American, but he doesn't care and goes on with his battle.
With this very personal opus (his father Nick was an anchorman and a huge admirer of Murrow's tenacity) George Clooney shows us that journalism, just like in the already mentioned All the President's Men, is an instrument that should be used only to tell the truth, and he gets great help from the excellent Strathairn, best known for smaller parts in modern classics (he was Tom Cruise's brother in The Firm and Kim Basinger's pimp in L.A. Confidential). The supporting cast impresses as well (other than Clooney and Downey, there are also memorable turns from Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels and Patricia Clarkson), but it's Strathairn's slender figure and calm voice that dominate the entire picture.
Justly awarded for Best Screenplay and Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and a very likely Oscar contender next year, This is a real masterpiece, one of the must-see films of 2005. If you're looking for a powerful, moving, flawless anti-blockbuster, then look no further:
Good Night, and Good Luck