The fight against McCarthyism . . . especially important now!

Rating: 9/10 (10 October 2005)

As Edward R. Murrow said, "We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." It applied then and it applies now. This film is extremely well done, and it is a cautionary tale for today's political climate. As Roger Ebert said, if you disagreed with McCarthy, he spread lies about you. . . (and without mentioning names) the same thing is happening in today's White House administration. The film warns against complacency of the media and their responsibility to expose the attempts by government to squelch freedom, especially in the name of patriotism. The film uses real footage of McCarthy and the House Unamerican Activities Committee. The whole movie is in black and white, as television was in the 1950s. The acting was understated and wonderful: Clooney, Straithairn, Daniels, Langella, Downy and Clarkson didn't show a lot of unbridled emotion, but you could see their feelings--especially Straithairn and Langella--just beneath the surface. Beautifully done; I would see it again.