Nice history less for the unknowing, but a slow film

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2006)

Being 60 today I was aware of the McCarthy era as it unfolded and of Ed Murrow's role in fighting against McCarthyism. I consider it a heroic role in real life for Murrow. I was also fairly well acquainted with his prior journalistic pursuits.
That said, for me the film was rather dull and unenlightening. At least it was only 93 minutes of dull. It probably reflects my desires and expectations in a film, with which many may disagree, but I was more than happy to fast forward through the opening several minutes of music and zero dialog. About 20 seconds was enough to set the mood and era for the film.
And although I learned some trivia of the times, eg. CBS prohibition of coworkers being married to each other, I didn't learn much about Murrow I didn't know. I would have been interested in learning more about his family life. It's a stark contrast, for me, to the last film I saw, which was "Walk the Line", which was rich in details about the personal life of its main character.
If the film's goal was to be any kind of a biopic, it was unsuccessful. As a history lesson, it is good for the unenlightened but not much for those who lived the history.