The Media Vs. Senator McCarthy

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2006)

One of the most peculiar aspects of George Clooney's film GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK is how despite its textured black and white cinematography it is also one of the most audio-friendly movies of the recent times. Situated in at the dawn of television not as an alternative to radio but a force to be reckoned with, one of the stand-out elements within its structure is how easy and multi-faceted it sounds, rather than looks. That more than likely is due to its tight script and the handling of dialog -- there is a strong influence of CITIZEN KANE in how these characters, people who work in the media, work with one another, much like in the scenes involving the reporters investigating Xanadu's deceased inhabitant at the end -- faceless, but great to listen to. If a movie can be compelling without having to be seen, it makes for a great experience.
Listening to David Strathairn virtually channeling even the most trivial nuances of Edward R. Murrow in his speeches -- and there are several key speeches interspersed throughout the film -- is a wonder. There is a sneaky way in how he approaches his characterization. It's not a homage or an imitation in any way and has a hint of the sly entertainer Murrow tended to be while imparting the news and his comments about the current events. Overconfident, impeccably dressed, with sleepy eyes, a cigarette perched like an advertisement in his fingers and slicked back hair, Strathairn makes Murrow look exactly how he looked -- like a smoldering Cary Grant, circa 1940, sober, letting you know what he thought about Things. He could almost be the star of his own movie, and he behaved as such in the news world. Murrow was a man who garnered respect and authority and Strathairn in his breakout, standout performance, brings is all out, even when we never see Murrow's private life.
His notorious battle with Senator McCarthy is the center of the plot of GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK. Had it not been for his steadfast confidence to face-off McCarthy -- a man of no importance wielding power where he had none, and a man who ultimately destroyed lives and careers, such as Don Hollenbeck, though pressure and the threat of exposure -- this country still might be under the fears of expressing itself, of having freedom of speech and of beliefs. True, not much has actually changed when you look at it -- the pressure is still there, but more subtle -- but at least there was one man who had enough material between his legs to confront this insanity head on.
A side story gets equal treatment: Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson play spouses who have to hide this to everyone at work due to a work policy. Apparently unrelated to the plot, this actually is quite close to the state of the union back then. Clandestine marriage is given a treatment as if it were sympathizing with the Reds, and the way both Downey Jr. and Clarkson talk to each other even in the privacy of their own home is a sly indicator of the Big Brother mentality that was prevalent in the Red Scare. When it's revealed to them at the end of the movie that all this time it had been known to the entire staff that they were married, their firing comes as an added irony -- witness the many actors who lost their jobs because they were believed to be Communists. But, at least, and as Clarkson blithely says, "It was fun while it lasted." Not many actors, directors, screenwriters, producers, and the like can say that.
Another irony is that of George Clooney. An actor who began in television, he's now definitely distanced himself from his roles in ER and it seems that it was a thousand years ago when he was on that series melting the hearts of female (and male) viewers. Now he brings a movie about the media industry and news reporters. A great reversal of roles, and a great finished product.