Monday, December 05, 2005

Good Night and Good Luck

Taking place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950’s America, a chronicle of the real-life conflict between television news man Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff--headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom--defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist ‘witch-hunts.’ A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on regardless and their tenacity eventually pays off when McCarthy is brought before the Senate and made powerless as his lies and bullying tactics are finally uncovered.

Movies can be like books. There are some you enjoy because they are fun and there are some you enjoy because you think about it after it is over. This movie is the second type. George Clooney has become very active politically and this movie lets it show. For those of us who weren't alive during the era of McCarthyism, this movie is an important history lesson of what our country was once like. I was very impressed by the fact that they used actual footage of McCarthy for all scenes where he responded to Murrow and for the Senate hearings where he was censured. The movie did drag a bit at times, but I was overall impressed by the quality of the film as well as the message it gave.

The PG rating ensures little objectionable content. The only reason it is PG instead of G is the few bad words and constant smoking of the central characters.

George Clooney has skillfully recreated the atmosphere that was undoubtedly present in that era. This movie is an excellent example of what a historical movie should be.

4.8 out of 5

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home