Good Night, and Good Luck: How Edward R Murrow saved America

[JaimePaulFalcon]

First let me say this we need Edward R. Murrow today right now at this very moment. We need a reporter with the determination and guile to stand up for what he thinks is right. He was someone that saw something wrong and fought for his right to call the people responsible on it. To have one do so today would drastically change our world unfortunately we live in the instant gratification society where people lack tack and attack with out true information or thought of consequence. Now that I’m off my high horse how about a quick look at the movie.

George Clooney’s second directorial effort is in a word stunning. One can easily tell that Clooney is not one to be caught in simple stylistic trappings that run wild through today’s cinema, as he seems to constantly challenge himself in front and behind the camera. Departing stylistically from 2002’s off beat “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” to the rather straightforward shooting of a period piece which he brilliantly shot in black and white to help set the tone of darker times. Another wise choice of Clooney’s use jazz performer Dianne Reeves to sing the hits of the times to segue his way into each new chapter of his film. With “Good Night, and Good Luck.” George takes on the burden of telling Edward R. Murrow’s war of words against Sen. George McCarthy at the height of his HUAC hearings. David Strathairn’s performance of Murrow is daunting truly the performance of a life time for this actor as one loses their self in his performance forgetting at time’s that the man is just performing (this is helped by the use of actual footage of McCarthy attacking Murrow, rather then casting an actor to play the part a rather wise choice made by Clooney supposedly test audiences complained of over acting by the actor portraying McCarthy never realizing that it was the man himself lending weight to Clooney’s portrayal) if not for Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s impending performance in Capote Strathairn would be the for runner for this years Leading Male Oscar.

Stratharin shares the screen with Clooney who wisely takes a supporting role as CBS news head Fred Friendly Murrows partner in crime when it comes to bucking the fledgling news system of the 50’s with their never say die report the facts view of life. And honestly the movies best performance is given Grant Heslov whose performance of CBS anchor Don Hewitt is so heart stirring that his death comes as a real mood killer when compared to the light tone used in some parts of the movie further proving that Clooney is far on his way to being one of the better directors of our time.

Overall this movie is fantastic and will be a true force to reckon with come award time. A true must see for those who consider themselves both educated and a film fan. 8 and half stars out of 10.

[Zens7s]

First let me say this we need Edward R. Murrow today right now at this very moment. We need a reporter with the determination and guile to stand up for what he thinks is right. He was someone that saw something wrong and fought for his right to call the people responsible on it. To have one do so today would drastically change our world unfortunately we live in the instant gratification society where people lack tack and attack with out true information or thought of consequence. Now that I’m off my high horse how about a quick look at the movie. As a film, I will not argue with your opinion. However, we certainly do not "need Edward R. Murrow today" to save America. Good Night, and Good Luck is a highly fictionalized account of his actual influence in the McCarthy era.

In truth, McCarthy never came near distroying America, and Murrow certainly never saved it. He had a very small role in bringing McCarthy down, but this film goes for revisionist history and leads the viewer to believe that Murrow is the cause of us not working in a military state. Virtually every major media outlet in this country went after McCarthy and exposed his drastic agenda. It wasn't one man with his anti-red cape.

This is a movie and should not be treated as historical fact. If you are looking for a reporter to be the one to not "attack with out true information or thought of consequence" then you will spend a long time waiting for this America to be saved. Although I must ask what you feel America needs to be saved from? Reporters are paid to report interesting things that make the company that pays them money. If the interesting things happen to be good, helpful, or truthful is just a bonus. Haven't we learned this lately with the exposure of many modern respected media outlets having to admit to fabrifcation of stories? Maybe we need the fictionalized movie hero Murrow to come along and expose the corruption in the media outlets. Too bad that Murrow doesn't, and never did, exist.

It isn't reporters who will ever save anything about America. It's the public determining by what they pay to view and what they choose to read that will save America.

If you don't believe me, take the editor of Slate's opinion on it:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2127595/

[Aaron]

Yeah! ... whats she said...

[Zens7s]

Yeah! ... whats she said...

Cool, Aaron has my back!

Oh wait, I think he is just standing behind me so he can check out my back.

Either way, I am pro-that! :)

[Robbo_the_Hood]

Revisionist history, but certainly not irrelevant. Those who claim the film's validity over its protagonist's role in the historic events are missing the overall theme of the picture; dissent does not equal disloyalty.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible was written in response to McCarthy's antics, and while it is a work of fiction, the play parallels the hysteria, paranoia, and rediculousness of both the Salem Witch Trials with the Communist Red Scare. Likewise, Good Night, and Good Luck has been filmed with a similar parallel. In the months leading to war with Iraq, anyone who showed opposition to the drums of war was labeled "Anti-Patriotic," or "Anti-American," with leaders of the country proclaiming the mantra, "If yer not with us, yer a Guinnes."

And like the 1950's, today many entertainers have been implicated as Commies, or Anti-American, merely for voicing their opinion in a public forumn. Any entertainer that spoke up against the war were told to Shut Up, and Sing.

The Demonizing of Hollywood is an easy game played by persons on both sides of the aisle. It is used by the loudest politicians with the emptiest platforms. When Hollywood chooses to retaliate, people tend to miss the point, drawing attention to innacuracies and disregarding the message, only to point out that the messenger (or main character) is flawed. Others romanticize the messenger because they are already the converted to whom the artist is being preached. Drawing attention to Edward Murrow's character in Good Night and Good Luck is to ignore the theme of the film by leaps and bounds. It has the same relevance as the number of witches burned in the Salem Trials; zero.

[Razorback]

I don't need to say anything.... Zens said it all.

[JaimePaulFalcon]

excuse me my heart is bleeding i didnt mean to kick off such a divided convo i was just stateing an uneducated view

[Aaron]

Cool, Aaron has my back!

Oh wait, I think he is just standing behind me so he can check out my back.

Either way, I am pro-that! :)
Ironically, so am I! :D

[Zens7s]

Ironically, so am I! :D
I love it that you love it and everybody leaves happy! And that...of course...makes me happy.

[Zens7s]

Drawing attention to Edward Murrow's character in Good Night and Good Luck is to ignore the theme of the film by leaps and bounds. It has the same relevance as the number of witches burned in the Salem Trials; zero.You haven't seen it, have you?

[Razorback]

You haven't seen it, have you?

I think I just fell in love with you, all over again. ;)

[Zens7s]

excuse me my heart is bleeding i didnt mean to kick off such a divided convo i was just stateing an uneducated view
Don't apologize. Although I didn't didn't agree with the first part of your statement, I took no exception with the second part of your review.

Your heart is bleeding? I would recommend getting a doctor to look at that. If your heart is bleeding liberally, I would recommend Dr. Doug Ross, played wonderfully by George Clooney. ;)

[Threadkiller]

It isn't reporters who will ever save anything about America. It's the public determining by what they pay to view and what they choose to read that will save America.

Hell, I don't even watch the news unless there is a good car chase happening. :rolleyes:

Truth be told, it's hard to find a national news program that will talk about politics without taking sides and spewing their agenda-driven ballyhoo.

That's right, I said "ballyhoo". What of it?

[Dave]

Bally Hooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

http://www.untiredwithloving.org/calvin_hobbes_wagon.jpg

[Robbo_the_Hood]

You haven't seen it, have you?Wouldn't be the first time I spoke at length on a topic in which I have no knowledge.

[DarthMaulRat]

Those communists took our jobs!

Terk-a-durr!!

http://www.madison.com/images/articles/mad/2005/06/25/16872_thumb.jpg

[Aaron]

Bally Hooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I think I may love you

[jjcourtright]

So what are you so afraid of?

[Mighty Wingman]

Of a love he's just not sure of.

[JaimePaulFalcon]

Of a love he's just not sure of.
i actually laughed so hard tears came

[DangerSeeker]

i actually laughed so hard tears came
Could you pronounce "tears" for us? Because I have 911 and a seamstress on the phone just in case.

[JaimePaulFalcon]

D-R-U-N-K i think that is right

[FanGirl]

Sorry to chime in so late, but saw this movie over the weekend. I would like to recommend it, but I think it would have been better as an HBO Original Movie than a theaterical release. They nailed the look of 50s TV so well, it should have been released on one. Those who have Netflix, I recommend saving it in the que.

I loved the black and white, it blended the archive footage well and smoke looks so much cooler in black and white and everyone in that movie smokes.