Good Night, and Good Luck review

In Good Night, and Good Luck, actor George Clooney makes his first major foray into both writing and directing in a true story about esteemed journalist Edward R. Murrow and his feud with renegade Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. Thought set in the historical 1950’s, the themes of the film—as explicitly stated by Murrow at an award banquet in his honor that bookends the main story—have a direct relevance to the modern world and the future of entertainment technologies.

        The story of the film focuses on Murrow’s weekly editorial show See It Now on CBS, on which Clooney’s character, Fred Friendly, is executive producer. While Murrow features many different topics on his show, he makes his reputation reporting on controversial subjects despite any confliction with corporate or sponsor interests of the network. The film centers specifically on Murrow’s stand against the Junior Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, who at this time was leading a Senate Investigative Committee that was ruthlessly accusing people of being communists—even within the federal government—without due process of law or evidence publicly presented at the hearings.

Murrow attacks the Senator for his tactics cleverly cutting real images of the Senator during speeches and hearings to expose just how ridiculous his tirade had become. Once the Senator eventually fires back at Murrow, the television hosts rebuffs McCarthy’s charges and further supposes that “dissent is not disloyalty” and boldly claims that “we will not walk in fear of one another.” By the end of the film McCarthy was reaching his downfall and it is suggested that Murrow’s program was a chief component of the Senate’s turn against McCarthy.

            Clooney utilizes black-and-white throughout the entirety of the film to create congruence with the television programming of the 1950’s, which had yet to see a widespread availability of color. The grayscale also creates a very powerful sense of darkness that reflects the dichotomy of McCarthy’s accusations that you’re either on his side or you’re a communist. Clooney also utilizes expert framing, pans, and blurs in his cinematography that masterfully enunciate scenes with the prowess of a seasoned director. The film’s use of real-life archived footage of McCarthy only further emphasizes the gravity of his actions in American history, and the viewer is presented with exactly what the news crew was up against at that time. The strong writing, direction, and camera work is only further enhanced by the superb acting of the entire cast, led by David Strathairn as the strong-minded, outspoken Murrow and complimented by strong performances from every single supporting role.

            Indeed Clooney has produced, written, directed, and acted a timeless cinematic work that will be presented for decades to come. The numerous 2005 Oscar nominations—including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor—are all warranted for this truly phenomenal film.

Overall Grade: A