Good Night, Good Luck.

David Straithaim's portrayal of Edward R. Murrow was spot on. I remember those times, but being very young wasn't aware how damaging all that was to the reputations and lives of those involved. Very glad I chose to rent it.

Great acting and about the era when newscasters on TV told the truth and didn't slant the news.

First, if you are the type who wants action and fast pacing I can tell you up front that you are going to hate this movie. On the other hand, if you are the sort who revels in the smallest detail and loves nuance and texture to a story you will probably love this movie.On the surface this movie appears to be about Murrow versus McCarthy. That is only the vehicle to portray how broadcast news and editorial in particular began morphing into something completely different than it first started out. Change is inevitable.The real story is how networks at the time operated when it came to stories that Murrow was portrayed as covering. It was much slower moving and deliberate than it is today. More importantly, despite the opening speech by Murrow's character (verbatim from the original that Murrow himself delivered), he stretched some major rules of journalism. For one thing, as the storyline unfolds he starts to become a part of the story. That someone of his stature and integrity wandered into that grey zone can be seen as either casting off archaic rules or chipping away at journalistic integrity. I fall on the side of the latter opinion, but still have enormous respect for Murrow. Regardless of how you feel about the story and events, Murrow did wield significant influence and did alter the events in the McCarthy sphere.One scene put the different world and pace into sharp focus: the scene in which he is tele-interviewing Liberace. By today's standards it's slow and boring. However, if you use that scene as a guideline for 1950s America the pace at which the production of Murrow's show and the discussions about whether or not to proceed with McCarthy are put into context.Even the main storyline would have ended the same way had Murrow not clashed with McCarthy because the Senator from Wisconsin had already made powerful enemies. Plus his running loose with facts probably did more damage than good since the communists who had infiltrated and had the skills to do that damage had an opportunity to dig in and become invisible because of the spectacle of McCarthy's witch hunt. The irony is that some of the accusations such as Annie Lee Moss turned out to have merit, but McCarthy had lost so much of his credibility by then that he was powerless to move forward even if he had stronger evidence. And because of the witch hunt atmosphere and spectacle for every Annie Lee Moss who got away an innocent had their life destroyed.Here are some of the strong points of the movie and why I rated it so highly. Foremost, it is accurate. I did some fact checking and every scene, speech and broadcast depicted in the movie was spot on. There were some minor inaccuracies, but in the whole this is almost like a documentary with a healthy dose of drama and a back story.Cinematography is simply stunning. Artistically, this is a visual (and aural feast). I was so taken with the sound track that I purchased  Good Night, Good Luck  featuring Diane Reeves. Even the set designs were period correct (I grew up during that era.)George Clooney was a journalism major (and his father a journalist), so you can forgive his excessive focus on the show's production process and the behind-the-scenes back stories dealing with journalistic integrity. I love details, and this aspect few my appetite for them. It also slows this movie down, so if action is your thing you will probably nod out.There were some interesting devices, such as using only footage of McCarthy instead of casting an actor. The same goes for Annie Lee Moss and a few others. It gave a dimension of realism that a drama normally lacks (plus you are treated to their own words unedited.) Again, I was so taken by that and the realism it brought that this movie has become a favorite.Finally, this would make an excellent discussion film for journalism majors because it is the turning point - for better or worse.

I ordered this as I missed seeing it when it was released. I liked it. My wife didn't. I was surprised it centered on the McCarthy hearings, as was expecting more of a bio during WW II broadcast days. So, after all this time I thought it was Howard Hughes who brought down the Senator/commie hunter. I remember watching TV broadcasts of Morrow smoking in his chair. It was always interesting stuff even for this ten year old back then. Too, my cousin was in US State Department in or from early 1960s. . At an assignment in Washington DC, Morrow was working there too. In a hallway chance meeting, Morrow had greeted my cousin by name. So, later, years later now, I was curious why that tenure of Morrow's career wasn't addressed in the movie. Still wondering.

One mans courage to stand for his beliefs

"Good Night and Good Luck" is a gem of a film. It is designed for thoughtful and sophisticated viewers and it certainly hits the spot. Going back to the 1950s when Senator Joe McCarthy was terrorizing government employees and the entertainment industry with his communism witch hunt, the film focuses on the heroic response of Edward R. Murrow and his willingness to confront McCarthy in the public arena where he might be truly defeated and made accountable for his actions. "Good Night and Good Luck" was the sign-off slogan of early television pioneer, Edward R. Murrow. The film is so cleverly made that a viewer does not really need to know the history of Joe McCarthy and Edward R. Murrow, the senator and the celebrated World War II broadcaster, to fully appreciate the struggle. Imagine what it must have been like to have this clash of the titans on national public television. One force preying on human fear and ignorance and the other appealing to man's better nature. When was the last time the media and the policy makers relied on man's better nature? It is a rare occurrence.In this day and time it is difficult to imagine the fear of Communism that drove the McCarthy hearings and his efforts to destroy the lives and career of anyone remotely connected to socialism. There is an amazing part of this film where a cafeteria worker who has been promoted to send coded messages is grilled by the Senator and his aid Roy Cohn, when the poor woman is obviously not a member of the Communist party.Filming in black and white evoked the 1950s and the quick breakaway shots captured the fast tempo of newsrooms that broadcast live to the nation every night. Director George Clooney made wise decisions to keep the film in the vernacular of the 1950s to help give it a time and place in the mind of the viewers. The integration of actual news footage, particularly of McCarthy, were integrated perfectly into the film.Actor David Strathairn is superb as Murrow, a man of considerable bravery and control, who seems to be ever supported by his faith in his fellow man to think through the issues, to deliberate with caution and wisdom, and to make the best decisions. Wow, does any of us have such faith in their fellow man as Murrow seemed to have for his viewers during the McCarthy reign of terror.Frank Langella as Bill Paley and Clooney as Fred Friendly offered the opportunities for dialogue and to penetrate the personal philosophy behind Murrow's public actions. They demonstrate that often great actions require great coverage which Paley, President of CBS, offered to Murrow. Furthermore, Murrow was the voice that brought the struggle of London during World War II and he dare not waste his public trust capital with the American public. He used his public trust well in the service of the American system and the American people."Good Night and Good Luck" is a sophisticated film that holds its audience in the highest regard, much in line with the political social philosophy of Murrow. The film opens however with a warning that television could become only a tool of entertainment and not for public education and information.The supporting cast was superb, including Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Matt Ross, Reed Diamond, and Jeff Daniels. The relationship between CBS' CEO, William Paley (Frank Langella in) and Murrow is supportive, professional, and full of integrity on the part of both parties. As Murrow, Strathairn is almost a recreation of the man himself.In the end, the film is intense and understated, and thus will be under appreciated by the masses. However it is destined to be a classic for the few. As you can see, I sometimes don't have the faith in my fellow citizens that was evident in the career of Edward R. Murrow.

Always enjoy learning about an important time in history. Very information film.

In this day of censoring...so many people think it's something new. It's not. This movie addresses censoring back in the 40's film noir style. It is engaging, edge-of-your-seat entertainment with stellar acting and an awesome jazz soundtrack! A WINNER!

Well written and well cast, this movie captures that volatile moment when the 50s turned into the 60s. That is, the new medium of television shifted from a potential, fact-based information tool to entertainment supported by advertising. Further, secondary story lines included McCarthy-ism, social biases of women and married couples in the work place and, of course, smoking everywhere. "Good Night and Good Luck" is still pertinent, especially regarding media. One of my all-time favorite films.

Un excellent film sur les abus de pouvoir possibles et dénoncés par des journalistes courageux, avec et par un George Clooney inattendu, mais tout en retenue et efficacité cinématographiques !Une excellente découverte !

Il film è molto bello e il cast eccellente. Tratta temi di rilevanza attuale: la censura che tende a soffocare la libertà di pensiero esercitata da potenti senza scrupoli, che devono giustificare bugie vergognose e infamanti. Il coraggio dei giornalisti e la loro integrità morale mi hanno colpito profondamente.Anche la scelta di girare la pellicola in bianco e nero ci riporta al clima degli anni in cui quelle vicende accaddero, rendendo la storia ancora più credibile. E' un film che consiglio ad un vasto pubblico.

Very slow-burn and very specialised, but nonetheless interesting. I'd recently studied McCathyism as part of an Art History course (as part of its profound impact on the arts in the USA) and the film intrigued me since it was a view onto the topic and might fill some aspects in. Clooney's touch on this was very light, and there wasn't quite the sense of paranoia I was expecting from it. It was a smart move to film in B&W since it made intercutting with period film footage (on occasions) less jarring and also made it a period piece with the sense of moodiness and "art sensibility" that mono tends to lend films (e.g. Angel-A). In the end it was for me a little too low-key in that regard, and predominantly from the PoV of the radio studio. Perhaps Clooney felt it was too ambitious to try to tell the whole story of McCarthyism, get the entire zeitgeist, and that is a valid point, but something of the greater picture of that time would have perhaps created a better idea of how pervasive the anti-communist/anti-European rhetoric was, how it affected a far greater community of thinkers and how, in a sense, it continued the polarisation of the arts community versus the political community that had ironically been started by people such as Stalin and Hitler (as artists affected by the views of people such as Senator Dondero were quick to point out).However I don't think it would be right of me to mark down the film for its tight focus. It's specialised subject matter is ambitious enough in itself and not everybody's idea of a "great night's watching", but it is at heart a historical piece with touches of biography in there and it is a relevant rendering of that very specific situation. Without overt jeopardy in there (we know how history turned out) the edge is taken off - at the time they were wondering whether McCarthyist attitudes would prevail since history is far more scary when you're living it - so the picture had to stand on other merits such as direction, settings, the choices made in the storytelling etc. It succeeds (for me) in all those respects.

ES increible que un "guapo de la pantalla" se haya involucrado de esta manera en un tema tan sensible y además en blanco y negro. El protagonista es fantástico y el tema no puede estar mejor llevado. Lo que se puede alcanzar con valentía y ganas de acabar con las injusticias y la arbitrariedad está demostrado en este peliculón.