Good Night, And Good Luck
Buy this Double-sided poster at AllPosters.com
Review #20 of 365
Film: Good Night, and Good Luck [PG] 100 minutes
WIP: $14.00
When 1st Seen: 30 January 2006
Where Viewed: Landmark Metro Cinemas, Seattle, WA 98105
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Review Dedicated to: Erik L. of Oslo, Norway
 |  |
DVD | soundtrack |
What was the hold up in my finally seeing the film Good Night, and Good Luck? Was it Syriana and George Clooney? Perhaps, yet that isn’t a very good reason. The two films do have a similar theme, though, in that they portray the US government, or elements within, run amok. The difference is that Good Night, and Good Luck is a film based on the real life of one of the greatest newsmen of all time, CBS journalist, Edward R. Murrow, and specifically the courage it took to take on Senator Joe McCarthy at a time in the nation’s history where it had become far more important to root out sympathizers with foreign ideologies than to protect the rights guaranteed by the founding document of our nation. Here, David Strathairn plays Murrow, in one of the best (second, in my mind, after Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line) acting performances of the year. Seriously, Mr. Strathairn has captured the essence of the man and you will honestly feel that you, too, are looking straight into the soulful eyes of the late Edward R. Murrow. It was absolutely incredible.
Equally incredible and praise worthy is George Clooney who co-wrote, directed, and acted in this film. I think it is now officially safe to say he’s come a very, very long way since his days on NBC’s “The Facts of Life”. Choosing the medium of black and white film in today’s world was a huge risk. Making a black and white film about fairly cerebral events surrounding the life and news investigations of a very cerebral newsman and releasing it today’s political climate quadrupled that risk. As it turns out, Good Night, and Good Luck was worth all that risk for the end result is as compelling for people in the U.S.A. today as the real story should have been in the 1950s. The film challenges us to think about of our current government and forces us to consider the very same things that Morrow asked of his television audience. Without taking sides, simply ask yourself the questions, “Does everything add up?”, “Is all as it appears?”, and “Is everything going on in Washington in keeping with the values you hold so dear in deference to our Constitution?”, and “If not, what are you doing about it?”. For example, today, a new, Supreme Court Justice will be appointed (not elected by the people) to a term in power that will last the rest of his natural life. Have you phoned your Senator to let him or her know your position on his confirmation? In my mind, this was all Edward R. Murrow wanted. He wanted the citizens of the U.S.A. to become informed citizens and act accordingly, and he wanted to capitalize on the power of television to assist in that informing process. It seems he felt that this is the only way to keep the government in check in a democracy of this size. Back when the nation was founded, it wasn’t that large either in population or geography. Today we are in excess of 300 million people with a territory that exceeds the size of the continent. Television provides an excellent medium to transmit the issues in a timely and efficient manner. Still missing, however, much as it was in the days of Mr. Murrow, is a method for our elected officials to hear back from each of us so that they might vote in an informed way. Isn’t that the point of representative government? Imagine if each elected official polled his or her constituency each week on relevant issues. The polls could now be conducted on-line through registered sites with SSL protection, and each registered citizen could then respond and help inform the representatives how they felt on various issues. There could be room for quick polling and narrative responses. This might prove to be a superior method for them to use to inform their decision in casting votes in our names than listening to lobbyists paid by huge corporations and, more importantly, special interest groups. Well, that is the kind of movie Good Night, and Good Luck is—one that sends you home thinking about becoming more involved in the government of our country and realizing that as citizens in a free and democratic nation we may as well live in a ruthless dictatorship if we do not exercise and act on the rights and freedoms we have, especially, if nothing else, informed voting for our elected representatives. I would say that this is a very good thing for a movie to inspire in those who take the time to see this film.
I promise that, unlike Syriana, this film is very easy to follow. It focuses on a short, but very important time in our nation’s history when the power of the people to effect change as inspired by one newsman was unleashed. It reminds us that we are not at the whim of those in Washington, it is the other way around. I applaud Mr. Clooney, the producers of this film, and every one associated with making it. Not only is it a great tribute to Mr. Murrow and those at the Columbia Broadcasting System who had the courage to take on the issues at the risk of losing their own jobs—how many newscasters today would pay for the advertising losses during their own broadcasts in order to permit their important but controversial stories to be aired—but it is a tribute to the freedom of speech and ideal guaranteed by our Constitution. And, no, we should not allow anyone of our elected officials to circumvent the rights and rules of law guaranteed by the Constitution no matter how compelling the reason. Can you see that this film has me all fired up?
Technically, the direction, writing, acting, and production of this film were flawless. The edited footage from the newsreels from the 1950s was perfect. This film, while small of scale compared to something like Mr. Spielberg’s Munich, is just as compelling. I highly encourage everyone to take the time to find it and see it; or, at the very least, log on and add it to your Netflix® queue as soon as possible so you don’t forget!
Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as
$31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
This poster now available. Click to purchase and see other merchandise related to the film.
DVD Options Available for Purchase
Good Night, And Good Luck. [DVD] (2005) DVD
No comments:
Post a Comment