Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Alex Borstein, David Strathairn, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson Director: George Clooney Brand: Warner Brothers Writer: George Clooney Producer: Barbara A. Hall Producer: Ben Cosgrove Producer: Chris Salvaterra Producer: Grant Heslov Writer: Grant Heslov Producer: Jeff Skoll DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled) Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.85:1 Running Time: 93 minutes DVD Release Date: 2006-03-14 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Warner Home Video |
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Movie Reviews of Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: A Rah-Rah Movie For Dissenters
Summary: 4 Stars
"Good Night and Good Luck" is an entertaining 90-minute movie that, in a fitting congruence with its black-and-white color scheme, is presented as a battle between the noble newsmen of CBS and the evil Senator who is trying to destroy the American way of life. Overall, I like it.
Yes, it is certainly possible to have an objection to the over-simplified portrayal of the situation in the 1950s. Was McCarthy wrong? Of course he was. This isn't even debatable. However, perhaps the climate of fear of Communism could have been captured better. Maybe the film could have induced the kind of emotions that many Americans were feeling at the time that allowed so many to capitulate to the man's shameful agenda.
That said, just because a movie is about a serious issue does not mean it has to be an even-handed debate, especially in an age where dissenters once again might feel like they are not getting a fair shake. It should certainly be a good feeling for anyone who has been called un-American in recent years for oppostion to the secretive and repressive policies of the current administration to be able to have a rush of patriotism at the actions of this heroic broadcaster who is engaging in the most American activity of all: free speech.
For the most part, it is a fun and easy ride as we revile the political and economic forces in Murrow's way, laugh at the shallow celebrity interviews he has to endure, and cheer his courage in the face of impossible odds until he finally triumphs and his tyrannical nemisis is tarred and feathered for his evil deeds.
The only part of this movie that seems like total dead-weight is the subplot in which a married couple at CBS has to hide their relationship because it is against company policy. Is this supposed to be a parallel to the situation that suspected communists found themselves in? Not only does it seem completely out of place, but is boring even when taken on its own merits.
The movie is very fast-paced, dropping the viewer in after about five seconds of title cards barely explaining its historical context. From there, it is expected that the audience is going to be able to follow the lightning-fast decision making and news broadcasts because it is familiar with the era. Since most people probably know something about the Red Scare and have made up their minds about McCarthy, this is not much of a drawback, and in fact it may be relieving not to have to sit through a miniature history lesson.
However, the story also skips over a few things. McCarthy was wrong in his approach and wrong to abridge the rights of his fellow Americans. He was certainly wrong to label such Patriotic groups as the ACLU as arms of the Communists. But America was engaged in a war with a frightening enemy, and there were, in fact, Communists infiltrating the government. The very fact that this was the case, that there was some merit to the fear McCarthy was using to squash Americans' freedom-loving instincts, is what seduced so many into falling in line with him. It is also what neccessitated that anyone standing up to him have real and substantial courage. And the need for that kind of courage in the face of real, oppressive fear is a lesson that still resonates today.
That said, it is not George Clooney's responsibility to have a nuanced political discussion. He has every right to decide to make a movie whose purpose is to help the audience feel good. And the reason for the overwhelmingly positive critical response to this film is that he offers a welcome respite for the tired American who has been told for too long that he does not belong unless he willingly collapses under the weight of the fear of today.