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Right film. Right time.
First things first: If you do not know
the story of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the
Red Scare in 1950's America, then educate yourself.
Read a book, rent a documentary, go on the net,
do whatever it takes to learn all you can about
this important moment in history. It's referenced
in "The Aviator"
, "The Front" and a handful of other films and
has been covered by a plethora of documentaries,
TV shows and PBS specials. If you read books
about or see biopics about Howard Hughes, Lucille
Ball, Elia Kazan or a ton of other Hollywood
notables, Senator McCarthy's name is sure to
pop up. Once your mind is thoroughly drenched
in the knowledge of these people and events
then you can watch "Good Night, and Good Luck,"
a biopic of sorts about CBS newsman Edward R.
Murrow who challenged McCarthy live on television.
The acting here is phenomenal. David Strathairn
is simply eerie portraying Murrow. It is as
if he has been embodied by the long deceased
newsman's spirit. The hype about his performance
is all true. If you see this film and you are
the least bit familiar with Murrow, your jaw
will drop. But the supporting cast is equally
amazing. Frank Langella is haunting as longtime
CBS owner and founder William Paley. Filmmaker
George Clooney also provides strong support
here as does the always amazing Patricia Clarkson,
Robert Downey Jr, Ray Wise (in his best performance
in a decade), Tate Donovan, Jeff Daniels and
the rest of the secondary cast.
Clooney, in his second appearance behind
the camera, shows that he is a director who
demands to be noticed. Not because he is flashy
or fills his film with cinematic trickery but,
in fact, for just the opposite reason. His film,
shot in black and white by Robert Elswit, is
deceptive in its seeming simplicity. The subtleties
here are breathtaking. Notice the shot of Clarkson
watching a TV newscast. We see her lovely facade
watching a TV screen while in the background
behind her another TV screen and her frame are
reflected giving us a image that reflects just
how complicated and distorted the story is here.
Yet this image is simple and uncrowded. It's
as if Clooney is reminding us that the basic
idea of Murrow's idealism is as fundamental
as one could possibly ever imagine. It is only
the distortion and deceptions of McCarthy's
unyielding demagoguery that has caused the image
to become unclear and contorted. This one powerful
and deceptively simple image says everything
the film is trying to say with one breath. It
is magical. Clooney amazes.
Another key element in the success of the
film is Clooney's use of archival footage. Although
Murrow's words and image is recreated here,
McCarthy's are not. Clooney lets the Senator's
words, images and distortions speak for themselves.
In this way, the film can never be condemned
as false or manipulative in how it shows McCarthy.
This is the horrific images and hate speech
not of a Hollywood screenwriter but of the Senator
in his own words. There is no error in presenting
McCarthy as a bully and a inquisitor unrivaled
in his vitriol. Clooney needs no other means
to allow us to see the evil being challenged
here.
As an artist, Clooney's creates a wonderful
image of American in the 50's. The black and
white images of smoke wafting continually from
Murrow's omnipresent cigarette diffuses the
images into the mind of the viewer as if he
were watching a newsreel or a Kinescope giving
the film a reality that seems as authentic as
the clothing and the sets. And the sets here
are gorgeous with the geometrical images of
50's futurism providing a crisp, clean juxtaposition
to the clear-cut logic that was Murrow's wont
to espouse. The clothing here simplistic in
its beauty as well with its linear shaping espousing
the very same logic. And, in an flair of artistic
genius, Clooney scores the film with a live
singer, played by jazz legend Dianne Reeves,
whose smokey, flowing crooning provides a backdrop
to the verbal altercation at hand that is as
dreamlike as it is heartfelt. This cushioning
of the drama in the film with an arid and withdrawn
musical accompaniment allows us to pull back,
contemplate and consider what we are seeing.
It allows us a moment of much needed breath
in what could otherwise be a dense and congealed
plot that we would be hard pressed to endure.
Another revelation of pure cinematic genius
from Clooney.
The obvious truth of "Good Night, and Good
Luck" is that it is more relevant today than
it has been in 50 years. With patriotism run
amuck in post 9/11 America, the same verbal
assaults on liberty are being adopted by politicians
and pundits, including our president today as
those that were embraced by McCarthy. A true
patriot realizes we do not live in a truly free
country if its citizenry is not allowed to question
and confront their political leaders about anything
they deem appropriate. To those who believe
that questioning our president on the war in
Iraq and the treatment of those considered suspicious
is heresy and unpatriotic, this film stands
as the unabashed truth as to what can happen
in a free society when our leaders are left
unchecked and unfettered.
Sure, Clooney is being political and absolutely
he is being liberal. Yes, he has an agenda.
And as one who loves America and who believes
this to be the greatest free society ever established
and maintained, I say, thank you, Mr. Clooney.
Thank god for you.
Notes:
Also with Robert John Burke and Alex Borstein.
The scripter who worked with Clooney on the
film, Grant Heslov, has a role as Don Hewitt.
Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban and Steven Soderbergh
are producers along with Heslov.
Filmed in L.A.
Clooney originally envisioned the film
as a live event on CBS.
Some test audience members thought that
the McCarthy character was overacting a bit,
not realizing this was archive footage and not
an actor.
Murrow is Clooney's father's hero.
The songs sung by Reeves in the film were
the arrangements of Clooney's late aunt, the
noted singer Rosemary Clooney and it is her
band playing.
The film won several prized in Venice where
it premiered in September of 2005.
Viewed in Austin in November, 2005.
Report Card
Script: A+
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: A+
Final Grade: A+
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