Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) – 7.5/10 – Gripping Tribute to Journalism
‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ is a film that attempts to recreate the end of the 1950s McCarthyism era (also known as the Second Red Scare). This film covers the media and the highly respected CBS Journalist Edward Murrow, who helped stop McCarthyism with his coverage. With the blessing from his corporate bosses at CBS, Murrow (David Strathairn) and his producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) put together a journalist team to go after Senator McCarthy. Murrow’s clean history and respected reputation gave him a platform of integrity. Friendly also enjoyed high respect within journalistic circles. The two vetted the journalists they selected for their team to ensure there was nothing in their pasts for McCarthy to use as leverage to blackmail them. Murrow took the front stage on his prime-time show, See It Now, to hit McCarthy. They targeted him through television and newspapers, publicly humiliating and exposing him as a fear-monger, hypocrite, and a liar. While McCarthy attempted to retaliate by accusing him of being un-American, sponsors began pulling out from CBS. Under pressure from sponsorships, CBS pressured Murrow to end the duel with someone as powerful as McCarthy. However, the public sentiment turned on McCarthy through this coverage, and it became the end of him.
McCarthyism was a scary time in American history when Senator Joe McCarthy used his powers as a senator to bring America to its knees. While the Red Scare began before McCarthy got elected, he took it to new heights through legislation and persecuting his opponents with no due process. FBI Director Edgar Hoover was also involved with his actions as the judge, jury, and executioner. Other government employees, politicians, and the public also joined the movement, accusing neighbors, friends, and others they had issues with of being communists. They threw teachers, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and everyday people into jail for accusations that would be hearsay today. The CIA didn’t help things either with their disinformation. Anti-communist blacklists also made rounds to deny employment to those accused. Companies, such as those in the entertainment industry, also used private investigators to investigate their employees for communistic behavior. That period saw a blatant disregard for due process. While classified documents later revealed some communists, the vast majority of those accused were innocent people. So, it wasn’t just McCarthy by himself, but he was a significant component of it. McCarthy was a narcissist who forced loyalty oaths, using fear and threats to perpetuate. He also went after the US Army and threatened the US Army, which was the beginning of the end for him. The media was key during those Army-McCarthy hearings to expose him. The public turned against him, and finally, the Senate censured him, which shut him down.
GOOD NIGHT… only covers the very end of that era. The black-and-white cinematography, set designs, and editing were masterfully done. I felt that the acting was the best part of this film, and it had a likable cast. It included Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr, and others. The recreation of the 50s newsrooms and overall 1950s atmosphere draws you in. While a decent film, it wasn’t without its flaws. The pacing felt odd, often slowing down to a slug. Character development could have been better. I watched a couple of unnecessary storylines, and they could have done more in the script. They could have talked about the ongoing Cold War, the Korean War, and many other events relevant to McCarthyism, but they didn’t mention those things. It could have been better.
Would I recommend this? Not a must-watch, but I liked the suspense and the back-and-forth between McCarthy and Murrow. I believe it’s worth watching to understand why McCarthy was one of the most dangerous individuals in American history and how his downfall was carried out before he could cause more damage. Journalism was a key reason for that paradigm shift, driven by the heroic efforts of the skilled journalist Murrow.
