GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Plot
Set in America in 1953, Good Night and Good Luck explores the consuming paranoia of communism and the exploitation of these fears by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Esteemed broadcast news anchor Edward R. Murrow, reports for a popular program called "See It Now" on CBS alongside producer Fred Friendly.
In a meeting, they discuss a story about a navy pilot that has been declared guilty as a security risk and removed from the navy without trial. Murrow reports this on the show despite the risk of government and military reprisal. He also suspects that Senator McCarthy, a man on a relentless crusade to rid the country of communists, has something to do with the pilot's dismissal, and is convicting people and taking away their civil liberties without real proof.
The news team's probing into the incident results in attacks from McCarthy and the military, where they accuse Murrow of being a communist sympathiser, which Murrow ignores as a scare attempt, and prompts him and the team into further action. Murrow directly attacks the inadequacies of McCarthy's campaign on air, and outlines the moral shortcomings of McCarthy's methods.
McCarthy's accusations based on hearsay continue, and the show reports on the hearing of Annie Lee Moss, where they reveal how insubstantial the evidence against these people is. McCarthy begins to receive unfavourable remarks from the press and his polls drop.
Murrow invites him onto the show. The Senator agrees but decides to pre-film and prepare his rebuttal to be sent in. He again accuses Murrow of being a communist without addressing many of the problems he is invited on the show to talk about. Murrow rebuts, defending his character and eloquently criticizing McCarthy. With the Senator now in the spotlight, the Senate moves to vote him off as chairman of the committee.
Analysis
Good Night and Good Luck (Good Night) captures the tensions and fears of post-war American society. The famous clash between Edward R. Murrow and Senator McCarthy represents the distinction between justice and unwarranted persecution, demonstrating the need to maintain integrity in such turbulent times. It also highlights the power of the individual, proving that a singular entity can impact an entire nation.
After the Allied defeat of the Nazis in 1945, Soviet communists in Russia, lead by Stalin, dominated Eastern Europe and developed nuclear weapons of their own. A contest between two powerhouses, Russia and America, ensued, causing the word 'communism' to become the boogeyman beneath the average American's bed. Good Night captures an era where fear of the 'Red Terror' allowed personal civil liberties to be overlooked and innuendo to destroy a person's career. The movie preaches ideas of personal liberty, with a true 'stick-it-to-the-man' message, the 'man' obviously being Senator McCarthy. Clooney's use of archival footage of the Senator further demonises McCarthy, adding an element of reality that drives home the movie's message. The true underlying concern, however - a fact that Edward R. Murrow points out himself - is the disquieting reality that McCarthy is not inventive, merely manipulative, and it is the general population that has allowed this situation of hysteria to occur. It highlights political fear-mongering tactics used by powerful people to transform minor inklings of fear into full-blown frenzies in order to gain something, be it power or control or anything. Filmed in 2005 when the Geroge W. Bush administration was in power, the film touches on illicit government practices of the 50s such as secrecy, illegal wire-tapping, alleged corruption and cronyism. These seem to be very similar to modern politics and corruption within powerful administrations. So basically, Clooney is politically posing the common question: Do we really learn from our past mistakes? In an interview with Salon, Clooney states, "It is a cautionary tale of all our history... but it's true, we're doomed to repeat it if we don't constantly and diligently go back and sort of recalibrate."
Capitalism and its influence on society after World War II is another theme that pervades Good Night. Murrow's constant struggle with his higher-ups over the balance between show time and time for advertising illuminates this growth of commercialism. Television has lost its use as a means of education and information and been distorted into a shallow and mindless form of entertainment. As Murrow states in his final speech, "We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable, and complacent. We have a built in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information; our mass media reflect this." The 1950s were a time of abundance, when America had transformed seemingly overnight from a grinding war machine back into the consumer culture that existed previously. Much like communism, people were afraid of truth. For so long, the general population of the world had been forced into a dark, cramped cell of war, death and sadness. After the bombs, they were finally unlocked and were permitted to once again live in freedom and prosperity. Consumerism reigned supreme, and news programs revealing dark matters and upsetting truths were not considered of significant importance. This rise of material value is evident when the movie cuts to a pretentious advertisement selling cigarettes. Good Night illustrates the importance of knowledge, and is a warning to society that sacrificing justice and equality for wealth and power can have drastic consequences.
The entire movie has been filmed in black and white for, I believe, four reasons. The first, it matches the archival footage of Senator McCarthy. Secondly, it transports you to the to the early 1950s; the jazz-singer also does this effectively. The third reason is that it exacerbates the tense atmosphere of paranoia and heightens the seriousness of the situation at hand. And the fourth reason is somewhat more analytical. Ultimately, the story is centred on the clash between the Senator and news anchor. What is surprising, however, is that despite the paranoia, hysteria and McCarthy's power and intimidation, Murrow is able to convince the world of McCarthy's irrationality and prejudice. The film illustrates the power of an individual fighting for what he believes. It is, essentially, a tale of good versus evil. Justice versus injustice. Black versus white. It reflects a society trapped in a monotone mindset, submitting to the ideals and discriminations being force-fed to them from higher powers.
Good Night and Good Luck is a precautionary tale that alludes to certain modern conditions and reflects a society hysteric with fear. However, it is also an optimistic one, giving life to the notion that in times overwhelming hostility, there are good forces to keep this in check and awaken people to their good judgment and humanity. Edward R. Murrow himself says it all:
"We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men – not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular."
Set in America in 1953, Good Night and Good Luck explores the consuming paranoia of communism and the exploitation of these fears by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Esteemed broadcast news anchor Edward R. Murrow, reports for a popular program called "See It Now" on CBS alongside producer Fred Friendly.
In a meeting, they discuss a story about a navy pilot that has been declared guilty as a security risk and removed from the navy without trial. Murrow reports this on the show despite the risk of government and military reprisal. He also suspects that Senator McCarthy, a man on a relentless crusade to rid the country of communists, has something to do with the pilot's dismissal, and is convicting people and taking away their civil liberties without real proof.
The news team's probing into the incident results in attacks from McCarthy and the military, where they accuse Murrow of being a communist sympathiser, which Murrow ignores as a scare attempt, and prompts him and the team into further action. Murrow directly attacks the inadequacies of McCarthy's campaign on air, and outlines the moral shortcomings of McCarthy's methods.
McCarthy's accusations based on hearsay continue, and the show reports on the hearing of Annie Lee Moss, where they reveal how insubstantial the evidence against these people is. McCarthy begins to receive unfavourable remarks from the press and his polls drop.
Murrow invites him onto the show. The Senator agrees but decides to pre-film and prepare his rebuttal to be sent in. He again accuses Murrow of being a communist without addressing many of the problems he is invited on the show to talk about. Murrow rebuts, defending his character and eloquently criticizing McCarthy. With the Senator now in the spotlight, the Senate moves to vote him off as chairman of the committee.
Analysis
Good Night and Good Luck (Good Night) captures the tensions and fears of post-war American society. The famous clash between Edward R. Murrow and Senator McCarthy represents the distinction between justice and unwarranted persecution, demonstrating the need to maintain integrity in such turbulent times. It also highlights the power of the individual, proving that a singular entity can impact an entire nation.
After the Allied defeat of the Nazis in 1945, Soviet communists in Russia, lead by Stalin, dominated Eastern Europe and developed nuclear weapons of their own. A contest between two powerhouses, Russia and America, ensued, causing the word 'communism' to become the boogeyman beneath the average American's bed. Good Night captures an era where fear of the 'Red Terror' allowed personal civil liberties to be overlooked and innuendo to destroy a person's career. The movie preaches ideas of personal liberty, with a true 'stick-it-to-the-man' message, the 'man' obviously being Senator McCarthy. Clooney's use of archival footage of the Senator further demonises McCarthy, adding an element of reality that drives home the movie's message. The true underlying concern, however - a fact that Edward R. Murrow points out himself - is the disquieting reality that McCarthy is not inventive, merely manipulative, and it is the general population that has allowed this situation of hysteria to occur. It highlights political fear-mongering tactics used by powerful people to transform minor inklings of fear into full-blown frenzies in order to gain something, be it power or control or anything. Filmed in 2005 when the Geroge W. Bush administration was in power, the film touches on illicit government practices of the 50s such as secrecy, illegal wire-tapping, alleged corruption and cronyism. These seem to be very similar to modern politics and corruption within powerful administrations. So basically, Clooney is politically posing the common question: Do we really learn from our past mistakes? In an interview with Salon, Clooney states, "It is a cautionary tale of all our history... but it's true, we're doomed to repeat it if we don't constantly and diligently go back and sort of recalibrate."
Capitalism and its influence on society after World War II is another theme that pervades Good Night. Murrow's constant struggle with his higher-ups over the balance between show time and time for advertising illuminates this growth of commercialism. Television has lost its use as a means of education and information and been distorted into a shallow and mindless form of entertainment. As Murrow states in his final speech, "We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable, and complacent. We have a built in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information; our mass media reflect this." The 1950s were a time of abundance, when America had transformed seemingly overnight from a grinding war machine back into the consumer culture that existed previously. Much like communism, people were afraid of truth. For so long, the general population of the world had been forced into a dark, cramped cell of war, death and sadness. After the bombs, they were finally unlocked and were permitted to once again live in freedom and prosperity. Consumerism reigned supreme, and news programs revealing dark matters and upsetting truths were not considered of significant importance. This rise of material value is evident when the movie cuts to a pretentious advertisement selling cigarettes. Good Night illustrates the importance of knowledge, and is a warning to society that sacrificing justice and equality for wealth and power can have drastic consequences.
The entire movie has been filmed in black and white for, I believe, four reasons. The first, it matches the archival footage of Senator McCarthy. Secondly, it transports you to the to the early 1950s; the jazz-singer also does this effectively. The third reason is that it exacerbates the tense atmosphere of paranoia and heightens the seriousness of the situation at hand. And the fourth reason is somewhat more analytical. Ultimately, the story is centred on the clash between the Senator and news anchor. What is surprising, however, is that despite the paranoia, hysteria and McCarthy's power and intimidation, Murrow is able to convince the world of McCarthy's irrationality and prejudice. The film illustrates the power of an individual fighting for what he believes. It is, essentially, a tale of good versus evil. Justice versus injustice. Black versus white. It reflects a society trapped in a monotone mindset, submitting to the ideals and discriminations being force-fed to them from higher powers.
Good Night and Good Luck is a precautionary tale that alludes to certain modern conditions and reflects a society hysteric with fear. However, it is also an optimistic one, giving life to the notion that in times overwhelming hostility, there are good forces to keep this in check and awaken people to their good judgment and humanity. Edward R. Murrow himself says it all:
"We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men – not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular."