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Good Night, And Good Luck
(2005)
Warner Independent Pictures, 1 hr. 33 mins.
Starring:
David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson,
Jeff Daniels, Ray Rise, Frank Langella, Reed Diamond, Tate Donovan, Alex
Borstein
Directed by:
George Clooney |
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In the absorbing docudrama Good
Night, And Good Luck, co-writer/director George Clooney helms an
ambitiously earnest and well-informed biopic that tells a scathing tale
regarding the sordid Golden Age of television. Everything about Clooney’s
and fellow screenwriter Grant Heslov’s vintage black-and-white televised
journalistic expose feels uniquely intuitive and involving. Basically,
Good Night, And Good Luck is an ardent tribute to the gritty battlegrounds
of nostalgic TV news and how this raw medium shaped our vulnerable outlook
in the realm of political malaise and misconduct. Skillfully presented in
its crusade to tackle the corruption and flesh out the integrity with the
polished attempt at audaciously scrutinizing the crooked system, Good
Night, And Good Luck is perhaps a bold and beneficial bridge that dares to
link together the art of shifty politics with that of the media’s inherent
and ever-growing cynicism.
As a progressive filmmaker, Clooney (who made his directorial beginning
with 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) conveys a healthy curiosity
and vast appreciation for a period of time where the newsworthy items and
the opportunistic weary-eyed journalists that sought these evasive stories
were stark and focused. There was nothing sensationalistic or glorious
about television news reporting back in the heyday of rough-and-tumble
newsman that methodically toiled in the trenches while strangely harboring
a sense of purpose and piousness. Their tiring determination to spotlight
the shady agenda—particularly within the mischievous political arena
during the 1950’s—was indeed an obsession to behold, a mission to conquer.
Legendary CBS news journalist Edward R. Murrow was such a possessed man.
Armed with a nicotine-induced dependency that was a craving almost as
vital as his quest for sniffing out a scoop, Murrow was a trailblazer that
mattered tremendously to the millions of television viewers that looked to
him for informational guidance and the accountability of their immediate,
complex world.
The stimulating theme behind Good Night, And Good Luck is self-explanatory
and historic for those who lived through this notable era and especially
for those that weren’t alive to experience this tumultuous chapter during
the well-known confrontational political showdown. See It Now anchor
Murrow (played with intricate and silent ferocity by underappreciated
character actor David Strathairn) challenged the exaggerated notions of
Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy that the spread of Communism was
infiltrating the facets of good old-fashioned American life during the
feel-good utopia of the 1950’s. The misguided contention of McCarthy’s was
that Communist influences were creeping into our everyday
mindset—particularly through the entertainment industry that threatened to
blackball and end glorious careers of some of Hollywood’s most elite (not
to mention the Average Joes in other walks of life). Obviously McCarthy’s
showboating with his exhausting Commie witch hunts would put a scare into
the fiber of understandably concerned citizens. It took Murrow’s gutsy
actions through his series of broadcasts to combat the attention-getting
powerful politician as a fraud saddled with selfish motivations.
At first, many feared that Murrow and his supportive staffers would be
walking on thin ice in trying to take on the Murrow’s excessive political
posturing. Even CBS chief William Paley (Frank Langella) is skeptical
about his treasured news personality taking on McCarthy’s
politically-charged yet unfounded assertions. But Murrow is no fool and
launches an investigation of his own in hopes of revealing what a divisive
figurehead McCarthy is to the misinformed American people being swallowed
whole by the paranoid propaganda. The conflict is made clear: is it
Murrow’s responsibility to solely report on the dirty laundry or is it his
journalistic privilege and duty to clean it up as well?
Hopefully, no one will dismiss Good Night, And Good Luck as an elaborate
gimmicky entry because Clooney resourcefully patches together archival
footage (mainly featuring the real Joseph McCarthy) as this filmmaking
tactic could be perceived as merely convenient and catchy. But there’s
definitely a rustic and revolutionary feel about the manner in which
Clooney brings the maligned senator to task (in person so to speak)
without trivializing his anti-Communist rhetoric through the lips of a
hired actor. McCarthy was a colorful character for lack of a better
description and capturing the political instigator in his literal skin as
he persists with his monopolizing tirades puts things into its proper
perspectives. There’s a corrosive connection and urgency about this
individual that Murrow sparred with head on. Consequently, Clooney wants
the audience to feel the vitriol that he created through grainy but
gut-wrenching flashbacks.
The decision to cast Strathairn as the maverick newsman is marvelously
inspired. Granted that Strathairn bares no striking resemblance to the
Person to Person host but this impeccable performer has done some
outstanding and understated work throughout his cinematic career and
brings yet another solid and unassuming strength to a prominent role that
should net him a deserving Oscar nomination. As Murrow, Strathairn is
tightly wound up and his nerves are as humanly edgy as his relentless
smoking. Murrow was an icon in a mid-50’s journal broadcast business that
frequently shot from the hip without remorse. Strathairn portrays Murrow
as a blunt observer that wouldn’t have time for today’s fast-food brand of
news or the way that contemporary television tends to insult its
worshipers. There’s an element of self-righteousness that resonates so
convincingly in Strathairn’s portrayal. Overall, it’s a penetrating
performance that sheds a noteworthy light on a committed yet complicated
soul.
The supporting characters effectively contribute to the protrusive
proceedings. Interestingly, Clooney reserved the standby part of CBS News
producer Fred Friendly. And Robert Downey, Jr. and Patricia Clarkson play
Murrow’s secretly married colleagues Joe and Shirley Wershba. Langella is
excellently primed in his role as Murrow’s CBS superior Paley—a man who
devoted his valued energy to a hectic network on the rise. Jeff Daniels is
on board as another CBS bigwig in the person of Sig Mickelson.
Not since 2003’s Shattered Glass has there been a viable film that
commented on the fragile nature of journalism and the ethical backbone it
takes to maintain its function as a tool that helps us comprehend our
chaotic existence. Hence, Clooney’s Good Night, And Good Luck is
perceptive, manipulating, and cleverly crafted as a hard-hitting reported
story should be in theory. It’s safe to say that rigorous old school
newshound Edward R. Murrow would be so proud in retrospect! |
