We indeed should never confuse dissent with disloyalty.
George Clooney’s telling of Edward R. Murrow’s public battle against U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy is a must-see for anyone who worries about the current state of media… particularly media ownership.
Good Night, And Good Luck is black and white and infused with so much cigarette smoke you feel like you need to have a shower after watching it.
The movie is a subtle reminder of the power of television; at a time when TV really meant something.
David Strathairn’s portrayal of Murrow is eerily good; and his rendition of Murrow’s infamous “wires and lights” speech that bookends the movie is––all by itself––worth the cost of the ticket.
It’s easy to overlook the continuing impact of TV to shape our culture and society; and, that there was a time when intellectuals fretted over its destiny, much in the way people fear for the neutrality of the internet today.
The story and production pre-dates Mad Men and The Newsroom; but is nonetheless plays like a combination of the two.
Good Night, And Good Luck constantly hints for the viewer to compare reality with the events of the story; and in doing so, reveals just how far to the right of the political spectrum western society has let itself swing… as well as a kind of “I-told-you-so” foreshadowing of television’s ability to shape our culture.
…television in the main insulates us from the realities of the world in which we live. If this state of affairs continues, we may alter an advertising slogan to read: Look now, pay later.
