Title of film: Good Night, and Good Luck
Director: George Clooney
Production Company: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Year film was released: 2005
Running time of film: 93 Minutes
Abstract:
The thought of Communism, in the early 1950's, created a large span of paranoia in the United States. However, some individuals were more verbal with these fears, such as Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. However, since Communism was such a heated issue of the time, CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly decided to challenge McCarthy to expose the fear that he holds. Their actions and decisions made a large impact on both of them, and consequently helped bring down one of the most controversial American...show more content... For example, Joe made sure to take his ring off before work each day, even when Shirley had to remind him. In the ending of thefilm, the couple is finally confronted by their boss, Sig Mickelson about their marital status. At that time they had to let go of employees anyway, so the boss suggested to them that they leave on their own instead of being fired, and save two other people their jobs. So they did – they put back on their rings and walked out.
Overall, this film examines all of the previously mentioned themes well. The major themes all had quality examples of how they come into play and why they are so important to the film and the film's concepts. The film also made it easy to connect these themes to the media and world of today. All of these themes somehow connected to one another and the film made the story come together with all of the themes together. Finally,
the film utilized humor, wit, and other attractable devices to portray all of the themes in a way that the audience would enjoy to watch.
Evaluation:
This film accomplished its purpose overall. It reminds all of the viewers how important it is to not always believe what one hears. In the beginning, the Senator had all the power and could spread whatever rumors he wanted, but then in the end it came full circle and he was finally investigated. The movie showed that no matter how far along one gets, the rumors one starts will always come back to get them in
Get more content
Good Night. And, Good Luck by George Clooney and Grant Heslov follows CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly who resolve to take a stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy. There was an air of fear and paranoia in the United States, in the 1950's, because of Communism. Those fears were manipulated by McCarthy, who wanted to gain more power by calling out people who he claimed to have communist ties. His only piece of evidence involved a sealed envelope that no one could see the contents of. Murrow and his reporting team decide to do a piece on those exploitations. The first piece they do is on an air–force officer who was fired because his father was deemed to be a communist. It was clear that there was no fair trial held and the officer's rights were violated. Although...show more content...
As a journalist Murrow strongly believed that everyone should be aware of the affairs of the world in rightful way. He found McCarthy to be a liar who was taking away peoples right and wanted to open people's eyes, to show them that they have the right to speak out. Toward the end of his program, Murrow gave a memorable speech: "This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." After Murrow's show ended, McCarthy political influence diminished. Unfortunately, the consequences of going after McCarthy caused Murrow and Friendly to practically lose their Get more content
In Good Night and Good Luck, director George Clooney follows the conflict between outspoken television journalist Edward R. Murrow and anti–communist Senator Joseph McCarthy during the hard times of the Red Scare. Murrow uses his television show to expose McCarthy's fallacious arguments, while providing his own opinion on the matter. He begins by defending former Air Force pilot Milo Radulovich as not being the Communist agent McCarthy charges him to be. Due to his radical messages against McCarthy, advertisers begin pulling their advertisements. Thus Good Night and Good Luck was placed at an undesired time slot on Sunday afternoons, and allotted five last episodes. The conflict between Murrow and McCarthy is so deep that due to his...show more content...
The only variable evidence that McCarthy possesses for this claim is the knowledge that Murrow has been a member of the leftist union Industrial Workers of the World, which Murrow denies. (Clooney) This meager piece of evidence lacks enough substance to make a bold claim labeling a pioneering journalist such as Murrow into Communism territory. Though he may have been a member of this union, accusing Murrow of being a Communist solely due to his membership is very narrow–minded. The fact of the matter is that McCarthy continuously fails to attest genuine testimony as to why he makes accusations again and again. Even though he may seem outspoken in his approach, Murrow proves a valid point as he reveals the error in McCarthy's thinking as he falsely accuses Radulovich of being a Communist. Due to lack of solid evidence, McCarthy has no stance while accusing Radulovich. Though his sister's political leanings suggest Communism, Radulovich can only speak for himself and not his sister. (Clooney) Labeling Radulovich a communist, solely based on his family's alliances is synonymous with claiming that Murrow is a Communist due to his membership in a leftist union. It seems like McCarthy is on a "witch–hunt" of sorts, out to call out anyone who goes against the government or spoke ill of government practices. McCarthy orders the interrogation of Pentagon communication worker Annie Lee Moss, solely based on her name appearing on a blacklist.
Get more content
The film "Good Night, and Good Luck" portrays and exemplifies the story between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the CBS news reporter Edward R. Murrow. Within this movie, it reveals and demonstrates the governmental issues, in the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy. It also shows the effects his actions and decisions had on society and the film focuses on would be firstly, the role and power media plays within politics, beliefs, communism, and the government. It also shows the way government often takes advantage of their power and they use that power to control humanistic liberties. Within the actions of senatorJoseph McCarthy, it is tremendously obvious that McCarthy's indifference and disregards for civilian's civil rights and treats...show more content...
Due to this specific part of freedom, people were not supposed to be treated any differently by the government for their political belief, but senator Joseph McCarthy did not respect the individual liberty which was given to each person. McCarthy decided that since he had more power being senator of Wisconsin, it meant he had the power to take away the liberty of a man and divert a man's beliefs by disrespecting and treating them differently due to their political stance.
One of the examples of Senator McCarthy taking advantage of his governmental power over communist citizens would be, the act which Joseph McCarthy took against Milo Radanovich. Milo Radulovich was a man who was a lieutenant within the United States air force. Milo was a man with a communist stance and belief, but Senator McCarthy discharged Milo from the air force. The senator used the excuse stating that because of Milo being a communist within the United States Air Force, Milo was a security risk to the government and could no longer serve in the Air Force. Joseph McCarthy stated that Milo was a security threat to the government, but McCarthy did not have any form of viable proof to show to support his accusation. This accusation and action show that McCarthy was taking advantage of the power he held within the government and using it to disrespect a man and discharge him from his career. The Senator did all of this
Get more content
Good Night and Good Luck: A Cultural Impact In the world of Good Night and Good Luck broadcast journalism was in it's infancy, television had seeped into the homes and lives of the public, and Americans lived in fear of an invasion of the red. This isn't too different from our world today: instant–access journalism is on the rise, the internet has captured our lives, and Americans live in fear of an invasion of foreigners. George Clooney's film has a remarkable timelessness to it, which goes far beyond the confines of the screen. Clooney is able to encapsulate the struggles of the past to reflect on our current political crisis. By utilizing Murrow's famous "Wires and Lights in a Box" speech, Clooney use the real words of his protagonist...show more content...
Murrow continues his speech to elaborate on the power of broadcast journalism. Murrow explains that the television is a platform to educate and inform the public. It is a place for debating and questioning the status quo. Yet, it is being used for entertainment and mundaneness.
"I began by saying that our history will be what we make it. If we go on as we are, then history will take its revenge and retribution will not limp in catching up with us. Just once in awhile let us exalt the importance of ideas and information. Let us dream to the extent of saying that on a given Sunday night, a time normally occupied by Ed Sullivan is given over to a clinical survey on the state of American education. And a week or two later, a time normally used by Steve Allen is devoted to a thoroughgoing study of American policy in the Middle East. Would the corporate image of their respective sponsors be damaged? Would the shareholders rise up in their wrath and complain? Would anything happen, other than a few million people would have received a little illumination on subjects that may well determine the future of this country and therefore the future of the corporations?"
The media shouldn't be owned by corporations or viewership numbers. The television is a power platform that is broadcasted directly into the homes, and minds, of almost every American. It has the ability to come into people's lives to Get more content
Why are you doing this?
In other words:
In each of these films, why do the characters do what they do? What motivates them? Why do they choose a particular course of action? What does this say about them? What circumstances are they in that are particular to that time and place in history? These questions interested me as i watched Bridge of Spies, Thin Red Line,Far From Heaven and Malcolm X because I didn't understand why characters and directors would make certain decisions.
In Good Night and Good Luck why was McCarthy accusing everyone who opposed him of communism? Was he doing it for publicity? Why was the director making the characters smoke when they don't like smoking? Was it to help get his vision across. The usage of actual...show more content...
Was he not human enough to care about someone and their families? The General in this film was so self centered that he was a character that you just loved to hate. His actions and orders during the battles left me feeling sick to my stomach as every soldier feel to the ground. The director did that on purpose and I think that helped make the movie watchable. Another thing the director did was show both sides the Chinese and the Americans. It made me as the viewer question who was the bad guy because both sides were guilty in my eyes.
In Far From Heaven Why did the husband cheat on his wife with a guy and when did he turn gay? I didn't understand how he could have kids and just either turn gay our already was gay. Like he acted like he never loved his wife even though all she did was cater to his every need. The director did a great job by bringing America back to reality with this film because throughout the film you would hope that the black guy and the white wife would get together and live happily ever after but at the end you realize life isn't a fairy tale and I think that's why this film was powerful for its time
Though it is set in the 1950s, George Clooney's film Good Night and Good Luck is still remarkably relevant today as an example of the George Clooney, who wrote, directed, and costarred in the film, is the son of journalist Nick Clooney. Prior to transferring to Drexel, I attended American University, where the elder Clooney was on the faculty as a "journalist in residence." Shortly after I was accepted into AU, I remember reading an article reporting that Nick and George Clooney, along with several congressmen and prominent activists, had been arrested at the Sudanese Embassy for protesting the human rights violations perpetrated by the country's leadership. Though In the early 1950s, fear of Soviet influence on the Department of State
Get more content
What is the main source of power? Well you probably already know the answer because of the title, but it is fear and lying. Some may disagree but in the end we all have our opinions. Think of it this way what controls people to do something they don't want to? The answer is fear. If someone was threatening my family and had them captured, well the best option for me would have to be to comply with them, because I would be afraid they might hurt my family. The other source is lying to people. Lie to people and you just might have set fear into them. In Good Night and Good Luck and The Crucible people who held power were mainly the people that set the cluster of lies to unravel all the chain of events that made the story the way it was. In addition to, the first source of power is fear. In...show more content...
All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you". (Abigail Act 1)
Furthermore, the second source for power is dishonesty. Yes, lying with fear does tend to lead to power. When senator McCarthy lies to the people and tells them they all these certain rules that explain basically most of the things the people were doing were all meanings of communism. In The Crucible however lying was the main half rather than fear. The group of girls all made the decision to lie and act like they were involved with the devil.
In conclusion, Power is a very dangerous thing. I am not saying anyone that has it is evil, but what I am saying is that listen to the movies and all the quotes that come from great minds. They all have one similar agreement and that is power in the wrong hands is dangerous. As we have seen power with senator McCarthy is bad and power with Abigail over the girls also ended up to being something
Get more content
The Movie "good night good luck" is incredibly historically accurate. The Movie uses authentic clips that show McCarthy and many speeches Murrow used. World War ended in 1945 leaving a broken Europe and a communist block behind. The United States quickly receded back to the red scare that had existed before WWII. The United States quickly set an anti–communist stance and prepared for a war against the communists. While the war never came some enterprising individuals placed themselves in powerful positions using the paranoia created. Among these individuals one came forward and began one of the most controversial historical programs. Joe McCarthy a nobody Wisconsin's junior senator made his name when he gave a speech claiming his...show more content...
Using Edward Murrow's speeches means that the "Good Night and Good Luck" keeps close to the truth. Using Authentic Material during this movie helps Clooney illustrate the true story. Some would claim any movie made for entertainment must possess some historical flaws "Good Night, and Good Luck" defies that rule even having the characters private lives straight. Don Hollenbeck committed suicide because using gas for the exact reasons the movie listed. State Master Encyclopedia states "He died from natural gas inhalation... several reasons that it might have been suicide included health problems, a broken marriage, and frequent published attacks by Jack O'Brian" (State master Encyclopedia). This event was completely and well illustrated in the movie. Joe and Shirley Wershba the married couple were really married which was forbidden through C.B.S. policy. Brooklyn College states, "Wershbas had to keep their marriage secret from their employers." (Brooklyn College). The movie even got Edward Murrow's smoking habits right. Ed Murrow smoked huge amounts of cigarettes Shirley Wershba stated in her interview. "Murrow was a four pack a day smoker" (Brooklyn College). "Good Night Good Luck" shows the real people acting in the movie brilliantly. The care Clooney takes showing the character's accurately exemplifies the care he takes ensuring the movies complete accuracy. Filming this movie using material such as black and white camera's, actual clips, and the time
Get more content
Historical Accuracy of the film Good Night, and Good Luck
Ed Murrow is one of the most well known and respected American television journalists of all time, and a source of inspiration for many. He is portrayed in George Clooney's, Good Night, and Good Luck, as the anchor to the news show, See it Now, specifically surrounding the episodes focused onMcCarthyism. These episodes were aired in the early 1950's in the midst of the cold war and an era of intense anti–communist sentiment in America. McCarthyism was a sweep of anti–communist political and legal actions, spearheaded by Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, against citizens, often with little evidence or basis. McCarthy and his supporters claimed communist infiltration of the...show more content... His connections were his father and sister, originally from Serbia, who were caught reading a Serbian newspaper (168). At the time, Serbia was part of Yugoslavia and under the control of Josip Tito who was backed by a communist supporting party ("Serbia"). But, the newspaper wasn't specifically in support of communism and neither was Tito, despite being backed by a communist party. Joe Wershba, a member of the team at CBS, is then sent to Detroit to get interviews with friends, family, and an air force statement. The air force refuses to comment, which forces the story into a much more controversial position. At the time, television journalism was fairly new, and thus, it was widespread practice to only present stories with equal and opposite sides (Slater 169). The air force's refusal to defend their actions meant that the story was presented with only one side of the argument. The directors and screenwriters displayed the controversiality of the story through the refusal of Bill Paley, their boss at CBS, to advertise for the story and a meeting between the CBS team and a pair of air force generals. In reality, CBS refused to take out an ad in the New York Times, as Murrow and Friendly had asked, so they paid for their own advertisement out of pocket (168). Additionally, multiple air force generals visited CBS with strong implications to drop the story (168). The storied aired and delivered compelling information to people across the country. It is revealed later in
Get more content
Good Night and Good Luck was written and Directed by George Clooney. George took time and effort into making this film close enough to the historical information that we have today about McCarthy. Today's history books we will learn that McCarthy was a senator from Wisconsin, and he gathered over the permanent subcommittee on the investigations. That hosted public hearings that McCarthy accused many army officials, media members, and other public figures for being Communists. In the film, Good Night and Good Luck, director George Clooney played out each event through this movie. However, the film includes differences in point of view in order to into the excitement of the film. There are two similarities between the movie Goodnight and Good Luck, and the history that it is based on. One similar part in the movie and in history is that they both give us a better way of understanding how McCarthy took control. Tobias Hochscherf and Christoph Laucht said, " McCarthy era and its subliminal resonances to the ongoing "War on Terror," (Time Out, London Issue, 15–22 February 2006). Tobias Hochscherf and Christoph Laucht said,"While the film was celebrated mostly by representatives of the liberal camp in the United States and especially in Europe, it was also subject to severe criticism for its allegedly narrow view, historical inaccuracies, and suggestiveness by others," (See, for instance, Time Out, London Issue, 15–22 February 2006). [ Film and History is a website
A term coined in the 1950s, McCarthyism is the general act of making accusations of treason or subversion without proper regard for evidence. Both Arthur Miller's The Crucible and George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck explore the theme of McCarthyism through numerous ways using conventions of their text types: respectively a play and a film. Each through characterisation and symbolism, as well as individually through the plays title and narrative style, and the films editing, camera techniques and sound track, the texts delve into the subject constructively through their own unique methods.
Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible is a historical fiction set during the 1692, Salem Witch Trials, a period of mass hysteria where a single ...show more content...
The main character of the film is Edward R. Murrow, the elegant and severe face of CBS News See it Now. Costumed in sharp suits and stylish patterned ties with glossy slicked back hair, the noir filter exhibits him as an imposing ostentatious figure, flamboyantly smoking a cigarette between his fixed positioned fingers. His voice is a perfect imitation of the real Murrow's hardened scowl with dry drone–like delivery, expelling gravitas, courage and confidence as he devotes himself to report the truth in the face of McCarthy's corruption. This nostalgic view of Murrow steals the attention of viewers from his era, especially when reciting his famous monologues on air revealing McCarthy for what he is doing. McCarthy however, is only displayed through existing historic footage of him. This is accompanied by his gravelly and rather grating, monotonous voice, of which becomes repetitive and intrusive as the news team periodically look through footage of his speeches to use against him. This contrast of characterisation between Murrow and McCarthy clearly shows that they are respectively good and evil counterparts of one another.
Similarly, Characterisation in The Crucible ...
While The Crucible is set during the Witch Trials, the entire play is essentially an allegorical symbol for the intolerance ofMcCarthyism. Several parallels
"Good Night, and Good Luck is George Clooney's warning to today's post–9/11 YouTube culture that civil liberties and rights can slip away with mass hysteria" – (Caulfield, 2007).
George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) is a huge alert and warning to todays post terrorist attack (of the Twin Towers in 2001) society, in which civil liberties and human rights of each and any person can slip away as an effect of mass hysteria. The core of Clooney's approach is the idea that sometimes journalists need to go beyond simple and exact reporting and offer some more in–depth interpretations on current affairs. He stresses the tensions caused by post–war paranoia and threats made against a country through his portrayal of the acting and characterisations,...show more content...
Mass hysteria is defined as an imagined or assumed threat that causes physical symptoms among a large number of people. It's a fear that grips a large group of people because of a potential danger to the well being of their society. This is a short–term event that may or may not have one specific cause and sometimes, there is no real explanation for why it happens; it just does (Study.com, 2015). In particular, the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers created an enormous amount of hysteria in the United States and around the world. Shortly after the incident, the whole world had come to know about the terrible tragedy; it had spread across to every nation. This occurrence led to a crazed population with fear and paranoia running rampant through their minds. America, as well as other countries, fell into such a state of paranoia and fear of more terrorist attacks that their trust started to shatter. They began to crack down in airports with security searches, looking for in particular, people with Middle Eastern features, for the possibility that they were terrorists. As a result of the Twin Towers incident, countries all around the world became frightful of what could possibly happen to them, leading them into what its called as mass
"Good Night, and Good Luck", directed by George Clooney and starring David Strathaim, Patricia Clarkson, and Robert Downey Jr., accounts the pivotal conflict between broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joe McCarthy, which directly led to McCarthy's political downfall. It was waged primarily through See It Now, the documentary series Murrow famously hosted on CBS from 1951 to 1955. The film begins with the sparsely covered case of Milo Radulavich, a man who was discharged from the US Air Force on account of being deemed a security threat because of allegedly Communist family members. Radulavich's story comes to Murrow's attention, and he sends one of his reporters to interview Radulavich on camera, where he states that he was given...show more content...
Every controversial show–those about McCarthy in particular–placed everyone's reputations and careers in jeopardy. Murrow was more than willing to take the risks involved in order to inform the public of the deceptive nature of McCarthy's methods, and it is not outright stated, but conveyed through Strathaim's acting choices and characterization, that Murrow saw it as his duty to the American people. I remember, upon first viewing, being stunned at the high paced energy of every scene which took place in the newsroom. Just like journalism itself, there were no sluggish moments in the film that dragged on. "Good Night, and Good Luck" gave me another layer of knowledge about the inner workings of newsrooms, short of being present within one. It also highlighted the importance of every word and message communicated, for both the sake of those listening and watching, and for the livelihoods of those
Get more content