George Clooney captures the second wave of the "Red Scare" in high contrast black-and-white film.
"Good Night, and Good Luck" documents the years between 1953 and 1958 when celebrity journalist and television personality Edward R. Murrow fights censorship to expose the unlawful scare tactics used by Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy in declaring U.S. citizens communists.
The motion picture is good, but could be better.
What's good:
Clooney, who plays the part of director and co-screenwriter Fred Friendly (producer for Murrow's television show "See It Now"), goes out on a limb to create a sense of historical realism.
Besides the application of black-and-white film to create a sensation of the times, actual footage of McCarthy — during House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings and press conferences — is used to explicitly represent the senator's locution.
The present trend in Hollywood is to loosely base a film on factual events. Such films as "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story," "North Country" and "The Greatest Game Ever Played" only hint at bona fide truthfulness, whereas Clooney's flick goes to great lengths to generate authenticity, which must be commended.
Also praiseworthy is David Strathairn's ("L.A. Confidential," "A League of Their Own") portrayal of Murrow. Strathairn plays the hard-hitting, uncompromising journalist to a tee.
What could be better:
Since Strathairn does such a wonderful job playing Murrow, he should have received even more screen time.
Instead, the film is cluttered up with characters that don't move the plot or increase the viewers' understanding of the era.
Robert Downey Jr.'s role as Joe Wershba, an employee at the CBS station, does nothing more than get caught being married to a co-worker, Shirley Wershba, played by Patricia Clarkson.
Also, Jeff Daniels' role of news director Sig Mickelson does little more than fire the Wershba couple for hiding their marriage — when CBS co-workers weren't allowed to tie the knot.
The personal life of Murrow would've added substance and depth to the film, but rather Clooney decides on quantity instead of quality when it comes to character development.
The film doesn't even scratch the surface as to how Murrow's unpopular and risky decision to expose the wrongdoings of McCarthy affected his private life.
It's unclear if Murrow is married, has kids, or how he reacts to phone calls and letters from the American public concerning his commitment to controversial journalism.
The film is worth seeing for its historical importance but the supporting cast around Strathairn lacks purpose.
