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"Good Night, and Good Luck"

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  • "Good Night, and Good Luck"

    When this movie hits the big screen in Hawai'i, you HAVE to go see it, if you're concerned about losing some of your civil liberties. It's a black and white, period movie (set in the McCarthy era, circa 1953-54) when Joe McCarthy was in the midst of his Red baiting trials and Edward R. Morrow (the hero of this story) stepped up and called McCarthy on his hypocrisy. David Strathairn plays Morrow, the chain smoking and intrepid reporter, who thanks to support from Fred Friendly and his CBS boss Bill Paley, took to the airways and helped reinstate an Air Force reservist who had been drummed out of the service because his family purportedly had read some "Communist" literature at some point. Morrow takes on McCarthy by piecing together commentary rebutting some of McCarthy's taped rantings. There's a lot of historical footage of the hearings and of McCarthy rambling on and on about communism in the film. Other actors on the bill are Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella.

    Why George Clooney should at least get an Academy Award for directing/and or writing this movie is because it took guts to bring this movie out at a time when we have a witch hunt going on in this country for "terrorists".

    Sad that we didn't learn lessons 50 years ago that now are coming around to haunt us again in this country, as our civil liberties are once again being usurped by the government that is in power today. Anyone who's been a journalist or who believes in accuracy in reporting needs to see this movie. It's too bad we don't have an Edward R. Morrow in our midst today. It's an extremely riveting, compelling 90 minute movie, distinct in that it has no sex or violence in it as most movies do today.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

    Interesting "review" of Good Night and Good Luck...

    "...Whenever I have a dream, I ask myself: "Why this dream now? What is happening in my life at this moment that would engender these particular images?" The same question has to be asked about "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney's powerful docudrama about the McCarthy era of the 1950s: "Why make this film now? Is there something happening in our society, our media, our politics that would make audiences resonate with a low-budget film, shot in black and white, about that era in America?"

    It seems clear that director Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov see a direct contemporary parallel with the anti-communist political witch-hunting of the 1950s, the unwillingness of most of the media to take on the bullyboy of that era. In our own time, an arrogant bullying Administration is ruining the country, running roughshod over the Constitution, and questioning the patriotism of any who oppose them, much as Senator Joe McCarthy did with anyone who raised questions about his methods of hunting down suspected Communists. Except these days, of course, one substitutes "terrorists" for "communists."

    Think I'm exaggerating? How about the White House orchestrating a smear of Ambassador Joseph Wilson because he publicly questioned Bush's twisted evidence for going to war in Iraq -- and then, as a special revenge-bonus, key Administration officials outed Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA officer? (Indictments in this case, and the coverup that followed, are expected within the next week or two.)

    How about then-Attorney General John Ashcroft telling Congress that those who ask pointed questions about the legalities of the Administration's "war on terrorism" give aid and comfort to "the enemy"? (Here's Ashcroft's exact quote: "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists -- for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies...")

    How about then-Press Secretary Ari Fleischer warning reporters to "watch what you say" about the Administration's anti-terrorism policies, and the comments of Administration hatchetmen in the press, such as Ann Coulter, calling anti-Bush liberals "traitors" who deserve to be shot?

    How about White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan questioning the patriotism of veteran correspondent Helen Thomas just a few days ago because she "expressed her concerns" about the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq War? Here's the official transcript of the key exchange, including ABC's Terry Moran nailing McClellan. Thomas has asked several questions about Bush's policies in Iraq: McCLELLAN: Well, Helen, the President recognizes that we are engaged in a global war on terrorism. And when you're engaged in a war, it's not always pleasant, and it's certainly a last resort. But when you engage in a war, you take the fight to the enemy, you go on the offense. And that's exactly what we are doing. We are fighting them there so that we don't have to fight them here. September 11th taught us -- ..."

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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    • #3
      Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

      I can't wait to see this. It's coming to a little art house in Tacoma, but it should be in wide release soon.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

        Hawai`i connection --- in the transitional scenes featuring jazz singer Dianne Reeves, the sax player (and arranger of those songs) is Honolulu Symphony Pops director Matt Catingub.

        Remember that back in 2001, he conducted a Pops concert that featured a jazz singer with the orchestra (as well as his big band), which turned out to be that singer's last recorded show, before her death in 2002 - released as a CD, "The Last Concert," that singer was...

        ...George Clooney's aunt, Rosemary Clooney.

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        • #5
          Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

          Saw it tonight at the Varisty with a couple of friends. For the most part I kind of like it, the parts I didn't like was that it was shot in black & white and not in color, however if this was done due techinical reasons like easier blending of the stock footage used then I would not hold it against it.

          The other part I didn't like was showing the movie as a flashback starting with the event in 1958.

          What they should have done at the end of the movie was to say what happen to the other characters in the movie.

          But all this stuff is kind of minor though.

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          • #6
            Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

            I love black and white. It had to be shot this way anyway because they didn't cast the mcarthy character, making the movie more effective the way it is with the old news footage. I love that!

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            • #7
              Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

              great movie I like edgar r. talking about TV's ability to be misused. Entertainment vrs. information. I guess you could make the same argument about the internet now. Also it's very interesting how the issues of censorship etc. are so relavent to what is going on today. CRAZY

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              • #8
                Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

                I liked it. The 1950s were current enough that when I was in school nobody taught us anything about that time period. My U.S. history lessons stopped after WWII, so aside from whatever I can pick up on my own, I am woefully undereducated about the last half century of so.

                It was amazing to see how much everybody smoked back then!

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                • #9
                  Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

                  I thought this was one of the best movies of the year. I liked how the filmmakers emphasized that Murrow was not claiming the people being questioned weren't communists; he was saying that the government needs to observe due process. Certainly relevant today.

                  Interesting trivia from IMDB:

                  Director/star George Clooney had said they opted to use archive footage of Joseph McCarthy instead of using an actor to portray the senator. Clooney had said that when the movie had undergone test screenings, audience members felt that the McCarthy character was overacting a bit, not realizing that it was the actual McCarthy through archive footage.

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                  • #10
                    Re: "Good Night, and Good Luck"

                    Originally posted by Tiabla
                    Interesting trivia from IMDB:
                    That IS fascinating!

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