Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating: 4.0

A Needed Historical Film
good movie, but not for everyone
I liked this
Completely unsubtle and little happens
Entertaining if oddly unmoving film about a dark era in American History

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Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Robert John Burke , Patricia Clarkson , George Clooney , J.D. Cullum , and Jeff Daniels
Director: George Clooney
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Product Group: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000E1NXJ0
2006-03-14

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Product Description

"Good Night, And, Good Luck." takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950's America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.
Running Time: 93 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Without force-feeding its timely message, Good Night, and Good Luck illuminates history to enlighten our present, when the need for a free and independent press is more important than ever. In 90 breathtaking minutes of efficient and intricate storytelling, writer-director George Clooney and cowriter Grant Heslov pay honorable tribute to the journalistic integrity of legendary CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow, <table align=left cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" > <tr><td align="center"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/gngl-clooney.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<span class="tiny">Director George Clooney </span> </td></tr> </table>who confronted the virulent and overzealous anti-Communist witch-hunting of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54, and emerged as a triumphant truth-seeker against the abuses of corporate and governmental power. <table align=right cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" > <tr><td align="center"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/gngl-strathhairn.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<span class="tiny"> David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow </span> </td></tr> </table>As played by David Strathairn, Murrow is a dogged realist, keenly aware of the smear tactics that will be employed against him; Clooney provides crucial backup as Murrow's "See It Now" producer and closest confidante Fred Friendly, forming a fierce but not entirely fearless triumvirate of broadcasting bravery with CBS chief William Paley (Frank Langella), who anxiously champions Murrow's cause under constant threat of reprisals. While using crisp black-and-white cinematography (by Robert Elswit) to vividly recreate the electrifying atmosphere of the CBS newsroom and the early years of television, Clooney (son of long-time Cincinnati newsman Nick Clooney) proves his directorial skill by juggling big themes and an esteemed ensemble cast, never stooping to simplification of ethically complex material. Good Night, and Good Luck is an instant classic, destined for all the accolades it so richly deserves. --Jeff Shannon

<span class="h1"><strong>Learn More About Edward R. Murrow and Broadcast Journalism</strong></span> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr align="center" valign="top" class="tiny"> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0471477532.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
George Clooney's Recommended Reading</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6304696493.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
George Clooney's Recommended Movies</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007WFURE.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0">
The Edward R. Murrow Collection</td> </tr> </table> </p>

Customer Reviews:

A Needed Historical Film.......2007-06-09

Good Night and Good Luck is the exact antidote to the current entertainment reporting we often confuse as news and the current big budget pictures we often accept as important.

George Clooney reveals Edward R. Murrow's true grit in his challenging of Joseph McCarthy's hunt for communists in mid-1950's America. Instead of seeming to be on an agenda or over stepping his bounds, David Strathairn's Murrow comes across as a journalist who allowed the facts to lead him to an unavoidable conclusion about McCarthy's activities.

Murrow used his show 'See It Now' to dissect the horrible tactics that lied at the heart of the blacklist practice and as a result truly added to the debate in his country, while testing the patience of the company who paid his cheque. Strathairn plays Murrow completely believably as a normal guy who was able to be conduct himself always as a professional while working for CBS, while still being dogged in his committment to the importance of honest discussion about political events, even to the point of annoyance of his CBS co-workers and bosses.

The true genius of the movie is the way the script, directed by Clooney, a confirmed Liberal, is able to allow the full debate of the mix between the public's need to know and their desire to be entertained to be aired. This movie actually does a wonderful job presenting the counter arguement to Murrow's activities as a journalist in some beautifully illuminated scenes vocalized in a great performance by Frank Langella as Murrow's boss.

As director Clooney keeps everything tight and claustrophobic, ratcheting up the tension as all the scenes take place in small quarters, which is further aided by the black and white photography leaving a very small film dominated by huge issues. This small feel makes Good Night and Good Luck the exact opposite of what is presented in most films and many news broadcasts. The end result is a film that presents issues that regardless of the time-period have an importance in our current world.

good movie, but not for everyone.......2007-06-02

This is one of those movies you absolutely love if you enjoy these types of movies. Sorry for being vague! Excellent quality and released at the correct moment in US history. It was low on action (obviously) but really made me feel and react deeply. If you're not sure you're into the style, then I would say find something else. But if the description sounds like your style, it's amazing!

I liked this.......2007-05-29

This movie was very well-done, interesting, thought provoking although I don't see the point in Robert Downey, Jr. character's marriage being exposed. Loved George.

Completely unsubtle and little happens.......2007-05-29

GNAGL is very obvious in its story and message, and the message bears repeating on occasion. Yes, indeed, character assassination is bad, and witch hunts are bad, and McCarthy serves as a well-known and convenient target for that message.

The black and white style is very effective, and it was a perfect move having footage of McCarthy himself rather than a stand-in. And one can't help but notice the ever-present cigarettes. No wonder Murrow died of lung cancer.

My problem is that not much happens, even when padded with the unnecessary scenes with the jazz singer (very pleasant, of course, but adding nothing to the story) and the couple married despite the rules at CBS (a little note on the life and times in the early days at CBS, but so what?). I would have been more interested in how the news room actually operated. Is it true that hardly anybody there actually reported, and that, even then, they were basically news readers gathering up information from the real workforce? Why didn't Murrow get out and interview some of the protagonists? Or the ones under attack? At least for the guy cut from the military, a unit was sent out for some footage. Did CBS really takes its lead on story ideas from the print media?

I wouldn't expect the movie to be completely impartial, such as getting beyond the throwaway remark about Alger Hiss or mentioning someone who might actually have been doing subversive activities. That wasn't its point, and I don't really care. I think viewers of the movie can and do expect Clooney's spin on the subject, along with the self-congratulatory tone, almost as if the movie makers themselves were somehow sticking their necks out. Viewers can stick to the wonderful imagery, the fine acting, and the important message, and not rely on the film too much for a complete history of the McCarthy era, TV's role in that, and Murrow's own importance or lack of importance at the time.

Entertaining if oddly unmoving film about a dark era in American History.......2007-04-04

Although ostensibly about the famous newsman Edward R. Murrow, this is really an opportunity for Director/Actor/Co-Writer Clooney to remind the American people to be vigilant about members of their own government trying to manipulate them to their own ends.

In this case the culprit is Senator Joe McCarthy who Murrow took on in the 1950's.

Clooney set himself some tough limitations in this film constraining himself to shooting on a few indoor sets. It could easily be produced as a play.

The actors in the film are quite deadpan, especially Murrow himself, leaving the viewer oddly unmoved. The most compelling aspects of the film are the archival footage of McCarthy, Eisenhower, the HUAC and Senate hearings, and the fine words of Murrow himself.

This film will appeal to film students and people interested in this dark era in American history. The commentary by Clooney and Grant Heslov is excellent.

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