Good Night And Good Luck Anyalysis

George Clooney pays homage to one of American broadcast journalism, Edward R. Murrow, in this fact-based drama. In 1953, Edward R. Murrow was one of the best-known newsmen on television as host of both the talk show Person to Person and the pioneering investigate series See It Now. Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, was generating no small amount of controversy in the public and private sectors with his allegations that Communists had risen to positions of power and influence in America, and an Air Force pilot, Milo Radulovich, had been drummed out of the service due to McCarthy's charges that he was a Communist agent. However, Radulovich had been dismissed without a formal hearing of the charges, and he protested that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Murrow decided to do a story on Radulovich's case questioning the legitimacy of his dismissal, which was seen by McCarthy and his supporters as an open challenge to his campaign. McCarthy responded by accusing Murrow of being a Communist, leading to a legendary installment of See It Now in which both Murrow and McCarthy presented their sides of the story, which was seen by many as the first step toward McCarthy's downfall. Meanwhile, Murrow had to deal with CBS head William Paley, who was supportive of Murrow but extremely wary of his controversial positions, while Murrow was also trying to support fellow newsman Don Hollenbeck, battling charges against his own political views, and working alongside Fred Friendly (George Clooney), the daring head of CBS News.

GoodNight and Good Luck Critique

The tone of the film is both smart and reserved. Words are the driving force in the story, as the battle is largely one of ideas and influence. Strathairn's stern and deliberate portrayal of Murrow is captivating - he personifies the myth the way that Murrow did himself. The other performances are just as solid, as Clooney convincingly portrays