Good Night, and Good Luck is a forty-three time award winner out of seventy one nominations. ( ) This movie is shown on a black and white film, which complements the feel of a 1950s setting. Communism was a huge controversy during the ‘50s where many people became so afraid of the topic that they would lash out whenever it was brought up. Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) is the big shot broadcaster, he is the host of two hit CBS shows on television. Edward is the first newsman to put controversial information on television. This information is not completely factual, but it speaks out against anticommunism and the government in hopes of taking down Joseph McCarthy. Joseph is the senator of Wisconsin who plays a big role in brainwashing Americans. He is a governmental figure who puts fear of communism in his supporters. Edward goes on national television and singles out the beloved and trusted senator McCarthy for his fake accusations against Milo Radulovich that created a lot of attention and ultimately ended up costing Milo his job. This is the turning point of bringing back the freedom to the people who start to pin supporters against McCarthy. After Edward put his story of McCarthy on TV, McCarthy hostilely replied by saying Edward was a communist. McCarthy also falsely accused Edward of joining communist unions. Apart from the nominations and awards won, I just did not believe it was that enjoyable. The movie did not even appear to be that interesting or popular until I saw a lot of A-list celebrities. Seeing George Clooney is the only thing that kept me focused on the screen and prevented me from wandering off. There are not many spontaneous scenes. They are all in the CBS Newsroom: either in the office, or on set. A ... ... middle of paper ... ... on what McCarthy is doing to the American citizens he claims to be protecting from dissenting political views.” Frago creates a positive and adventurous tone from this passage of his review, it shows interest and applause with the way director George Clooney sets up the scenes. However, I believe that the scenes are unattractive to the viewer’s eye, and did not allow much creativity since it was the same thing over and over again. Although we almost completely disagree about our opinions of the movie there are a few similarities. We both agree that the movie educates our generation with the 1950s communism scare. We also agree on how the movie portrays a time when the media did not show a personal opinion, but Murrow came in and changed the broadcasting game. He adds an approach to sharing news that changes the way things would be broadcasted from that point on.
There are similarities and differences in how the authors of “American History” and “ TV Coverage of JFK’s Death Forged Mediums’ Role” use Kennedy’s assassination in their writing. The intended effect of “American History” was to entertain and show how TV news and news in general affects people. In contrast the intended effect of “Tv Coverage…” was to inform readers how John F. Kennedy's assassination affected the news. The author Joanne Ostrow and Judith Ortiz Cofer both use Kennedy’s assassination in their writing to explain how TV news affects people in a community.
Joseph McCarthy was a man of many talents, oration being one that surpassed the majority of the rest. McCarthy’s ability to use motifs, tone, and repetition in a way that supported his message impeccably was one of the reasons he excelled at persuasion.
The film received mostly positive reviews. Roger Ebert praised the film as "one of those stories with the quality of a nightmare, in which foolish young men try to out-macho one another until they get trapped in a violent situation which will forever alter their lives.”
The Hollywood Blacklisting that followed the Red Scare of the 1950’s forced the media to change in order to survive the scrutinizing committees of the HUAC and various congressional committees that pushed for the social “purging” of America in hopes of searching out the “Reds” which they believed were hiding among them. This change in media came at a time when the public had become extremely receptive to such influences due to the spread of the television and the growth of the middle class who had extra money to spend on luxuries such as going to the movie theatres. The constant barrage of conformity and conservatism as well as xenophobia seen in everyday shows and movies shaped the perception of the average American to believe that liberal or radical ideas were not what normal people supported and believed in.
Since the 1950s, most Americans have condemned the McCarthyite witch-hunts and show trials. By large majorities, Americans oppose firing communists from their jobs or banning communist speakers or books.[2] But over the past several years, increasing numbers of historians, writers and intellectuals have sought to minimize, explain away and justify McCarthyism. A spate of books and articles touting new historical evidence has tried to demonstrate that communism posed a real danger to American society in the 1940s and 1950s. They argue that even if some innocent people suffered and McCarthy was reckless, he was responding to a real threat.[3] As a result, Joe McCarthy doesn't look so irresponsible in hindsight.
"Kennedy, John F." Television in American Society Reference Library. Ed. Laurie Collier Hillstrom and Allison McNeill. Vol. 3: Primary Sources. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 65-76. U.S. History in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. Source.
Murrow uses repetition to inspire his listeners into siding with his argument by saying that “I believed 20 years ago and I believe today that mature Americans can engage in conversation and… I believe that … we can compete and successfully, not only in the area of bombs but in the area of ideas.” His matter of fact and objective tone changes into one of empathy to better connect with his audience.
"Kennedy, John F." Television in American Society Reference Library. Ed. Laurie Collier Hillstrom and Allison McNeill. Vol. 3: Primary Sources. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 65-76. U.S. History in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. Source.
In the start of his speech, Murrow talks about how history will be what we make it. Then he states that if people were to record a week of television they would find evidence of corruption, escapism, and insulation from the realities of the world unless you watch it between the time of 8 to 11 p.m., Eastern Time (4). At this time period people will find the brief and twitching allusion to the fact that the nation is in mortal danger. At any other time, television insulates the people from the realities of the world in which they live in. If this continues the citizens will pay for using one of the most powerful instruments in communication to shield them from the harsh, hard and
Joseph McCarthy followed strict, right-wing republican rules and is considered to this day to be an extremist. Revealing that the communists, who all of America greatly feared, were working so close created a sense of fear. Americans felt uneasy and unsafe at the thought of the enemy working in their government. Part of McCarthy’s plan was to use the fears and feelings of peril to create an outright war against the communists. He w...
McKibben, Bill. “TV, Freedom, and the Loss of Community.” Colombo, Cullen and Lisle, ed. Rereading America. Boston: Bedford Books, 1995: 712-23.
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 empty briefcase held the names of 205 communists. The movie “Good Night and Good Luck” tells the story how media ended Joseph McCarthy’s commy hunt and his political career.
I have to disagree with both these reviews. I believed that the story was brilliantly written and the cinematography was beautiful. This movie touched me and had me in tears which believe me is hard to do. I do agree with the New York Times and New Yorker that it was a little dragged out and that Kiera Knightly acting was over rated. Other than that I would defiantly recommend this movie.
Media is a powerful tool that can be used to influence the majority and the distortion of truth in media has a rippling effect that may prove to be dangerous. Good Night, and Good Luck is an extravagant film that exposes the truth of media. The main protagonist in the film, Edward Murrow, makes attempts to caution the audience about the power of media. In the film, Murrow says “We have a built in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information; our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses, and recognize that television, in the main, is being use to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture, too late.” (Heslov & Clooney, 2005) Which is
In 1949 when Orwell’s novel was published, television was a relatively new invention. Fewer than 10% of the United States households had a television set in them and at this time programming was limited to mainly news-oriented shows. Many people believed that television would never surpass radio as the chief means of mass communication; they could not have been more incorrect.