Clooney and Strathairn Bring Legend to Life

In 1953 the Cold War was in full swing. Senator Joseph McCarthy was at the height of his single-minded self-serving crusade to rid the United States of communists. If you were not with the junior senator from Wisconsin, you were against him, and to be against him meant you, too, were a target of his venomous attacks labeling you a communist (or a communist sympathizer) effectively ruining your life.

Also in 1953, television was still in its infancy. Networks were trying to figure out what to do with their news departments, unsure of how to balance the public’s need to know with the corporate constraints of selling products and producing a glowing balance sheet. At the top of the broadcast journalism heap was Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn), anchor of the popular CBS news documentary show “See It Now.” With producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney, who also writes – with fellow actor Grant Heslov – and directs) at his side, Murrow would decide to do what no one else in journalism, in any medium, had the guts to do. He would take on McCarthy and, in doing so, he will become a legend.

“Good Night, and Good Luck.” is the must-see event picture of the Fall. It is breathlessly exciting, reexamining with acute detail a moment in our nation’s history that should not, can not, be forgotten. Director Clooney outdoes himself with this, proving to be a multitalented artist capable of far more than just assembling superstars for big budget Hollywood remakes or disaster relief telethons. Quite frankly, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” is the year’s best movie.

Filmed in glorious black and white by Robert Elswit and intercutting actual news footage from the time, Clooney and company recreate Murrow’s CBS world brilliantly. Reporters Don Hewitt (Heslov) – who would go on to create “60 Minutes” – and Joe Wershba (Robert Downey, Jr.), tragic CBS news anchor Don Hollenbeck (Ray Wise, tender and soulful), CBS number two Sigfried ‘Sig’ Mickelson (Jeff Daniels), head-man William S. Paley (Frank Langella, simply fabulous); each of them (and everyone else) give stinging, bouncily realistic performances adding urgency to their quest in taking on McCarthy, the dangers to their careers and the network a palpable mist constantly hovering around them.

It is an unfortunate truth that the majority of those my age and younger do not know who either Edward R. Murrow or Senator Joseph McCarthy is. Be that as it may, this movie should not be viewed as a history lesson. Yes, in almost documentary-like fashion Clooney, Heslov and company recreate the events of 1953-54 in every minute detail, but that should not make viewers afraid they’re going to witness something more suitable for the History Channel than a movie screen. Like other great journalistic thrillers like “All the President’s Men” and “Shattered Glass,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.” takes an historical event and then makes the immediacy and the excitement driving it visceral and real even in today’s fast-paced everything-on-demand new millennium world.

That said, this is history – important history – and as such there is no harm in reminding people about it. McCarthyism was a destructive force ripping the United States in two. The courage and fortitude required by Murrow, Friendly and even CBS to bring this story to light, the chutzpah needed to show McCarthy as the wannabe demigod he was turning himself into, was extraordinary, and a person can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever see that kind of classy grit and determination from the people delivering our news ever again.

As good as all this is, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” would be nothing without the titanic performance of Strathairn. There are plenty of great actors here (the relationship between Downey, Jr. and Patricia Clarkson is particularly wonderful) but there is no question this is Strathairn’s show start to finish. Twirling Murrow’s trademark cigarette like a sledgehammer and looking to everyone as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders, Strathairn captures both the man’s essence and his exacting passion to deliver the truth. More than an impersonation, the actor is Edward R. Murrow, each wrinkle of the brow, twist of the lip and twitch of the eye bringing the audience more and more inside the newsman’s head.

Clooney’s handling of all this borders on magnificence. The pacing is quick, but not hurried. The drama is heightened, but not stilted. The merging of real-life actors with footage of the actual subjects is fantastic. Everything comes together so beautifully it literally stilled my breath. “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” even with all its flaws, marked Clooney as a director to keep an eye on. This feature cements that assessment. Not since Clint Eastwood has a major A-level movie star shown this much aptitude behind the camera, no reason not the think that when Clooney’s leading man days are done he’ll still be making pictures everyone will stop in their tracks at the water cooler to talk about.

In the end, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” is both a reminder of democracy’s dangers when wielded improperly and of the power of the press when good people choose to doggedly pursue a story in an ethical way no matter what the costs. More than ever, what with hurricane’s ravaging our coastlines, a war fought under (apparently) false pretenses and two major political parties fighting an ideological battle that’s ripping the country in two, this is a reminder more important then ever.

“We will not walk in fear, one of other,” said Murrow. “We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular.”

Words worth cherishing, if you ask me, and “Good Night, and Good Luck.” is a movie worthy of uttering them, shouting them out to a new generation who’s time to answer Murrow’s call to vigilance just might be now.