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The legendary, televised showdown between veteran news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and Cold War-era Communist hunter "Tail Gunner Joe" McCarthy is portrayed here by director George Clooney as an epic struggle between light and darkness. It's something of an oversimplification by Clooney, who has admitted he intended the film to be allegorical, a commentary on media complacency in an era of governmental overreach. In his eyes Murrow is a titan, a courageous Everyman who publicly challenges the motives and methods of a powerful U.S. senator who sees Commies everywhere, terrorizing an entire nation with his fear-mongering and intimidation. As played by David Strathairn, CBS commentator Murrow is an almost phlegmatic figure, impervious to both the obvious threats from McCarthy (seen only in actual newsreel footage and kinescopes of live broadcasts, a genius move by Clooney) and the thinly veiled ones from network boss William Paley (Frank Langella). Along with producer Fred Friendly (Clooney) and reporter Joe Wershba (Robert Downey Jr.), Murrow uses McCarthy's own words to pillory him, setting into motion a chain of events that culminates in the senator's discrediting and censure. In actuality, Tail Gunner Joe was already on the ropes when Murrow attacked him in the now-famous episode of See It Now, and the broadcaster's wryly delivered commentary didn't resonate with Americans nearly as much as the famous exchange between the senator and attorney Joseph Welch in the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954. But why quibble about facts? Good Night, and Good Luck (whose title is Murrow's famous sign-off line) is a crackling good drama. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

George Clooney pays homage to one of the icons of American broadcast journalism, Edward R. Murrow, in this fact-based drama, which was Clooney's second feature film as a director. In 1953, Edward R. Murrow (played by David Strathairn) 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 (Frank Langella), who was supportive of Murrow but extremely wary of his controversial positions, while Murrow was also trying to support fellow newsman Don Hollenbeck (Ray Wise), battling charges against his own political views, and working alongside Fred Friendly (George Clooney), the daring head of CBS News. Good Night, and Good Luck also stars Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, and Robert John Burke; the film won Best Film honors after its world premiere at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. Mark Deming

New York Post

Vividly re- creates TV news icon Edward R. Murrow's historic face-off with Sen. Joseph McCarthy in devastatingly low-key detail -- is the right movie at the right time. Lou Lumenick

Newsweek

It's a passionate, serious, impeccably crafted movie tackling a subject Clooney cares about deeply: the duty of journalism to speak truth to power. It also happens to be the most compelling American movie of the year so far. David Ansen

Product Details

• UPC: 012569736788
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: B&W, Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:33:00
• Sales Rank: 2,483

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