Good Night And Good Luck (2005)

Amid distrust and uncertainty in the Communist witchhunts with his recreation of its greatest hero, the newsman of newsmen, Edward R. Murrow.In the early 1950's, the Communist scare and the subsequent subversion of citizens' rights was at its apex with blacklists and rampant accusations resulting in ruined lives and careers. Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) was the grand master of the news airwaves in the infantile medium of television. With his show's director, Fred Friendly (George Clooney) and his production team, he picks one obscure news item regarding an Air Force serviceman who is dismissed due to unspecified charges. Murrow and CBS essentially take on the US Air Force amid this climate of suspicion and presumed guilt. Later, Murrow's team takes on Senator Joseph McCarthy by making critical comments of the senator's own words and contradictions. McCarthy retaliates with accusations of Murrow's supposed association with un-American groups just as theas the parent network, CBS,

An interesting, if slow, deliberation on the paranoia that gripped the USA at the height of the cold war in the 50s/60s. Senior US officials promoted the idea of 'Reds under the Beds' to keep the 'Great Beast' (that is, the population) under control. Oddly enough, little has changed to this day with the Reds simply being replaced by faceless 'terrorists', so keeping the deeply flawed two-party system alive.

A slow moving but well made account of investigative journalism in the 60's, GN&GL assumes some knowledge of the history of the time. Set mostly on just a few sets, its filming in black and white allows real footage from the 50's to be used throughout, giving it an authentic feel. This won't appeal to everyone, but its an interesting look at the beginnings of investigative journalism.

An interesting take on the effects of the McCarthy communist trials in 1950's USA. A very well presented film, but due to it concentrating on the effects of a small number of characters, I felt it didn't go into the history of the events it was telling us about. It finished just as I was getting into it.

Definitely one I can heartily recommend. This is a snapshot of 1950's current affairs TV journalism in the US. Brilliantly lit and shot in black & white. All the characters are brilliantly brought to life with David Strathairn excelling & George Clooney superb in an understated but strong performance.