Good Night, and Good Luck.

-Directed by: George Clooney

"We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."
-David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow

Truth is a funny, fickle thing. No matter how much people might like to embrace it and call it their own there are points in the history of this country and this planet where truth is as terrifying as any monster in any story. Good Night, and Good Luck is a story about truth, and how telling it is sometimes the bravest thing of all. Set in 1953, it's set in the CBS newsrooms where Murrow, along with five other amazing people took on a monster no one ever saw coming: the American government. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy had taken great pains to suggest that communists were infiltrating our government, and for years people lived in fear of secrets and lies and half truths couched in patriotism. This movie tells the story of Murrow, and those he worked with who took on McCarthy and won.

It's a story that a young George Clooney heard at the feet of his father, journalist Nick Clooney, and stuck with him for years. After the success of more commercial ventures such as Ocean's 11, Clooney and his longtime friend Grant Heslov sat down to write the script. In his second directorial effort, Clooney brings to life a film that has brought accusations of him being unpatriotic or even a traitor. The truth of it is something far more illuminating. This film is something that people should see. Shot in black and white, it suggests that we can stand up to that which frightens us. We can, as individuals and as a nation, defend truth no matter what. Most importantly, this film allows each individual to see that one voice can make all the difference.

Unlike many films that are considered "intellectual", this movie movies along at a pace that keeps the viewer interested and engaged. The Oscar nominated performance by David Strathairn is subtle, and unique because you get the clear sense of Murrow's outrage at the world around him but he never once raises his voice about the strong, commanding tones of a man who has one very important thing on his side: the truth. Under Clooney's direction however, every performance is brought to a human level that you can relate to no matter how old you are. See this movie, and talk about it with people. What Clooney himself has said he wants from this movie is people to talk about it. He doesn't want people to agree with him necessarily, but perhaps that's ok. We are a nation built on discussion and if you see this movie you will see how you as one person can participate in it.

(Photo by Yahoo)

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn at earthlink dot net
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