I saw a film in a history class once about McCarthyism. I forget what it was called, but it was mostly about the trial of a Hollywood actor accused of communism. He was blackballed and ostracized because of a rumor. Good Night and Good Luck made me think of it . McCarthyism just shows how influenced people are by others. They jump on the bandwagon and then rumors and fear spiral out of control. It's nice to know there are always people out there especially in the media (like Ed Murrow and associates) who are willing to take a stand, report the truth, and guide the public away from nonsense.
I have always known that television broadcast stations censor/filter their content so that their audience can see only what they want them to see, which is the reason why I don't watch television much anyway. After watching Good Night and Good Luck for the first time, it solidified my view on television. I noticed the clash between Edward Murrow and the chairman of CBS, where Mr. Murrow fought to expose and enlighten his audience to the ridiculous measures taken by McCarthy on Communism; whereas, the chairman of CBS urged Murrow to ignore the matter as it would only cause trouble for the station. What I am seeing is Murrow's intentions are to use the station for the good of their audience, when the chairman seems to care more about safety of the station(which is completely understandable). None the less, I enjoyed the film very much as it fed my curiosity as to why television doesn't feel so "authentic".
Good Night, and Good Luck accurately displays the nonsensical ways in which the American media chooses to control the deliverance of “the news.” Television, and the information it exposes, is monitored by the force of decency. This country has constructed a strict set of values that have obstructed the human capability of publicly acknowledging an idea that may stray from the formality of our social structure. If one’s rhetoric does not mirror the reserved complacency of our national government, oppression ensues. In retrospect of Edward Murrow’s legacy, I view his actions as totally warranted yet unjustly punished. He introduced our population to a refreshing form of opinionated expression and sparked the overt takedown of Joseph McCarthy. The lack of color in the film recaptures the tension of the era brilliantly, and David Strathairn successfully embodies the courageousness and vocal leadership that America was so desperately in need of during the 1950s. If all newscasters were as innovative as Murrow once was, this country may actually become as ideologically diverse as it claims to be. There should not be content filters in news programming. The truth is really not so painful when we have the ability to speak actually on a situation at hand…
I never watched Good Night and Good Luck until this class, Television in American Culture, and I'm glad I did. This film was brilliantly made. It's classic display in black and white and close camera shots, gave it the right amount of drama and excitement. I believe this film will live on for years because it gave a good example educating people on how the media affect others peoples lives. I personally never believe anything that's in the media unless I collected enough evidence myself, unfortunately this isn't the case for many people and it can causes a lot of conflict and negativity. In addition, this is not a typical American movie, because the writers didn't down-dumb it's story or characters in order to explain it clearer for the under-educated audience. Overall, it is indeed a terrific film and had a great message.
I really enjoyed Good Night and Good Luck. I had never seen it before this class, and I liked that it was in black and white. I feel like it really helped transport the viewer to that time period. Overall I thought the movie did a great job at portraying the uneasiness during the trials and the fear that rumors would lead to an end of your career.
Good Night and Good luck was a very enjoyable movie. It had a very good cast and this helped to make the story that much better. It shows how a group of Journalists were unrelenting in their fight against McCarthy for his wild accusations, and the pain and suffering he was causing. It truly captured the feeling of the time with its black and white format and older music. In the end, it displayed yet one last message of how TV can be used for more than just meaningless blinking lights or loud sounds, it can be used to send a powerful message.
Good night and Good Luck is one of the better movies I have seen in the past month. The film did an excellent job in capturing the viewers attention by putting emphasis on the atmosphere of the newsroom in the 1950's. From the constant smoking, the typewriters, and the film being shot in black and white it let the viewers feel as if they were there with Ed Murrow, writing these stories themselves. The way that the music was used in the film was another way in which Clooney was able to capture the feeling of the 1950's. I found myself tapping my foot to the jazzy sounds of Dianne Reeve's as her soulful songs were played over the dialogue that was going on in the news room. The atmosphere in Good Night and Good Luck was what really caught my attention and would bring me back to watch a second time.
This movie was very well done and the black and white cinematography added a lot to the movie. It really helped put you in the time period. It blended well with the actual footage of McCarthy and other actual footage they used from the time period. It was a well made, informative movie with an enjoyable cast.
This has been one of my favorite movies prior to taking this class, mainly because I have a career interest of being involved in current affair programming. I like how it shows how the flow of information is affected all the time by sponsors and underlying corporate interests. I like how the movie takes place at just a few locations, but still is able to represent the style, opinions, and concerns of the 50s. The music was also good.
I really enjoyed the film and was disappointed when I had to be out sick for the rest of it. The time period was well described and portrayed while a lot of tensions were shown as a result of McCarthyism. It truly displayed just how problematic it was for people. I don't really know about the black and white cinematography adding a lot to the situation, but it did seem like it fit and was well handled and executed. It was a good, dramatic story that was executed properly and truly put people in the shoes of journalists living in the Red Scare period.
In class I heard some people agree when it was said that black & white films are kind of exhausting to watch, I completely disagree with that statement. Sometimes I feel as though color is actually rather distracting and by making Goodnight and Good Luck in black and white, it not only helped me transport to the time period but also kept me engaged where I feel I would have otherwise fallen asleep. The film was dramatic and intense, I think this film did an excellent job at representing what was going on in this time in regards to McCarthyism and the effect it had on people during this time, especially the news reporters at CBS. The cuts of real footage were also something that kept me engaged and interested, to me what happened seems so surreal, kind of just like a scary story, something made up. This is definitely a film I intend to share with my loved ones.
I had seen Good Night and Good Luck prior to this class, however I felt as though I was able to examine the plot and characters through the lens of a television historian rather than a viewer expecting to be entertained. I felt as though the inclusion of Don Hollenbeck's made McCarythism much more relatable and real. Taught as a vocabulary term in high school American history, McCarthyism always seemed like a distant concept to me and I could never quite wrap my head around why or how it was so detrimental to people. I also feel as though the film provided insight of the progression of American television from what it started out as (entertainment and informing) to what it is now (a huge basis on how we form our beliefs and opinions). The film did an excellent job of portraying Edward Murrow, Fred Friendly, and CBS's involvement with McCarthyism, struggle with censorship, and journey to establishing itself as a top news network.
Having missed the first half of the movie, there was a lot of Good Night and Good Luck that I was lost in. What I did see, however, was strong performances throughout as well as an effective use of historical material mixed with the film. It taught me a lot about exactly what happened in the media during that time, including the unfortunate loss of life due to the destruction of reputation. I felt that it got boring at parts, but that could be because I didn't have the back story. I would be open to watching the film as a whole down the line in order to get the whole experience.
Anyone who missed part of the film should get caught up online...anytime you miss a screening in class you are responsible for watching what you missed.
I saw a film in a history class once about McCarthyism. I forget what it was called, but it was mostly about the trial of a Hollywood actor accused of communism. He was blackballed and ostracized because of a rumor. Good Night and Good Luck made me think of it . McCarthyism just shows how influenced people are by others. They jump on the bandwagon and then rumors and fear spiral out of control. It's nice to know there are always people out there especially in the media (like Ed Murrow and associates) who are willing to take a stand, report the truth, and guide the public away from nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI have always known that television broadcast stations censor/filter their content so that their audience can see only what they want them to see, which is the reason why I don't watch television much anyway. After watching Good Night and Good Luck for the first time, it solidified my view on television. I noticed the clash between Edward Murrow and the chairman of CBS, where Mr. Murrow fought to expose and enlighten his audience to the ridiculous measures taken by McCarthy on Communism; whereas, the chairman of CBS urged Murrow to ignore the matter as it would only cause trouble for the station. What I am seeing is Murrow's intentions are to use the station for the good of their audience, when the chairman seems to care more about safety of the station(which is completely understandable). None the less, I enjoyed the film very much as it fed my curiosity as to why television doesn't feel so "authentic".
ReplyDeleteGood Night, and Good Luck accurately displays the nonsensical ways in which the American media chooses to control the deliverance of “the news.” Television, and the information it exposes, is monitored by the force of decency. This country has constructed a strict set of values that have obstructed the human capability of publicly acknowledging an idea that may stray from the formality of our social structure. If one’s rhetoric does not mirror the reserved complacency of our national government, oppression ensues. In retrospect of Edward Murrow’s legacy, I view his actions as totally warranted yet unjustly punished. He introduced our population to a refreshing form of opinionated expression and sparked the overt takedown of Joseph McCarthy. The lack of color in the film recaptures the tension of the era brilliantly, and David Strathairn successfully embodies the courageousness and vocal leadership that America was so desperately in need of during the 1950s. If all newscasters were as innovative as Murrow once was, this country may actually become as ideologically diverse as it claims to be. There should not be content filters in news programming. The truth is really not so painful when we have the ability to speak actually on a situation at hand…
ReplyDeleteI never watched Good Night and Good Luck until this class, Television in American Culture, and I'm glad I did. This film was brilliantly made. It's classic display in black and white and close camera shots, gave it the right amount of drama and excitement. I believe this film will live on for years because it gave a good example educating people on how the media affect others peoples lives. I personally never believe anything that's in the media unless I collected enough evidence myself, unfortunately this isn't the case for many people and it can causes a lot of conflict and negativity. In addition, this is not a typical American movie, because the writers didn't down-dumb it's story or characters in order to explain it clearer for the under-educated audience. Overall, it is indeed a terrific film and had a great message.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Good Night and Good Luck. I had never seen it before this class, and I liked that it was in black and white. I feel like it really helped transport the viewer to that time period. Overall I thought the movie did a great job at portraying the uneasiness during the trials and the fear that rumors would lead to an end of your career.
ReplyDeleteGood Night and Good luck was a very enjoyable movie. It had a very good cast and this helped to make the story that much better. It shows how a group of Journalists were unrelenting in their fight against McCarthy for his wild accusations, and the pain and suffering he was causing. It truly captured the feeling of the time with its black and white format and older music. In the end, it displayed yet one last message of how TV can be used for more than just meaningless blinking lights or loud sounds, it can be used to send a powerful message.
ReplyDeleteGood night and Good Luck is one of the better movies I have seen in the past month. The film did an excellent job in capturing the viewers attention by putting emphasis on the atmosphere of the newsroom in the 1950's. From the constant smoking, the typewriters, and the film being shot in black and white it let the viewers feel as if they were there with Ed Murrow, writing these stories themselves. The way that the music was used in the film was another way in which Clooney was able to capture the feeling of the 1950's. I found myself tapping my foot to the jazzy sounds of Dianne Reeve's as her soulful songs were played over the dialogue that was going on in the news room. The atmosphere in Good Night and Good Luck was what really caught my attention and would bring me back to watch a second time.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very well done and the black and white cinematography added a lot to the movie. It really helped put you in the time period. It blended well with the actual footage of McCarthy and other actual footage they used from the time period. It was a well made, informative movie with an enjoyable cast.
ReplyDeleteThis has been one of my favorite movies prior to taking this class, mainly because I have a career interest of being involved in current affair programming. I like how it shows how the flow of information is affected all the time by sponsors and underlying corporate interests. I like how the movie takes place at just a few locations, but still is able to represent the style, opinions, and concerns of the 50s. The music was also good.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the film and was disappointed when I had to be out sick for the rest of it. The time period was well described and portrayed while a lot of tensions were shown as a result of McCarthyism. It truly displayed just how problematic it was for people. I don't really know about the black and white cinematography adding a lot to the situation, but it did seem like it fit and was well handled and executed. It was a good, dramatic story that was executed properly and truly put people in the shoes of journalists living in the Red Scare period.
ReplyDeleteIn class I heard some people agree when it was said that black & white films are kind of exhausting to watch, I completely disagree with that statement. Sometimes I feel as though color is actually rather distracting and by making Goodnight and Good Luck in black and white, it not only helped me transport to the time period but also kept me engaged where I feel I would have otherwise fallen asleep. The film was dramatic and intense, I think this film did an excellent job at representing what was going on in this time in regards to McCarthyism and the effect it had on people during this time, especially the news reporters at CBS. The cuts of real footage were also something that kept me engaged and interested, to me what happened seems so surreal, kind of just like a scary story, something made up. This is definitely a film I intend to share with my loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI had seen Good Night and Good Luck prior to this class, however I felt as though I was able to examine the plot and characters through the lens of a television historian rather than a viewer expecting to be entertained. I felt as though the inclusion of Don Hollenbeck's made McCarythism much more relatable and real. Taught as a vocabulary term in high school American history, McCarthyism always seemed like a distant concept to me and I could never quite wrap my head around why or how it was so detrimental to people. I also feel as though the film provided insight of the progression of American television from what it started out as (entertainment and informing) to what it is now (a huge basis on how we form our beliefs and opinions). The film did an excellent job of portraying Edward Murrow, Fred Friendly, and CBS's involvement with McCarthyism, struggle with censorship, and journey to establishing itself as a top news network.
ReplyDeleteHaving missed the first half of the movie, there was a lot of Good Night and Good Luck that I was lost in. What I did see, however, was strong performances throughout as well as an effective use of historical material mixed with the film. It taught me a lot about exactly what happened in the media during that time, including the unfortunate loss of life due to the destruction of reputation. I felt that it got boring at parts, but that could be because I didn't have the back story. I would be open to watching the film as a whole down the line in order to get the whole experience.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who missed part of the film should get caught up online...anytime you miss a screening in class you are responsible for watching what you missed.
ReplyDelete