Good Night, and Good Luck

Wow.

Just...just...

...wow.

First off, a big BIG thank you to Katharine and Symon for their recommendation. I never would have seen this otherwise.

This film is impossibly difficult to categorise. It's not a political thriller, but it does have political elements. It's not a biographical drama, but it does have elements of that too. I'd say it's docu-tainment, which is a word I've just made up. Story This is a story about journalists at CBS (specifically Ed Murrow), and their decision to do a story on Senator McCarthy. This is a risky thing to do, since anyone who attacks McCarthy automatically becomes a target for investigation. It starts with an airman in the US Air Force Reserves being, in effect, fired for communist sympathies. Nothing noteworthy there. But as they look at the story in more detail, they realise that the whole case is ridiculous, that he had no possible way to defend himself in court, that the Air Force acted unreasonably, and that the communist witch hunts in the country have finally descended into a farce.

It's about how no-one is neutral. Everyone has an agenda, from the studio boss who doesn't want to rock the boat for fear of losing his sponsors, to the journalist team who want to get McCarthy, for various reasons.

It's also about the Constitution, and more importantly about integrity, both of journalistic nature and of government. I can't actually say any more on this without really spoiling it for you.

There are a few laughs in there. Not for the hell of it, and not to break up the story, but simply because they are appropriate and in character.

This is not a bleak film. Far from it, it shows how people with the courage to stand up can change the world. But it also shows that there is always a price to pay for that.

It's not really until the last fifteen minutes that all the jigsaw pieces fall into place, the last nail is hammered in and you think "My god...." as it all finally comes together. That's not to say this film is disjointed, it's not. It's very linear. It's just that up to that point you think it's an interesting historical drama. And then suddenly, it's not...

Score A+
Truly outstanding. The sort of film that makes you ask "Oh my god, how did I live before seeing this film?"

I'm afraid the Saxon Film Classification system has failed at this point. A+ isn't enough for this film. Not because it will entertain you, but because it will make you think. Everyone should see this film. Hell, it should be required viewing in schools, particularly in the United States.

OQ "A man can stand upright..."

Final Thought Here, in my Jerry Springer section, I offer a final thought. Please, for the love of god, go and see this film! If you have even a slight passing interest in politics and/or history you will not be disappointed. I promise you.