Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck. is an American movie about the McCarthy era. The focus is on the conflict between the television journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy. George Clooney led in this black and white movie not only directing, he also wrote the screenplay with and acts as a performer in front of the camera. In Switzerland, the movie was released on 12 January 2006 in Austria on 17 February 2006 in the original English version (in some cinemas with German subtitles ), and on 6 April 2006 in Germany (where German dubbed version ).

The person Joseph McCarthy is portrayed in the film of this yourself by original clippings former television broadcasts are used, in which he holds his speeches.

Action

Framed by an award ceremony for the journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1958 looks the movie back to the years 1953 and 1954, in which Murrow together with his producer Fred Friendly and a small team of reporters in the political television program See It Now fighting the machinations of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Senate committee headed by him recorded. This committee was established to uncover Communist conspiracies within state organs, but violated again and again against civil rights.

Starting from the case of an Air Force soldier who was discharged from military service because he refused to denounce his sister and his father, Murrow venture a direct attack on McCarthy. This encounter Murrow and his team on resistance to the sponsors and the management of the CBS.

Nevertheless, the program about McCarthy to a great triumph. Murrow mainly cut original sounds from McCarthy to each other, which showed that he - in the opinion of Murrow - a greater threat to democracy posed as the he is looking for Communists. As McCarthy did not make it to refute in another broadcast the arguments against his actions credible, began his political demise.

Murrow's success but by the suicide of his friend, news anchor Don Hollenbeck as well as the success of trivial entertainment programs - primarily game shows - tarnished, and end up running See It Now instead of a week in the evening program only irregularly on Sunday afternoon.

Finally, the film returns to Murrow's speech at the award ceremony, which he ended with the warning that it should be the task of television, the viewers also to instruct, and maybe even inspire. This is also dependent on the willingness of the audience to take on the task of television as such. Otherwise, the TV would remain no more than just a box with wires and lights.

Background

The film is based on historical events: Edward R. Murrow So criticized in his program " See It Now" in fact McCarthy's anti-Communism campaign and thus contributed to the end of his political career. Guarantees are also the attacks of the U.S. journalist Jack O'Brian, a supporter of Joseph McCarthy, on Murrow's colleague Don Hollenbeck, possibly committed suicide, among others, for this reason.

In test screenings, the original recordings of Senator McCarthy were not recognized as authentic material from some viewers. In subsequent interviews criticizing the alleged actor for his theatrical and exaggerated representation. Director and co-author Clooney commented told the magazine The Advocate as follows:

Publication

The film opened on 7 October 2005 in theaters and could import 54 million U.S. dollars worldwide again with a production budget of 7 million U.S. dollars. In Germany the film opened on April 6, 2006 and was seen by a total of 194 629 moviegoers. Since 10 October 2006, the film on DVD is available.

Reviews

  • " Good Night, And Good Luck ' is excellently played, excellently equipped and superbly photographed political cinema, in which only the immanent by the selected dealing with the raw material defects are minor criticisms, which in turn neutralized somewhat by cleverly interwoven details." - Simon Staake on filmszene.de
  • "This is a picture about a turning point in the media did so helped force a turning point in history, and a movie did Asserts, by example, did contemporary news media have let us down. [ ... ] What's exceptional about ' Good Night, and Good Luck ' [ ... ] did is it does not sacrifice craftsmanship and elegance at the altar of its strong convictions. "- Stephanie Zacharek on salon.com (This film is about a turning point in the media, which also evoked a turning point in history, and he says by way of example, that contemporary media have let us down. Was an, Good Night, and Good Luck 'is so extraordinary, is that it does not sacrifice craftsmanship and elegance on the altar of his firm belief. )
  • The Film Review Board Wiesbaden gave the film the predicate Especially Valuable. In the grounds of the FBW opinion states, inter alia: The dedicated work as a director George Clooney offers the viewer a lot of information and insight into a dark chapter of American history that is universally seen. The climate of fear and intimidation that is conveyed here, and the power of straight and strong-minded journalists who acts, however, should be seen as an appeal to a responsible journalism. The warning not to underestimate the manipulation by politicians and the media, it is abundantly clear - and also stimulates in to deal with today's problems and the superficiality of the mass medium of television.
  • The online portal Spiegel Online wrote about the film: Regardless of how consistent or vanity you may find it that George Clooney doing the same even presents himself as Lancelot in Murrow's Round Table, or whether one traces the parallels between McCarthy and Bush: Raised on this political level, it is noteworthy that the criticism formulated here never calls into question whether Communists should ever be prosecuted for. Murrow's confirmed position aims solely to the wrong methods, the prejudices, trimmed fundamental rights of those who have not been convicted by due process of their guilt. The Clooney himself into view forced political stance of his film seems so maybe less left or particularly liberal, but rather like a movie translation of Welch indictment: Have you no sense of decency?
  • The lexicon of the International film said: Engaged film suggests that the Communist hunter, came to the case by the commitment of the television man who fell at his station in the line of fire. Excellent played, photographed atmospheric and staged, he takes up the cudgels for a responsible television journalism, where the function of the media is discussed as a tool of manipulation.

Awards

Oscar Ceremony 2006

  • Nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (David Strathairn ), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay

Golden Globe Awards 2006

  • Nominations in the Best Picture - Drama, Best Director, Best Actor - Drama (David Strathairn ) and Best Screenplay

British Academy Film Awards 2006

  • Nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (David Strathairn ), Best Supporting Actor ( George Clooney ), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing

European Film Awards 2005

  • Prix ​​Screen International - Best non-European film

International Film Festival of Venice 2005

  • FIPRESCI Award: George Clooney
  • Golden Osella: Best Screenplay
  • Human Rights Film Network Award - Special Mention: George Clooney
  • Pasinetti Award: Best Film
  • Coppa Volpi: Best Actor: David Strathairn

More awards

2005 in film Grant Heslov Film score Tate Donovan 78th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Production Design Academy Award for Best Cinematography Golden Globe Award for Best Director Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Volpi Cup Grammy Award Leatherheads
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