Good Night, and Good Luck

[The ClayTaurus]

So I just saw this movie this weekend. Politics aside, I didn't think the movie was amazing. It was good, but Clooney seemed to stray here and there a bit too much. There were some side stories that just didn't seem to have much of an impact, and areas that could have been more illuminated were not (particularly the suicide). I did like their use of authentic footage mixed with the movie's.

I saw the movie with my parents, and they said it was quite authentic, as far as them smoking on camera and their general candor. I won't pretend to know a ton about McCarthy and who he was, but my dad, a conservative through and through, said McCarthy became more and more of an "the ends justify the means" type of guy as his anti-communism movement gathered steam. The movie seemed to do a decent job of conveying that message, and my two criticisms would be that 1) the movie picked up towards the end of McCarthy's run without examining him from the beginning and 2) that there was absolutely no take on events from McCarthy's side at all. Both of these would, in my opinion, be difficult to tackle the way this film was set up.

Ultimately, the message I most agreed with was the assertation that TV has the potential to be an excellent tool for knowledge, but will never be appropriately used because, as the exec said in the movie, people don't want to watch programs that are so serious in nature all the time. They want to watch game shows and be insulated; think happy thoughts.

I know others have seen this movie, but didn't see a specific thread devoted to it. I'm sure most of you here hated it, if you could stomach even paying to see it. Yes? No?

 

[Dan]

I have not seen it, but really want to. I've heard really good things about it, but I did hear that it's short and some of it still feels a little padded. I wasn't a huge fan of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but I've heard Clooney really toned down all the camera tricks and just stuck to telling a story in this one.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I have not seen it, but really want to. I've heard really good things about it, but I did hear that it's short and some of it still feels a little padded. I wasn't a huge fan of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but I've heard Clooney really toned down all the camera tricks and just stuck to telling a story in this one.

All true.

 

[Zhukov]

I don't suppose they mentioned at the end that Soviet infiltration was more extensive than even McCarthy had claimed?

Not trying to start a political discussion, this is a serious question. Was there any sort of epilogue, like text on the screen right before the credits, explaining what the Soviets were actually up to?

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I don't suppose they mentioned at the end that Soviet infiltration was more extensive than even McCarthy had claimed?

Not trying to start a political discussion, this is a serious question. Was there any sort of epilogue, like text on the screen right before the credits, explaining what the Soviets were actually up to?

No, but the focus wasn't so much about Americans vs. communists as it was that McCarthy wasn't following procedure in taking on the communists. Namely, not producing evidence or accusers in front of the accused.

I suppose it would have been more complete had their been a prologue and epilogue giving historical context, and it would have painted a more complete picture.

I didn't leave the movie thinking it was pro or anti-communist so much as it was pro-civil liberties...but that's just one man's opinion.