George Clooney smartly directs this 2005 film, that chronicles the real-life conflict between television news pioneer Edward R. Murrow and the “witch hunting” Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Backed by an all-star cast as his studio production team, David Strathairn brilliantly portrays earnest and determined Murrow who delivers sobering facts to American audiences as he “tries McCarthy in the press”, on the documentary show See It Now.
Host of the CBS shows Person to Person and See It Now, Murrow spends a portion of his career questioning McCarthy’s methods and motives for his relentless attacks on innocent people. He calls on journalistic integrity and on the American judicial system to challenge McCarthy and his anti-Communist mission.
A target of McCarthy’s unfounded accusations of Communist activities, persistent Murrow continues his media battle with the Senator and criticizes irresponsible journalists who perpetrate McCarthy’s fear mongering tactics. Seeing that the future of information dissemination and news reporting relies on broadcast television, Murrow wisely advises American audiences to treat news reports with skepticism and invites journalists to be more responsible to their public and to the people they describe in their messages.
The movie’s soundtrack is peppered with gorgeous jazz segments serving as musical intermissions between grim and intense scenes of political propaganda and judicial discourse. Both the music provided by a jazz band and the stunning black and white cinematography work to make this film an authentic depiction of the time-period in which took place this dramatic battle within Cold War history.
The film closes with Murrow bidding his well-known salute to Americans, “Good night, and good luck”.
Where: Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum
3911 Carp Road Carp ON K0A 1L0 (Just one exit from Scotiabank Place)
When: Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 at 7pm
Optional tour offered at 6pm
Who: Adults
Cost: Film: $8, Film and tour: $15
FREE for museum members and Connexion card holders.
www.diefenbunker.ca
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