The News Team by Murrow and the Outcome of the Social Settings - Essay Example

Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney This paper presents a cinematographic analysis of the film Good Night, and Good Luck. It also illustrates the close analysis of one single shot from the movie. Part one The cinematic techniques engaged in the film Good Night and Good Luck that attract much attention include photography in black and white, tight frames or close up shots, and indoor shots. It is in most people’s view that it was a brilliant idea for the film to use black and white dispensation in color. This is because it ensures that the audience feels like the setting of the movie is actually in the year 1953 (Clooney & Heslov 17). This happens as they watch the scene depicted in the film. In case the movie had been in color, it would not appear as realistic hence; it would make the audience feel like just watching historical events. This is not as appealing as it would be to watch such events as they occur. The photography as done in black and white seems to indicate that the film is in fact, black and white. It means that Murrow is white for his right actions and McCarthy is black due to his wrongful doings. McCarthy continues to do wrong with the film for accusing communists (innocent people) for their beliefs, as he does not have sufficient proof (Clooney & Heslov 39). The news crew and Murrow are right for standing up against McCarthy as nobody else shows the viewers why his actions are wrong. Photographic styles of black and white appear to make the theme of the movie. It made the audience more alert to the immediate environment within the movie. This is because black and white appears relatively boring and dull, the movie’s theme really stands out. Irrespective of the film focusing on the conflict between historical figures, Senator Joseph McCarthy, and journalist extraordinaire Edward Murrow and the roles been played by actors under a dramatic script, the film does not fully fit as a documentary. The question brings to light various cinematographic elements of Clooneys film. Clooney, having directed and co-written the film chooses to depict the film in a manner that mimics direct cinema methodologies such as in other documentaries exhibited between the1950s and 1960s (Clooney & Heslov 35). First, the camera used in the film is hand-held and follows the action to plan the way the director takes black and white shots. It appears to capture all aspects of reality while they happen. The line is so blurry for an effective distinguisher between nonfiction and fiction. Sen. McCarthy is presented by himself through digital restoration of clips about him. Past this technique, the film also includes various dramatic structures that are similar to those of a documentary. With love stories taking over, the film contrivances aspects about personal lives involving men that is not part of the Hollywood film. However, there are more superfluous romantic subplots, which include reporter Joe Wershba. The film drama is not gotten from the development of deep character (Clooney & Heslov 87). The audience’s empathy organically builds more in a less obvious way through focusing attention to the dramatic situation and through the belief in impeccable performances captured by Clooney. The film starts by showing Murrow in a moment of broadcast journalism reflection in 1958 during a ceremony to honor his achievements. The scene is excellently shot while the subtle sound design triggers nostalgic and joyful feelings. However, the film quickly transports the audience back to the Red Scare height across America, circa 1953. Here, Sen. McCarthy holds a number of hearings with the Senate while blindly charging individuals with Communist affiliations and un-American activities. Murrow and his colleagues are seen in a smoke-filled newsroom while working. They have a live jazz band conducted by Diane Reeves and it softly plays at its background. All these components remind the audience of the live television Golden Age while the nostalgia keeps disappearing and the pace picks up. At this point, the characters express higher levels of anxiety across the existing occurrences. The section of the audience with strong feelings regarding McCarthyism as well as civil liberties issues begin with empathy for Murrow with full awareness of his impact on media history (Clooney & Heslov 113). It also counts for the country’s history. The adoption of the direct cinema approach ensured that the film presents a colder touch and more withdrawn from the inner conflicts of the characters. This way, he is in a position of creating a film, which depicts an overview of the frequent changes in politics within the time and makes it further relevant to the current happens in modern day. For purposes of replacing the term "communist" with "terrorist", Murrows terminologies take up a different meaning. All aspects of the construction add up to the cinematography as well as the silent jazz scores geared towards excellent restrain of performances. It also engraves the deliberations of the actual script. The camera frames and angles are self-conscious hence creating a cool palette of a black and white nature. The quick pace illustrates the sense of reality that unfolds inform of the audience (Clooney & Heslov 192). All the conflict and drama of the period allows the development of suspense in the filming style. Lastly, Murrow consults his colleagues for purposes of looking at possibilities of having the television medium offer and put aside the commercial value to favor public interest. He inquires whether television is simply a transmission box without an ability of adhering to its audience’s preferences. The deliberations shared about the Murrow representation are applicable to the whole film. The other cinematic technique that is rather evident was the manner in which the movie has plenty of tight frames and close up shots. Each time the camera operator zooms in to a character’s face, the audience can feel like they are in front of the individual as they talk to them. This makes it appear rather personal with a comprehensive touch of concern. It also ensures that the audience feels as if they deal with such conflicts together with the character that has been zoomed in on (Clooney & Heslov 26). For every time that the camera engages a close up, it depict a tight frame as well. The tight framing illustrates that the character zoomed in on has a tight position as they do not have plenty of room to navigate. There are many tight frames where the characters find themselves in difficult situations, as they cannot be aware of what they do and what was black and white (right or wrong). The use of tight framing is a smart idea as it makes the audience link with the stress in which the film’s characters feel making the movie relatable. Even as Good Night, and Good Luck portrays a bare contradiction for the position of McCarthy in creating a fearful climate, the film’s focus simplifies the complex personnel and era involved. Through similar ways, the film delivers limits for the American history account through an entirely different perspective for the respective journalists (Clooney & Heslov 68). Unlike other films of the time, Good Night, and Good Luck is both limited for its level of perspective and its locale without the single exterior shot. Its set is restricted in New York City for the CBS studios. The film wrongly suggests that Murrow as well as his fellow colleagues were lone dissent voices as seen by other public figures and organizations fighting McCarthyism. PART TWO a) framegrab An essential cinematographic technique is the frame grab. The movie’s shots were mostly indoor shots and all in the studio for television recording. These indoor shots ensure that the movie’s characters appear trapped in one environment. The shots deny these characters much room for moving around since they take on the serious issues affecting everyone who watches their television show (Clooney & Heslov 47). The fact that they do not go outside may seem as if they can never see the light of day. This means that the characters are trapped indoors handing the communist issues. Since the illustrated shots are not taken outside, they never share in the joy of sunlight including feeling of happiness or peace. This has a high relationship to the movie’s plot because the film’s characters take on a serious issue for which the characters are troubled by. The indoor shots are a creative idea and enables the audience wonder around the relationship between such indoors shots and the pressure for moving within the room. It translates into an interesting idea making the film even more appealing. In general, all the cinematic techniques are within ideas helping the movie deliver its message (Clooney & Heslov 26). These techniques send out the notion that Murrow as well as his television crew is seeking to do the right things but end up with handing tough decisions trapping them between evaluating between right and wrong. The interpretation of film by Murrow illustrates the iconic figurehead for the medium (fledgling) as the ever-serious person who does not have any substantiated doubt on his strife to oppose McCarthy. He rather spoils cheerful atmosphere within salutations for himself as compared to giving up the admonitory stance. b) single-shot close analysis The bedrock of the film is the performance by Strathairn, which is one of the masterpieces of self-doubt and calibrated dignity so evident that the glimpses absence in the private life of the iconic journalist turns unimportant. The film by Clooney confines this aspect into small indoor series of locales (including the CBS studio sets, convention hall, and bar). It has the claustrophobia heightening the storys repressive intimidation and fear climate as well as the rigid shots of Strathairn with some level of lined visage in his eyes that tremble with both fear and conviction (Clooney & Heslov 36). They appear to be pushing the individual to a breaking point. While moving within the frame of Clooney and ensuring allowance of his piercings to glance on moments of occasional falter deliver introspective repose. Strathairn depicts Murrow not as a simple person but a righteous indignation force in a society to confront lies and the half-truths. Therefore, while the newsroom hustles are juxtaposed with measurable pullback shots, Murrow work in one empty room at a typewriter with his hands and face moving with the efficiency of a person focused at the work. Both the actor and director perceive the essence of the quiet, calm and clarity assurance amid the characters’ era of political hysteria. Television news is other interesting parts across modern media. This is because many people only see faces and voices reading text from the teleprompter. The viewer rarely does not get to view all stuff that goes on behind such scenes. Nobody is aware of this than George Clooney, who is seen to spend most of his youthful life visiting his father who is an anchor on news set. Due of this, his director role in the film is a personal project and one that has incredible relevance to current sociopolitical situations across the country with respect to how politics play in news reporting (Clooney & Heslov 45). The film by Clooney appears to be of close resemblance to a documentary as it blends the rarely used McCarthy newsreel footage as well as the senate hearings to illustrate recreations of the events happening behind the Murrows newsroom scenes. The decision of making a film in black-and-white film increases the illusion that the audience is watching movies from the ancient era through an excellent script by Grant Heslov and Clooney who set the tone for viewers. It is clear that Heslov and Clooney spent plenty of time doing research on the movie, and the audience if privy to all that happens through sessions of brainstorming and planning for historic broadcasts and the news team by Murrow to discuss the outcome of the social settings. Works Cited Clooney, George & Heslov, Grant. Good Night, And Good Luck: The Screenplay and History Behind the Landmark Movie. New York: New market Press, 2006. Print Read More