Today, when color films are popular, appearing as black and white films can often become an anomaly.
I often wonder why early films or black and white films, or even silent films, have a higher artistic level than today's films. For me, black and white film means a dark and elegant style. Their flashpoints are often beyond the visual impact, and there is an emotion above and beyond the senses that permeates the atmosphere of black and white films.
Most black and white films are endowed with the humanistic thinking unique to the old times.
They are less impetuous than calm, they are more exploratory than kitsch.
That's probably what makes Good Night, and Good Luck such a handsome dark horse.
Its overall look is rigorous and smooth, with a gentleman's demeanor without losing passion.
The atmosphere of black and white tone and the real recorded images of the 50s have reached a perfect fusion. Every line of the hero is mixed with wisdom and passion. Character-to-character dialogue exemplifies true wit and grace. The music used for the connection also chose jazz in line with the times, or the voice of the actress in a deep or cheerful manner.
Of course, classic doesn't mean perfect. Its own shortcomings, in my opinion, are nothing more than the lack of impact on the explosion of contradictions. The original intention was a documentary, but it lacked multiple angles in portraying the characters, highlighting certain aspects of the positive characters. It's a well-mannered cinematic adventure where everything seems too well-mannered. For non-English speaking countries, non-American people, the film's speech is too fast, but maybe this is aggressive American speech.
Since I admire such a film style, these shortcomings may only be regarded as characteristics. We have seen too many wonderful stunts and too many nerve-stimulating pictures, and it is often easy to get lost in such an atmosphere when facing elegance.
What a truly elegant sophistication. It flows slowly like a long river, and it is as calm as the night.
I set three shades for this film. In fact, this is its own light and shadow.
Black——The Killing of Thought
Many movies often express the dangers that people can face, some from outer space, some from ghosts and gods. These are all born out of people's fear of the unknown world.
For this film, the danger that people face comes from people themselves. The fall and wavering from human nature.
As the group does in the film, when they have a meeting together, they feel themselves surrounded by deep fear. As mentioned by the hero, fear is in this room. This is not some supernatural phenomenon, this is a feeling of fear that comes from the heart, comes from life. It is real, it is even pervasive. This is also the reason why the hero chooses to fight. He is unwilling to be overthrown by this shake of human nature, he is unwilling to succumb to wrong ideas, and it is even more impossible for him not to protect the originally free and upright people in the United States.
Those who appreciate the film need to do some homework.
First understand its background, it is in the era of the famous "McCarthyism" in the United States.
McCarthyism was a typical representative of the anti-communist and anti-democratic countercurrents in the United States from 1950 to 1954. It maliciously slandered and recklessly persecuted the Communist Party and democratic progressives to those who disagreed. From the beginning of 1950, McCarthyism began to spread, and in the five years before and after it went bankrupt at the end of 1954, its influence spread to all aspects of American political, diplomatic and social life. McCarthyism
, as a proper term, has also become synonymous with political persecution.
The protagonist is the very famous American TV legend Edward R • Morrow. In 1953, when he was hosting the CBS news documentary program "Look Now," Morrow was also the host of the talk shows "Between People" and "TV Faces." He and producer Fred Frindley, his team (Don Hewitt, Joe Washbar, Palmer Williams, Jesse Zusmer, John Aaron, Charlie Mark and Eddie Scott and 7 journalists), starting with the incident with the Navy pilot Milo, and perseveringly fought against then-Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.
These journalists and TV people, despite the many obstructions, defended innocent victims one after another, and attacked "McCarthyism" time and time again.
White——The shining of human nature in the era
Under the darkness, discover the shining point of human nature. Movies are always studying people and human nature.
Humanistic films are devoted to excavating human nature. Serious films are dedicated to real humanity. Movies that move between the two rely more on the audience's aesthetics. Socrates once said, know yourself. Not to explore the vast universe, but to explore yourself.
Before praising the film for its fairness and truthfulness of politics, I want to praise it for capturing a certain aspect of human nature. It's a very clear and pleasing narrative. The director can say that he is not only restoring the past but also restoring the truth. Moreau struggled not because he was a perfect man or because he had any clear political stance, he was first of all a loyal and rational American; second, he was a man with a clear mind and keen insight; What makes a difference is his quest for the truth as a journalist.
Truth, that's the courage people need in the age of terror. Resist persecution, protect family members, respect beliefs, gain freedom, all because someone is constantly pursuing the truth, making the truth public, and defending the truth.
Wash the insulted, save the damaged, let the only voice not tremble with fear.
Moreau and his team have awakened people to open their eyes again and again.
Face the deformity and injustice of the age of fear, face the ugliness and danger around the invasion.
Ash —— The road behind victory is not smooth.
The protagonist Morrow defeated McCarthyism in his own form, but he failed to overcome the changing aesthetic sense and entertaining taste of the general audience. His show was replaced and scaled back. Some of his colleagues were laid off, some of whom were nowhere to be found.
The ending echoes the beginning. The warriors who have been through it all come together, they laugh and remember, they are not surrounded by sadness. It is not their hearts that can make them frown, but their consciences, their responsibilities for this era and the ones to come. Because they understand that their past, present, and future battles will have a long way to go. They need to treat not people's bodies but people's hearts, and before that, they must ensure that their hearts will not rot and shake. Some backed down, some sacrificed, and many more stayed, grieving the end of the age of terror.
Although the horror has passed, impetuousness and noise are coming.
The media will be the hallmark of the public's conscience. And this conscience still beats strongly at the end of the film, whether it leaves the stage of history or not.
This is the end that life can give a combatant. It can never be too bad, but it can't be too good either.
A true fighter is one who can face the bleakness of his own life. In the face of adversity, the first thing they can think about is the humanity of the whole human being rather than the meaning of their own existence. The only ideological value used by the film with the reminiscence structure throughout the whole film, from the beginning to the end, the protagonist's thinking does not change, he changes the object of his battle, but he does not change the idea of his battle.
Such a spirit can be an inspiration to us. In this era, the shackles of thought still exist, and human nature is still facing various tests. The film, television, radio and entertainment industry that magnifies all of this is still full of vulgarity and ignorance. Yet the role of television is still to guide people. More people believe the language of TV, more people need to be corrected, and more people can be awakened.
We do need to have ideals, beliefs, passions that go beyond the world;
we have nothing, but we move forward.
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