One of Edward Morrow's appearances was a cigarette in the shadows, just as he was about to take the stage to give a speech, and the stoic newsman always seemed to have a cigarette in his hand. It was later discovered that other characters in the film were also inseparable. Such a nuanced film would never arrange inconsequential elements, and that smoke must represent something.
Morrow also sat aside at the editorial meeting, hardly saying a word. In half-joking, everyone decided on a topic that could pierce the sky, smoking cigarettes and busy themselves. Morrow is also silently thinking about his speech, and the cigarette in his hand has never been broken.
During the live broadcast, Fred helped Morrow light a cigarette, Morrow put his hand holding the cigarette on the table, and spit out his views, the views of the show, and the views of CBS so indifferently. I have never seen him take a puff, but he always feels that the cigarette in his hand can give him confidence. After the live broadcast, when the lights were dimmed, Morrow always lowered his head and took a deep breath, but the cigarette in his hand still floated upward.
When the TV station boss talked to them, the cigarette in Morrow's hand was still not broken. After trying to persuade him to no avail, he slammed it out. It seems to me that this is an oath, a protest. At that time, the American political scene was turbulent, and Morrow did not arbitrarily support one side, and maintained the principle of objective criticism. In this way, there will be all kinds of resistance: from McCarthy, from the boss, from the military, and even from advertisers, Morrow has overcome one by one: he pays for the show, contradicts the boss, and continues to produce the show despite the pressure of the military.
So the cigarette in Morrow's hand has meaning. Against the background of television entertainment in the United States at that time, Morrow and his team insisted on doing a live broadcast of current affairs every Tuesday night. Tobacco is a pastime, but if everything, including TV shows, has become a pastime, how should we know the truth of this world, and if we don't know the truth, how can we correctly fulfill the rights of a legitimate citizen in a democratic country like the United States? Well, if the people of this country are all about entertainment, then the future of this country and this American nation will also be bleak.
Morrow saw this. He said: "The actions of the Wisconsin state legislator have sounded the alarm and caused panic among our overseas allies, while comforting our enemies. Whose fault is it? It's not just his (McCarthy) fault," he said. He did not create this panic situation. Cassius was right, Brutus was at fault because of us.”
It was because of us. This sentence explains the status quo of American society at that time: after some bourgeoisie gained wealth, they squandered it on entertainment and pastimes, including ordinary citizens. Entertainment to death, the director and actors carved these four words on the screen with a soldering iron behind a layer of faint smoke.
Moreau's exploits can be said on a few pages, but he is difficult to describe with pen and ink in the film. There are not many lines, the demeanor is almost calm and determined, and the plot of the whole film has few ups and downs. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is an artistic documentary. His profound speech at the beginning and end of the film personally felt that it did not fit the bland tone of the whole film, and seemed a little heavy. It is full of the film's purpose and Morrow's outlook on life, but it is too deep to be expressed in more prosaic language.
I feel that everything is attributed to the light smoke in Morrow's hands. When writing, thinking, chatting, and recording programs, the one end of the cigarette is Morrow's mouth for the sake of America, and the other end is the fire that can burn all false and ugly things.
View more about Good Night, and Good Luck. reviews
