I am not a pinko commie.
This was a powerful account of acclaimed CBS journalist Robert R. Murrows' (David Straitharn) decision to stand up against Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was out to rid the nation of pinko commies during the Cold War era.
McCarthy terrorized everyone in the country when he condemned individuals without giving them a fair trial. Robert R. Murrows and George Clooney (Fred Friendly) set out to make a statement against McCarthy's madness.
The movie was shot in black and white. It really captured the 50's in an authentic way. One would think it's a 50 year old movie, except for the fact that George Clooney is in it.
There was a lot of smoking going on in this movie. Murrows looked like he smoked 100 packs a day. Well, cigarettes were much cheaper back then.
There was one cigarette commercial where the announcer smokes a cigarette on live tv saying how the sponsors know that the viewers are well educated and are not easily persuaded by advertisements, therefore, those in the know smoke Kent cigarettes.
Columbia Broadcasting Station and Murrows decide to tread dangerous waters when they reported a story about a man who was labeled a communist by the government without a fair trial. They knew that they could become victims of those trials as well and become labeled communists. You could see what people went through when someone was labeled a commie during that time. It had the same stigma as being labeled a terrorist today. One journalist committed suicide by turning on his gas stove, because he couldn't handle the cruel labels.
The movie starts off in a boring way, but it does become very interesting. This is a very intelligent movie. You can see the tenseness, excitement, the busyness, and the stress of reporting against McCarthy, who is on a witch hunt against pinkos.
It took much courage to stand up and report the truth against powerful organizations whether it be the government or another institution that the majority believes in. People need to speak out against irrational tyranny. People need due process and their day in court.
In the beginning of the movie, Robert Downey, Jr. and his on-stage wife had to hide their marriage. He took off his wedding ring before he went to work. They did everything to keep it secret, but everyone knew they were married. CBS, in the 50's, had a policy that no two employees could be married. What kind of policy is that? Why? They didn't have as many personal freedoms as we do today.
Since they used so many old film clips of the McCarthy trials, the movie felt like a history class lesson.
There were also issues of censorship, controversy, losing sponsorships, and losing popular tv time slots. Murrows said that television can teach and inspire. Or it can just be a boob tube.
The Highs: Dramatic acting, powerful and relevant message.
The Lows: Black and white film. Slow and a bit dry. Preachy. It's like watching American History 101.
The Verdict: A powerful and relevant docudrama about standing up against the big institutions for truth, liberty, justice and the American way.
My rating: B, 84.
