An Analysis Of George Clooney's Good Night And Good Luck

Composers during the Post War period often sought to reveal an authentic sense of the ways of thinking through the use of characters and themes, in order to replicate the social fears and anxieties of the time. George Clooney aimed to create authenticity in his film “Good Night and Good Luck” through his depiction of the fears caused by McCarthyism and its ‘witch hunts’. Similarly, John F. Kennedy, in his speech “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” (1963), which is seen as the definitive speech of the Cold War, and Anthony Rizzo’s social guidance film, “Duck and Cover” (1951), also reflect the philosophical and political paradigms of the Cold War era through exhibiting this authentic sense of the time period.

Clooney has sought to display the ways of thinking

The conversations between the couple demonstrate the social apprehensions that accompanied the interplay of their personal lives and the business world, as Shirley during a conversation, “Turned and looked over [her] shoulder to see who was listening.” This, in conjunction with the two-shot, reflects the anxiety of the time period as she feared that every word she said could result in some form of persecution, in line with the ‘witch hunts’ promoted by McCarthyism. This notion is also reflected through the use of props, using the window blinds to obscure the audience’s view of the couple in the coffee room, symbolizing that the truth is manipulated and censored. This is reflected in the need to hide their relationship from the workplace due to fear of governmental persecution. The social anxieties of the time period are also evidenced through the signing of the Oath of Loyalty, as Shirley says, “If you don’t sign this, are you and I a target?” The fearful tone reflects the anxieties of the time period as Shirley fears their persecution from CBS for not publically declaring their allegiance to America, and consequently against communism. Clooney is able to use the relationship of Joe and Shirley to create an authentic sense of the philosophical paradigms in order to reflect the social tensions of the