Movie Analysis
Running Head: MOVIE ASSIGNMENT/ESSAY TWO
Good Night, and Good Luck/Movie Analysis
Nora El-Bilawi
George Mason University
Dr. Rebecca Fox
Spring 2009
Introduction
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Movie Analysis
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Debrief of the Movie
The name of this movie Good Night, and Good Luck refers to a motto used by media and
CBS anchor Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s. At this time, media have been a typical fin de
siècle decade in at least one important respect: The realm of media was on the brink of a
profound transformation. The transformation occurred when the conflict around the role of
media raised as whether it is the maker of news or the reporter of them. The movie argues that
the media could be a well used tool or subject to be misused. The deregulation of media
ownership, the privatization of television in lucrative American, European and Asian markets,
and new communications technologies have made it possible for media giants to establish
powerful distribution and production networks within and among nations in an attempt to control
the world’s public opinions (Matthew Schwartz, 2008); who benefits from all that but the media
owners, making business out of manipulated news, and their governments--to justify and market
their own political agendas. Murrow’s message at the finale scene in the movie concludes that
perhaps now more than any other time in human history, objective media is desperately
needed—media to inform the masses; to provide voice to the voiceless; and to function as the
objective counterweight that scrutinizes the powers that be.
Leadership Presentations
In the realm of that charged conflict around what the actual role of media is, two
important figures were presented to illustrate different perspectives, styles, and methods of
leadership in tackling media and its discourse analysis. These two leaders challenged each other
with the power of media discourse that construct representations of the world, social
relationships, and social identities and emphasized on practices and texts that are ideologically
shaped by relations of power (Luke, 1997).
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Leadership Analysis
The movie had several leadership examples; howver, the most two important axes in the
moview were the charaters of Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Linking the
actions that Murrow McCarthy took throughout the incidents in the movie with our course
readings I will analyze their leadership methods in relation to Machiavelli, Hanh, Fullan, and
Gardner.
Leadership form our Reading Lenses
Edward R. Murrow
Hanh. The movie starts with Murrow’s dissatisfaction with most of the quality and the
type of news that his network was pushing him to present; all what mattered to the network is to
sell what they think people want and it was in fact serving their interests that was interwoven
with the corporate America’s. Murrow had the diligence to fight the sufferings that capitalism,
wealth, and fame brought to people who fought for its sustainability regardless the existence of
the “others.” He inspired his whole team in working collaboratively towards a well designed
goal that is to fight media contention. Murrow’s inner power enabled him to strongly fight back
and never be hesitant on what he believed in.
Fullan. Murrow had clear moral purpose when he stated “the fault is not in our stars but
in ourselves...we can’t deny our heritage and can’t run from responsibility,” and when he
defended the importance of the congressional committees in disputing accusations until there is a
proof for conviction. Murrow was trying to bring a new culture of change by believing in it and
implementing it in an ethical and patriotic message through the media venue; he was initiating
courageously the responsibility of the media people in using news coverages as a tool of
liberation, respect, and future determination.
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Gardner. Murrow’s ethical mind urged him to refuse that people with power can use
media as a tool of mere intolerance to “others” and that accusations turn into convictions without
respect to political agencies and social justices. He criticized his opponent’s disrespectful acts
when he said“civilized people do not insist on agreement before discussion” disagreeing does not
mean disrespect and that there must be controversies with no contaminations that is the essence
of respecting each other as human beings.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy
Machiavelli. McCarthy is a typical representation of the Machiavellian leader who tries
to manipulate people and events for his personal agenda. Power to him is by oppressing others
and creating and spreading fear. He used his political intelligence in twisting realities and
misusing his powers against any one who disagrees with him. McCarthy disregarded human
decency, dignity, and rights by convictions of no bases.
Discussion
In this paper I tackled this movie essay from two different dimensional analysis; first, by
providing a briefing analysis of the socio-political conflict that this movie is trying to zoom the
light on. I view the main principles in this movie as: media’s discourse analysis, relation of
discourse and power, and media as the tool in the hand of the voiced against the voiceless.
Second dimension, is analyzing the leadership methods of the two key characters from the lens
of our course readings of Machiavelli, Hanh, Fullan, and Gardner.
Murrow’s message in Good Night, and Good Luck reflects a real leader of his age and all
ages; he interconnected leadership with true power when he believed that he had to be the
messenger of the Truth.
References
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Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston: Harvard Business Press.
Hanh, T. N. (2007). The art of power. New York: HarperCollins.
Luke, A. (1997). Theory and practice in critical science discourse. In L. Saha (Ed.), International
encyclopedia of the sociology of education. Accessed April. 2009.
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed253a/Luke/SAHA6.html
Machiavelli, N. The prince. Classics Edition (2004). New York: Simon & Schuster, Pocket
Books Division.
Schwartz, M. (2008). Social media networking in 2009. Media Business Magazine, 86(6), 585.