"Good Night, Good Luck"-Glory and Dreams in the Age of Suspicion

Dario 2021-12-12 08:01:16

1. The age of suspicion

One day at the end of the 18th century, a group of priests and cardinals sat in the infamous Spanish Inquisition, who passed by and watched Goya's paintings. On the yellowed drawing paper is a hideous world: a grinning devil, a haggard and withered woman, a man convulsed with pain, a mist of hatred and ignorance, and a lingering life on the rough land. Although as early as the 15th century, religious courts began to push pagans to the torture frame, the so-called jihad has never been enough for the cruel Holy See, far from it. Their forces need more blood donations. So Father Lorenzo stepped up and led the priests to record people's whispers in the name of God, observe people's behavior, and let every "infidel" have nowhere to hide.



This is the world that the "Goya Spirit" showed to people at the beginning, full of suspicion, inquiries, and belief norms. The German theologian Martin Luther once commented on the influence of music on religion. "Music is second only to the love of God and should be praised as the master and ruler of human emotions... There is nothing like music and the Bible. Combine more closely.” Goya also used his paintbrush to record the religion in his eyes. The night party of witches and demons conveyed his doubts and fears.



On May 2, 1957, Joseph McCarthy, the former chairman of the Committee on Non-American Activities in the United States, died of illness caused by excessive drinking. The aftermath of the noisy "McCarthy Incident" did not disappear. After that, reflections on this incident have continued to this day. In 2001, there was "Forget Who I Am" starring Kim Carey, and in 2005, there was "Good Night, Good Luck" directed by George Clooney. The two films happen to be from two similar but different industry perspectives, film and television, telling how people in the "McCarthy Incident" faced sudden investigations and unanimous allegations. Some of them fled their homes and followed the crowd, while others stuck to their posts and fought angrily.



In fact, McCarthy alone will certainly not upset the United States not long after the Second World War and panic. After the Second World War, the United States began to become anxious in the face of the powerful Soviet Union and the rising China. In fact, people in the Committee of Inquiry on Non-U.S. Activities have been vague about the concept of communism. They simply included "all social reforms". For those conservatives, anything that would bring changes to the United States. Everyone "behaves suspiciously". In the years before and after the "McCarthy Incident," the FBI resigned from 378 people, subpoenaed 2,961 people, and initially charged 9,097 people, fully investigated the family and whereabouts of 10,000 people, and screened out more than 3 million Americans. trade off.



When David Lilienthal was accused of having shielded the Communist Party, he responded loudly and vocally to these pretentious accusations, "These people, regardless of whether they use circumstantial methods or innuendo methods, add unnecessary things to a person's From his body, steal his most precious thing-his reputation... and unfortunately, sometimes this is actually done in the name of democracy." The Republicans are busy engaging in their political persecution and depriving people in the name of democracy. Human rights. The Commission for Inquiry on Non-U.S. Activities collected any suspicious information everywhere. If the evidence was insufficient, the evidence was falsified, and the parties were rushed to give them a confession letter and let them sign the matter without giving them a chance to argue.



This behavior is strikingly similar to the Spanish Inquisition hundreds of years ago. The Inquisition does not directly enforce or sentence "infidels" to the death penalty, but locks up suspicious people, tortures them to force them to confess their crimes, and then submits them to a secular court and recommends that they be fired.



Political struggle has always been another form of war, invisibly changing people's attitudes and lives. Political issues can be left to scholars to study. I am more concerned about the different ways people respond to political events.

[Goya's Spirit]

2. Forget who I am

"The truth is, I have never been a person with great convictions, not at all. Frankly speaking, I think I lack courage. I am not like Luke Trump, who makes the crowd at the market care about those things. I never I haven't seen him, but I think I want to know him. Because I have to be surprised by what he said. I think he might tell you that the America shown in this room is not the America he defended to the death!"— —Peter UptonIn the



1950s, the film industry was greatly impacted by the development of television. People’s enthusiasm for movies has gradually subsided. They prefer to wear pajamas, lying on the sofa holding a dessert cone, doing nothing in front of a 14-inch screen, and unwilling to dress up, travel with their family, and line up to the theater. To watch a movie. The filmmakers have to do everything possible to bring the audience back to the theater.



"Forget who I am" began in a script discussion meeting, where all kinds of people pointed at Peter Upton's script and changed the story beyond recognition. Although he was very dissatisfied, he could only force a smile. After all, he is just a third-rate playwright who is just getting started, can only write scripts for B-level movies, and has no ability to maintain anything.



A club experience in his youth involved Peter in the "McCarthy Incident" not long afterwards. The African-American Commission of Inquiry compiled some lies about him and asked him to confess to these "crimes." Frustrated Peter got drunk, drove down the bridge, and lost his memory as a result, and floated to the beach in Lawson, California. Because he looked exactly like Harry Trump's son Luke Trump who died in World War II, he was loved by Harry, who was eager to his son, as the surviving Luke.



Peter's appearance brought lifeless Lawson town to life again, and people began to wake up from the nightmare of World War II. Peter has continuously integrated into Luke's life, and has Luke's friends, teachers, lovers and family. He has gradually realized the difference between himself and Luke.



Peter Upton is not a great man, he is not a brave fighter, he is just an ordinary person, an ordinary person who only wants to have his own life. He follows good faith and only wants to live quietly. When Luke couldn't wait to save the world, Peter was happy not to take risks. He would rather live a humble life than a great death, becoming a dead soul shot by a machine gun. He just wants to hide in the fantasy world of the movie, to pay for his heroic dream, let the hero in the story charge and save the beauty, he just needs to enjoy it silently.



I think this is not only Peter, but also the attitude of most people. People praise heroes, but few people are willing to become heroes, because heroes mean sacrifice. No one wants to be a leader, open a path, and fight for the ideals and future of all mankind. Are you too busy for your own ideals, but are there people who are willing to fight for the ideals of others?



Before Luke Trump went to the battlefield, he knew he was destined to never return. He is convinced that someone must stand up to protect our homeland, and someone must stand up for the dream we strive to achieve. People usually talk about lofty ideals, but they know that many people use their lives and blood to realize these beliefs.



But after all, heroes are a minority, and most people still do nothing in their own small world. What can we ordinary people do?



At the hearing, the chairman obviously didn’t want to listen to Peter’s defense. He just wanted to hear him read the statement he had prepared, knocked on his gavel and it was over, and Upton would be able to get out of his field of vision. . But Peter did not compromise as he used to. He chose to stand up and speak generously and express his true thoughts.



Luke Trump wrote in the letter, "When the bully power rises, we must defeat it at all costs. This is a simple idea, but it is more valuable than anything." This is what people often say hero.



Peter has become a hero in people's hearts, even if his actions cannot change the development of the whole situation, it is a kind of spiritual inspiration and inspiration. Every ordinary person like him may become brave and stand up and say what is in his heart. Just like in the end, Peter can finally say with relief to the immediate boss who arbitrarily tampered with his script, "This is really the stupidest idea I have ever heard."



In fact, everyone has the ability to change their lives, but they cannot take the first step. Just like the people in Lawson, California, they all know that Peter is not Luke Trump, but they would rather believe that he is. They just need a hope and a happy revelation. All they lack is a little courage.

[Peter Upton reflects the fear of ordinary people]

3. Good night and good luck.

"For those who oppose Senator McCarthy’s approach, now is not the time to remain silent. We can ignore our traditions and our History, but we cannot avoid responsibility for the consequences. It is impossible for the citizens of a republic to give up their responsibilities."



—Edward Roscoe Murrow is different from Upton, and Edward Rothko Murrow is precisely here. The man who survived the roar of the anti-aircraft shells. When there was no TV, he used the radio to broadcast the disaster reports of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey on the spot. No one saw him shaken by a few bombs exploding around him.



At the end of the film, although Murrow's efforts ushered in victory-McCarthy's downfall. The boss of CBS, Mr. Paley, was prepared to cut his program because of the trouble he brought and the pressure from politicians. He helplessly and indignantly said to the opinionated Murrow, "You should teach journalism!"



In fact, Murrow has always abided by and pursued the meaning and value of the news in his mind: accurate, objective, timely, concise and concise. He is an idealist in the minds of many people. He can't be a general manager or a capitalist because he doesn't understand the theory of operating and managing budgets, and he can't bear to lay off employees and reduce costs. He is an artist in the press, following history precisely and insisting that "facts speak louder than words." Television media is no longer a toy to entertain the public in Merrow's business, nor is it an escape from reality and a world isolated from society. He worked hard, recreating history with real broadcasts. You won't see him digging up celebrity gossip, talking about current fashion trends, and telling unrealistic but innocuous jokes. He will visit Khrushchev, MacArthur, Anne Lee Moss, etc. When reporters were all looking to capture news such as Eisenhower’s behind-the-scenes manipulation, only Murrow proposed to report on Milo Redovich being swept out by the Air Force. Most people just thought he was a hapless person, and it passed. Murrow reads the same newspapers as others, but he can discover more truths to be unearthed, incidents that violate the values ​​of Western civilization. In many cases, the truth is not well hidden, it is just ignored by us habitually.



Murrow wrote in a letter to his parents: "I will be wrong from time to time, but I have to try to speak like a preacher. To tell the truth does not have to be a pastor." He is not as full of faith as many people think. , Abide by the rules. Although he is a conservative, he believes in a sense of personal honor, in the right cause he has done, and in the truth of what he sees.



When people lived through suspicion and comforted themselves that McCarthy would fall, and waited for him to go too far, the Senate went to investigate him. Only Murrow insisted on speaking for those who have suffered injustice, thinking that his son is not. The father should be burdened with prejudice. Many things should not be blamed on allies and enemies. We often find out that we have done something wrong. This is more terrifying than being knocked down by the enemy.



In the face of sudden changes in the environment, most people choose to swallow their anger and adapt to the current situation, and even "show the limelight". Walt Disney and Ilya Kazan are two celebrities that have been criticized. They have exposed hundreds of circles. Friends or acquaintances within, for self-protection or out of narrow jealousy, this is not known. When reporters withdrew from the program production team because of "unclean life experience", Murrow took his usual tone and said half-seriously and half jokingly: "If we haven't read the so-called'dangerous' books, make friends with you. "Dissident" friends, or never participate in any organization that promotes "innovation", then we become the kind of people McCarthy expects."



When people smell the horror, the first reaction is to escape, only silent People like Luo chose to stand up because the horrible atmosphere had already come to him, and he couldn't let him be arrogant, otherwise people would lose themselves and become puppets manipulated by others.



The name "Good night, good luck" comes from his customary ending of the show, "Good night-good luck", like a cautious and sincere wish from a friend before leaving. It's a pity that people still like to make a fuss about the uninterrupted cigarettes in his hand that are like celebrities. Even when the news of his death is broadcast, they still don't forget to add a cigarette ad. However, just like the cable buried in the ground, Murrow's spirit is tenacious and far-reaching. The truth will be spread to every household's TV through this cable one day.

[You should teach journalism! ]

4. Glory and dreams

"In Germany, at first they hunted down communists and I didn’t speak--because I was not a communist; then they hunted down Jews, but I didn’t speak--because I was not a Jew; after that, they hunted down and killed the Jews. Catholics, I didn’t speak because I was a Protestant; they came to me in the end. But no one stood up to speak for me."-Martin Niemoller (1945)



The above quoted from the inscription on the Boston Jewish Holocaust Memorial. The Spanish Inquisition began to slaughter Jews in 1492, and the Muslims in Spain did not speak. Ten years later, in 1502, the butcher knife of the Inquisition was extended to Muslims. They revolted, but they were helpless and had to be violently suppressed. Since then, Spain has become a bridgehead for Christianity to resist the expansion of Islam in Europe. History is invisible, repeated continuously, and it has become the annotation of this inscription time and time again.



There are always some movies or stories that make us re-examine ourselves. Perhaps, we are not destined to be the shining one millionth, and we cannot be as calm and steady as Merrow and become a monumental figure in an industry or even an era, but we can stick to our ideals and not let ourselves be aware of what is happening in the world. Turn a deaf ear to the shouts of those kids.



Usually, we are just like Peter Upton, and we can even be said to be timid, but there is always a moment when we have to make a choice, I hope that my choice will make me feel proud when I think about it in the future. . Everyone makes mistakes, but we must live real.

Please indicate the author: Nine-Tailed Black Cat
http://www.mtime.com/my/LadyInSatin/blog/648743/

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Extended Reading
  • Krystal 2021-12-12 08:01:16

    Good night and good luck

  • Lowell 2022-04-22 07:01:31

    New Year's Eve 2012.

Good Night, and Good Luck. quotes

  • Title Card: Throughout the 1940s and 1950s America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than two hundred "card-carrying" communists had infiltrated the United States Government. Few in the press were willing to stand up against McCarthy for fear thaqt they too would be targeted.

  • Edward R. Murrow: [giving a speech to the Radio-Television News Directors Association] I began by saying that our history will be what we make it. If we go on as we are, then history will take its revenge, and retribution will not limp in catching up with us.