McGowan GNGL

Good Night And Good Luck is

a film that portrayed the red scare in 1953. This film did a great job of showing the nature of the decade. For example, it was shot in black and white. This is the most obvious element that influences perception of this film. Although it was filmed in 2005, viewers feel as though they are watching a classic. I think this is one of the most important elements of the film. The black and white of the film made me perceive it as if it was actually shot in the 1950's.

Another element that I noticed was the high contrast lighting. It was a lot of black and white and not a lot of grey. This harsh lighting showed the material as being very harsh, as this was a harsh time for America. It is almost as if you are in the middle of a horror film because everyone is frightened. I think that this painted an excellent picture of the nature of the red scare in the 1950's.

The last element that I would like to discuss would have to be the many slow close ups of the film. I think it is very interesting that the camera goes from a very formal distance to an up close and personal distance. This made me perceive the film as being very intense. I honestly had a hard time watching this film because it made me feel the tension in the scenes.