well, as a self-certified red, and a brit, this film instintively appealed to me - i find it hard to be objective. I have to say though, it was rather benign. i appreciate that the liberal left in america (as far as the international scene goes) as somewhat died the death at the hands of fear and moral insecurity; but i cant help but think that, enjoyable though this film was, it lacked the teeth to really demonstrate the true fear, and iscolation generated by the communist witch hunts, and felt by even the most liberal left wingers.
Perhaps, post mao, post stalin, post cold war, post berlin wall; the communist left is seen in a much less favourable light. The powerful and uplifting doctrine once extolled by students worldwide, now rejected in favour of neoconservatism; is tied only to the evils of totalitarianism, rather than a belief in a moral society, in social justice and equality. As such it was a risk to the makers to prescribe to such an evil concept as social justice.
One thing which this film looses, much to its detriment, is the harm caused by the right wing in america, when it chose to merge totalitarian comunist regimes with liberal socialism. It is as though the film makers are willing to acknowledge that McCarthy was in the wrong; but it fails to show the politics of those who suffered. Considering the highly politicised nature of this film, its rather tricky to discern exactly what we're supposed to be defending. Granted, Edward Murrow was explicitly defending the right to freedom of speech, and the principles of liberal democracy, but does the conflict not raise further issues as yet undiscussed. Is it perhaps that america are as yet not ready to accept that oppression and fear come not only from the political left? China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, the USSR - the US certainly has a history of defending the world from the evils of communism; but as Margaret Atwood among many many others have very recently ascerted, all that is required for the seeds of a totalitarian state to germinate is fear. Sufficient fear will cause anyone to relinquish their freedoms, to anyone who provides safety. Orwells dystopia may have been lift-wing, but atwoods is certainly right-wing. The McCarthy witch-hunts highlighted with terrifying clarity the dangers of the extreme right, but this film fails to acknowledge them; and at a time when neoconservatism is eating away at the liberties and morals of america this is surely to great an ommission to forgive?
well, as a self-certified red, and a brit, this film instintively appealed to me - i find it hard to be objective. I have to say though, it was rather benign. i appreciate that the liberal left in america (as far as the international scene goes) as somewhat died the death at the hands of fear and moral insecurity; but i cant help but think that, enjoyable though this film was, it lacked the teeth to really demonstrate the true fear, and iscolation generated by the communist witch hunts, and felt by even the most liberal left wingers.
Perhaps, post mao, post stalin, post cold war, post berlin wall; the communist left is seen in a much less favourable light. The powerful and uplifting doctrine once extolled by students worldwide, now rejected in favour of neoconservatism; is tied only to the evils of totalitarianism, rather than a belief in a moral society, in social justice and equality. As such it was a risk to the makers to prescribe to such an evil concept as social justice.
One thing which this film looses, much to its detriment, is the harm caused by the right wing in america, when it chose to merge totalitarian comunist regimes with liberal socialism. It is as though the film makers are willing to acknowledge that McCarthy was in the wrong; but it fails to show the politics of those who suffered. Considering the highly politicised nature of this film, its rather tricky to discern exactly what we're supposed to be defending. Granted, Edward Murrow was explicitly defending the right to freedom of speech, and the principles of liberal democracy, but does the conflict not raise further issues as yet undiscussed. Is it perhaps that america are as yet not ready to accept that oppression and fear come not only from the political left? China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, the USSR - the US certainly has a history of defending the world from the evils of communism; but as Margaret Atwood among many many others have very recently ascerted, all that is required for the seeds of a totalitarian state to germinate is fear. Sufficient fear will cause anyone to relinquish their freedoms, to anyone who provides safety. Orwells dystopia may have been lift-wing, but atwoods is certainly right-wing. The McCarthy witch-hunts highlighted with terrifying clarity the dangers of the extreme right, but this film fails to acknowledge them; and at a time when neoconservatism is eating away at the liberties and morals of america this is surely to great an ommission to forgive?