Good Night, and Good Luck and All the President's Men are two historical dramas in two very different time periods that express a common theme. While these two stories differ significantly in terms of subject matter, the values they portray and messages they emanate are able to hit a similar chord within the greater American audience, installing within them an understanding which transcends the past and applies to the present onward.
All the President's Men revolves around the scandal at Watergate, following Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein on their quest to discover who was really behind the entire ordeal. After the mysterious break-in at the National Democratic Committee, these two young reporters quickly become obsessed …show more content…
One of the more compelling values found in both of these historical dramas is the theme of accountability. In All the President's Men, Woodward and Bernstein made it their mission to hold whoever whoever was responsible for the events at Watergate accountable for their actions. They went through hundreds of names on the list of those associated with the committee to re-elect the president in order to finally deduce those in control. Good Night, and Good Luck takes a similar course of action, except it seems to direct its value of accountability more in the American people than higher powers. While it is true that Murrow wished McCarthy to be held liable for his actions, he, on multiple occasions, calls out the common folk. He expressed that the people are accountable for the messages that are aired and spread throughout their country. They are able to use these mediums merely for entertainment and comfort, or they can use them to spread truth. This is also seen though blatant rationalism advocated by both films. Both movies express a need for logical thought. The members of CREEP that Woodward and Bernstein attempted to question let fear cloud their judgement. Many other civilians had far too much trust in their government, dismissing opposition and any logical questioning. It was the courage and intellectual pursuit on the side of the two journalists that lead them to success. Murrow also faced a large amount of emotional backlash. McCarthy used the fear of communism to further his political agenda. The emotions of the people were once again used against them, turning neighbors against one another. These instances are invoked by the two films as perfect reasons why a rationalistic approach is needed to
All the President's Men revolves around the scandal at Watergate, following Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein on their quest to discover who was really behind the entire ordeal. After the mysterious break-in at the National Democratic Committee, these two young reporters quickly become obsessed …show more content…
One of the more compelling values found in both of these historical dramas is the theme of accountability. In All the President's Men, Woodward and Bernstein made it their mission to hold whoever whoever was responsible for the events at Watergate accountable for their actions. They went through hundreds of names on the list of those associated with the committee to re-elect the president in order to finally deduce those in control. Good Night, and Good Luck takes a similar course of action, except it seems to direct its value of accountability more in the American people than higher powers. While it is true that Murrow wished McCarthy to be held liable for his actions, he, on multiple occasions, calls out the common folk. He expressed that the people are accountable for the messages that are aired and spread throughout their country. They are able to use these mediums merely for entertainment and comfort, or they can use them to spread truth. This is also seen though blatant rationalism advocated by both films. Both movies express a need for logical thought. The members of CREEP that Woodward and Bernstein attempted to question let fear cloud their judgement. Many other civilians had far too much trust in their government, dismissing opposition and any logical questioning. It was the courage and intellectual pursuit on the side of the two journalists that lead them to success. Murrow also faced a large amount of emotional backlash. McCarthy used the fear of communism to further his political agenda. The emotions of the people were once again used against them, turning neighbors against one another. These instances are invoked by the two films as perfect reasons why a rationalistic approach is needed to