Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Here's an oxymoron for you: "nuclear war comedy." That's one way to describe Dr. Strangelove, one of the late Stanley Kubrick's early hits. How could anyone successfully construct a comedy dealing with such a frightening topic? Somehow, Kubrick did it, and he wasn't known for being a comedy director. However, he was known for being innovative, and Dr. Strangelove is an important notch in his director's chair.
Gen. Jack D. Ripper (haha), commander of an Air Force base, doesn't seem to have all of his dogs on one lease anymore. He's convinced that Russia is conspiring to taint the bodily fluids of all Americans. Gen. Ripper superceded his authority by ordering Attack Plan R, which calls for a retaliatory attack if Washington D.C. were bombed. Of course, the U.S. President is in no apparent danger. The crews of the attacking planes are mandated to attack designated targets in Russia unless they receive a cancel code that only Gen. Ripper knows.
Meanwhile, Gen. Buck Turgidson gets wind of Gen. Ripper's plan and reports to the President and his advisors in the War Room. The President calls the Russian Premier to downplay the upcoming attack as an accident, but the Premier promises that a nuclear attack on Russia will trigger the Doomsday device, which will end all human life within a year. It would seem easy to get Gen. Ripper to call in the code to cancel the order, but he shoots himself in the bathroom. Captain Mandrake, Gen. Ripper's second-in-command, is now the only hope for humanity as he tries to figure out the code.
Dr. Strangelove is neither over-the-top nor dirty; its humor is subtle and sophisticated. As a result, the topic of nuclear war isn't made out to be a laughing matter, but this is still more of a comedy than a suspense-thriller. I also appreciated how the story always moved forward. There was little "filler footage," keeping the runtime close to 90 minutes.
Before watching Dr. Strangelove, I'd heard of Peter Sellers only through vague references, but this movie alone suggests that he was a comic genius, the Eddie Murphy of his day. Similar to Murphy's style, Sellers plays multiples roles: Captain Mandrake, the President, and Dr. Strangelove, a presidential advisor. These three characters alone account for a vast majority of the film's comedic value. As Capt. Mandrake, Sellers produces laughs when he's trying to call the War Room but doesn't have enough pocket change. The President is portrayed with dignity, but his phone "conversations" with the Russian Premier are hilarious. Lastly, Sellers displays a knack for physical comedy in scenes in which Dr. Strangelove struggles to control his "alien hand."
Dr. Strangelove is noteworthy for many other reasons. It marked James Earl Jones' film debut as a member of the attack plane's crew. Dr. Strangelove preceded Kubrick's signature films (2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange). Finally, you might be interested to know that this movie is ranked #12 on the Internet Movie Database top 250 films.
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The subject of nuclear war might unsettle your nerves. In any case, feel free to imbibe in some brew.
The only drop of romance in this movie is General Turgidson's less-than-professional relationship with his secretary.
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