This is the War Room!

#39—Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

The Cold War is a very volatile subject in World history. A time when spying on other countries flourished and tensions of an imminent threat were high on Americans minds. The United States government was in a ‘race’ with the Soviet Union to reach the Moon and apparently to see which country could build a better nuclear bomb. Not a situation that is a laughing matter. However in 1964 one film tried to find the humor and ironically the kinks in America’s plan against the Soviet Union.  Number 39 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Movies list pokes fun at this hostile time in our history with Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

At the height of the Cold War, United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden The Asphalt Jungle) has convinced himself that Communists from the Soviet Union have infiltrated the United States and have poisoned our drinking water. In his protection of his fellow Americans “precious bodily fluids”, Ripper orders his patrolling B-52 bombers to strike the Soviet Union with their nuclear payloads. Ripper’s actions have caught the attention of every major official, including President of the United States Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers The Pink Panther). With the bombers in radio silence unless a three letter code can be submitted that only General Ripper knows, the President and his staff scramble to stop the attack and save the world from nuclear disaster.

So I have a confession to make, I didn’t really think that I was going to enjoy this movie simply due to the title. I know, “how ignorant of me”, right? I was wrong in a big way. I actually found this film extremely funny and light hearted. Maybe it was just the way the title is written or how serious I knew director Stanley Kubrick can get, but I definitely enjoyed the change of the usual from Kubrick. I was also impress by some of the actors in this film as well due to the normal roles they usually take.

Without question, Sellers was brilliant in the three roles that he had in this film. One was quite simple and that was of Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, who is an aide to General Ripper. The other is of the President and the third is of Dr. Strangelove. Strangelove is an ex-Nazi scientist that advises the President on the effects of nuclear war. Though Dr. Strangelove is the one character with the least amount of screen time it is definitely Sellers’ most memorable of the film. Each character has unique ticks and mannerisms that it is so awesome to watch Sellers accomplish all this. Though as magnificent as Sellers is in this film, I was more impressed with George C. Scott (Patton) who plays General Buck Turgidson. Not at all known for his comedic roles, Scott hams it up in this film (much to his own dismay) and comes away with one of the best characters. I will definitely think of Scott’s lighter side more than his more commanding and serious roles because of this film.

Before his mind-bending films, Kubrick adapted a book titled Red Alert with almost the same concept. Though Kubrick does alter the story, this film is one of Kubrick’s best. I guess I am just so used to see Kubrick films as a mind altering experience that I just never gave this film a chance. The way that Kubrick makes this situation funny is remarkable to me.

So I was dead wrong about this film and I enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend it to any fan of black satirical comedy fans or even fans of political comedies. I can confidently say that this film should have been higher on AFI’s list due to the great performances by Peter Sellers and George C. Scott. Also it should be higher because of the subject matter and just how easy it was to launch a nuclear strike in the early 1960s. According to some reports, this film was the push for tighter securities on American nuclear launch codes. Scary right?

The Verdict: Worth Your Time. Should Have Been Higher.