Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
* * * out of 4
1964 • Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay by Kubrick, Terry Southern, and Peter George
With Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden
Released by Columbia Pictures
When images are coined of the Atomic Era, there will always be references to 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,' Stanley Kubrick's 1964 comedy whose figures and situations remain clear in the mind. Widely considered as the greatest political satire in film history, 'Dr. Strangelove' still carries vitality today, despite being over four decades removed from the height of Cold War tensions. The question that Kubrick poses, after all, is still with us: what would happen if nuclear capabilities fell into the hands of a total madman?
Such trouble is brewing in Kubrick's version of the Pentagon. General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), the paranoid commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, is convinced that American water supplies have become 'polluted' with fluoride in a vast Communist conspiracy. Ripper decides to unleash war on the Soviet Union by using a technicality in Wing Attack Plan R that allows him to send a fleet of patrolling B52s into nuclear counterattack on Russian targets. In the now-famous War Room, General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) must break the news to President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers), a weak but levelheaded figure modeled after Adlai Stevenson.
While Muffley tries to negotiate with the drunken Soviet Premier via telephone, General Ripper is being sweet-talked by Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Sellers), his Royal Air Force attach�, into revealing a three-letter code needed to access the B52s' radio systems and countermand the attacks. It is soon revealed by the Premier that his countrymen have built a 'doomsday machine' that will automatically explode if any nuclear attack occurs, much to the delight of Dr. Strangelove (yes, Sellers), a wheelchair-ridden Nazi physicist hired by the American government. A total retreat of the B52s becomes imperative as a plane headed by Major T. J. Kong (Slim Pickens), whose radio has been destroyed by enemy fire, stays determined to reach its target. The survival of mankind will hinge on this lone bomber, which is unfortunately run by competent pilots.
Needless to say, 'Dr. Strangelove' hinges on the comic mastery of Peter Sellers, who had already filled the role of Clare Quilty in Kubrick's 'Lolita.' Sellers's portrayal of three men (including an interweave of Muffley and Strangelove) is a major comedic achievement that deserves his Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Sellers's primary talent is his total embodiment of character; he lives roles instead of merely 'playing' them. His working of all three personalities is complete and flawless. George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens are excellent in their supporting roles, conveying the film's berserk atmosphere. James Earl Jones also makes his cinema debut as a pilot on Major Kong's bomber; Tracy Reed appears in the only female part as Turgidson's secretary.
'Dr. Strangelove,' at least in my opinion, plays out as a tongue-in-cheek satire rather than a laugh-out-loud farce. Much removed from 1964, the political implications of 'Strangelove' have a subtlety that has grown with time. Kubrick's decision to make the film comical rather than melodramatic (such as 'Fail Safe') was a brilliant one that shows the true absurdity of our Nuclear Arms Race: gangs of oversexed half-wits playing out the fate of mankind like a poker hand. Nuclear armament reached our world from Pandora's Box in 1945, becoming a threat that can only be avoided with delicate juggling acts. A tough question is whether or not we're choosing the right jugglers and what the repercussions could be if there's a foul-up. As 'Dr. Strangelove' shows, it's not even animosity between nations that can result in nuclear war, but the tiniest flaw in a military's checks and balances.
If there are any flaws to 'Dr. Strangelove,' it is moments of humor that are overripe; while Sellers portrays Strangelove brilliantly, the relative calm of Muffley and Mandrake cause him to look ham-fisted. The fact that General Ripper sets the three-letter code without anyone else's knowledge (including the Secretary of Defense) is also a huge plot gap that fortunately doesn't become noticeable. Satires will always have moments that do not entirely work, but 'Dr. Strangelove' has far more good moments than bad ones. Terry Southern's screenplay (adapted from the Peter George novel 'Red Alert') contains dazzling dialogue and uses stereotypes that only add to the film's comic value. And as long as there is international conflict, 'Dr. Strangelove' is guaranteed its social importance.
'Dr. Strangelove' has enjoyed two incarnations on DVD, the first of which happened in 2001 as a Columbia Pictures 'special edition.' The 2001 disc presents 'Strangelove' in Kubrick's original filming ratio of 1.33:1, thus appearing on TV screens in full frame. Picture quality is fair, with noticeable grain that does not spoil the overall black-and-white effect. Audio is available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese with subtitles in seven languages. Dolby-mastered sound brings across dialogue, sound effects, and Laurie Johnson's music clearly.
Extras are aplenty, with everything you need to know about Strangelove's production. Supplemental material includes 'The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove' and 'Inside the Making of Dr. Strangelove,' two recently-made documentaries; footage of mock interviews with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott; a gallery of advertising spreads; bios of the film's lead actors; the theatrical trailer; and a four-page booklet with production notes. Columbia also retailed a 40th anniversary edition of 'Strangelove' on two discs in 2004, with enhanced audio options and further supplements. Viewers appear to have been satisfied with both releases, but 'Dr. Strangelove' is a classic piece of film-making either way. It's required viewing for fans of vintage cinema.
