Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick | 90 minutes | drama, thriller, comedy | Actors: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn, Tracey Reed, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones, Jack Creley, Frank Berry, Robert O’Neil, Glenn Beck, Roy Stephens, Shane Rimmer, Hal Galilee

dr. Strangelove is a title with a certain cultural charge: even if you have no idea who the title refers to, or what the story is about, you know that this is an important film.

However weighty the title and associations may seem, it is anything but a complex or inaccessible film. On the contrary: Dr. Strangelove is straightforward, has a simple story and is light-hearted. It is also an oddity in the work of director Stanley Kubrick: it is his only comedy. The film wasn’t actually intended as such, but Kubrick felt that the form of satire actually makes the film more powerful than in the case of a completely serious approach.

Indeed, it seems to have been the right choice: both the humor and the message of the film are now enhanced. The humor works so well because the basis of the message and observations is serious and has one foot in reality. When we hear General Ripper talk about his conspiracy theories about the Communists, it is extra amusing because of similar real-life thoughts (from the past). More importantly, however, the humor reinforces the underlying drama. It’s unsettling to laugh out loud and realize at the same time that it’s not even that far from reality. It’s a bit like Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine: you’d almost see it as pure comedy, were it not for the terrifying reality of it.

The film is carried by the characters. To start with, there is Peter Sellers who takes on no fewer than three roles here. Sellers also played three characters in Kubrick’s previous film, Lolita, and the studio demanded that this be done again for this film, something Kubrick had no problem with at all. He was delighted to work with Sellers. Much of Sellers’ dialogue was improvised, making for several entertaining scenes, such as a dry phone conversation between the US president and drunken Russian Prime Minister Kissoff. In addition to the role of President, Sellers also plays the role of English RAF soldier Mandrake, and of course the unforgettable title character Dr. Strangelove, a sinister wheelchair-bound weapons expert (based on Nazi Wernher Von Braun, hired by the Americans after World War II for his technical expertise). Sellers’ rendition of Strangelove, a translation of his original name “Merkwürdigliebe”, is hilarious, with his German accent, slip of the tongue (“Mein Führer”), and a quirky arm that makes the occasional “sieg heil” gesture.

Sellers isn’t the only one to impress in a comedic role. George C. Scott is at least as impressive as General Buck Turgidson, who has to inform the president of the bad news. He actually puts down here a parody of the rough no-nonsense General Patton, whom he would later play in the film of the same name. The extremely militaristic Turgidson seems to have few objections to the unfortunate events. In fact, he wants to take the opportunity to launch a full-scale nuclear attack on the Russians, with negligible casualties (“We won’t get out of it unscathed, but I’ll say no more than ten, twenty million kill, maximum!”).

Sterling Hayden is brilliant as the crazy General Ripper who sees communist plots everywhere, culminating in his view that the communists want to affect the bodily fluids of humans through fluoridation. He is often shown with a cigar in his mouth, filmed from a low, “threatening” camera angle. Finally, Slim Pickens’ portrayal of Major Kong is unforgettable, culminating in the well-known phallic image of Kong riding an atomic bomb.

This isn’t the only scene with sexual implications, though. The opening scene, in which a B52 bomber is refueled in mid-air accompanied by an instrumental version of “try a little tenderness”, is clearly sexually oriented. It’s also interesting to consider what fears might underlie Ripper’s decision to deny women his bodily fluids.

The set design and lighting in the film are, as usual with Kubrick, very beautiful and effective. The war room is beautifully made, with the famous oval table and the characteristic lamp above it: a poker table where the destiny of humanity is played (the room was so impressive that some thought it existed in reality. story of Reagan who, when he became president, asked to see the war room in question). The interior of the bomber has been recreated very accurately, and the miniature models of the bombers themselves work quite well with the projected backgrounds.

Not all jokes are equally strong and there are some parts that are not very interesting (such as certain moments on the plane, where little more happens than passing commands and pressing buttons). Still, the film as a whole, especially as a satire, is brilliant, with a great script, technically excellent execution, and inspired renditions. And, although the film’s original context was the Cold War, the film is now eerily topical again. The irony of the title of the song that accompanies the nuclear explosion at the end of the film will certainly not escape our attention: “we’ll meet again”. Mandatory cost.