Nuclear War Movies Part 3: Dr. Strangelove

Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Year Released: 1964
Genre: Black Comedy/Satire
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Medium: Feature Film
Running Time: 94 Minutes

     The United States Air Force is held in high regard both at home and abroad. Comprised of seemingly the best and brightest military minds for aviation-based military policy, they're easily capable of handling the pressure of maintaining nuclear-capable aircraft, right? Well, if 1964's Dr. Strangelove is to be believed, then not entirely. What if a base commander loses it in  his anti-communist paranoia and orders B-52 bombers into Soviet airspace? Can the leader of the U.S. work with the Russian leader and pull the world away from complete catastrophe? Dr. Strangelove (with the aforementioned longer title above) shows that one man's paranoia can lead to total annihilation because of the other side's perceptions of gaps in war readiness. It also doesn't hurt to satirize the era of the nuclear scare as well as communist paranoia. There's no doubt that this film has its place in history as one of the most visible movies about (and satirizing) nuclear war and the itchy trigger fingers of both the U.S. and Soviet Union, but is it any good? Let's find out!

     Something is rotten in the state of Denmark when Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (played by Sterling Hayden) calls Group Captain Mandrake (played by Peter Sellers) and orders the base to be sealed off because the 843rd bomb wing has been ordered to proceed past their fail-safe point. Ripper has done this using a wing attack plan that allows a lower-ranking officer than the President (such as a General) to order the 24-hour flying nuclear bomb wing to attack their targets. Mandrake senses something is amiss when, while impounding a civilian radio, he switches it on and hears civilian music playing. This means that there can't be a real emergency because the emergency broadcast system hasn't been activated. He takes this revelation to Ripper, who detains him in his office and the dastardly communist plot to fluoridate American food and drinking water. Meanwhile, General Buck Turgidson (played by George C. Scott) explains the situation in the War Room at the Pentagon to the President top administration and military officials as well as the Soviet Ambassador. After contact is made with the Soviet Premier, the group finds out about the Russians' ultimate weapon, a doomsday weapon capable of detonating multiple nuclear devices and creating a deadly cloud of fallout that would make the Earth uninhabitable for 93 years. What follows is a frantic attempt by the group, including the eponymous Dr. Strangelove to either recall the bomb wing or prevent them from reaching their targets.

     Out of all the movies in this series, Dr. Strangelove is easily the most enjoyable in terms of humor. The fact that it's the only definitive comedy (albeit black comedy) is obvious, but also the humor is a lot less uncomfortable than in the other movies. Even the idea of nuclear apocalypse leaves me with a smile on my face here, despite what the characters are dealing with. The ridiculousness of the characters as well as the hypothetical nuclear war scenario presented (coupled with the doomsday device and cartoonish acting) make this particular nuclear war movie a lot of fun to watch and laugh at. The film's satire of the Cold War does the unthinkable and makes nuclear war okay to laugh at because of the ways the film portrays how one person's paranoid delusions can cause the entire world to go into crisis. Peter Sellers' triple roles as Mandrake, the President and Dr. Strangelove are all unique, entertaining and memorable. Turgidson and Ripper also turn in memorable performances because their overacting actually help the comedic delivery.

     It may seem like I'm not saying much about the movie, but that's kind of the only way I can go. This film is a classic. Other than the unrealistic nature of the scenario (why in hell would any country build a doomsday machine that couldn't be deactivated if something goes wrong?) and perhaps the potentially grating cartoony acting of characters like Turgidson, the film manages to get by without presenting too many glaring flaws. If you don't buy into the comedy, then it might be hard to sit through, but the film is still a fun sit and manages to not only perform the rare feat of making the Cold War paranoia seem silly but also imply that human failure can cause enormous damage in a tense nuclear situation. Is Dr. Strangelove the best political satire in history as asserted by Roger Ebert? Maybe, but it is definitely a great movie and well worth watching. It'll amuse you like pretty much every other nuclear war movie simply can't do.

We're now halfway through my little series on nuclear war movies, and from here on out, the movies are gonna get tougher to sit through. I hope you will stick with me as we get closer to the end of this series, and the movie that I'm dreading the most. Take care everyone!