Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the greatest satires of all time. This black comedy was based on Peter George’s Cold War novel “Red Alert” and was turned into a screenplay by Terry Southern, who also wrote the screenplays for Easy Rider, Casino Royale (which also starred Peter Sellers), The Cincinnati Kid, and Barbarella. Southern was dispatched to work on Dr. Strangelove in part because of Sellers, who had recommended him to Kubrick for the job. Kubrick’s original idea for the film, which was a straight-ahead thriller, was eventually reworked by Southern into a satire.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb came as the result of Kubrick becoming more and more fascinated and frightened at the prospect of nuclear war and an Armageddon style scenario. With the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis and other nuclear-related issues during the Cold War serving as a framework, Kubrick researched for quite some time while settling on the film. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a heavy satire of the doctrine of mutual destruction, meaning “if you’re going to destroy me, I’ll also destroy you.” This doctrine is played out in the existence of the so-called “Doomsday Device” as presented by Dr. Strangelove.
The plot is relatively simple. It involves a United States Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack (better known today as a preemptive strike) against the Soviet Union. This general, played by Sterling Hayden, has become rather delusional and sees “Commie” threats just about everywhere. These alleged threats are trying to do everything from steal bodily fluids to getting at the water supply through the occurrence of fluoride. The general orders the nuclear strike and seals the deal by using “Plan R” which restricts the use of communication to reverse the order (because any communication could be coming from the “red coats”). As a result, the President of the United States (Peter Sellers) must spring into action to prevent this military strike and prevent any sort of backlash from the Soviet Union.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb follows this tale down various avenues. One of the bomber planes is followed, as the crew aboard the plane prepares to drop the nuke amid all sorts of chaos that renders their plan almost unusable. The story also follows the delusional general as he locks himself in his office with a Royal Air Force exchange officer (Sellers, again) and rationalizes his bombing decision. The third section of the story follows the President of the United States in the “War Room” as he, along with the Chiefs of Staff, attempt to stop this impending doom with the assistance of a large buffet table, an Air Force General (George C. Scott), and Dr. Strangelove himself (Sellers, again).
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was another tour de force from the comedic genius Peter Sellers. Known for taking on multiple roles in the same film, Sellers was originally dispatched by Columbia Pictures to play four roles in the film. In fact, Columbia would only finance the film if Sellers played four roles. This idea came from the implication that much of the success of Kubrick’s previous film, Lolita, was as a result of Sellers playing multiple roles. Kubrick accepted the demands, claiming that it was part and parcel of the film industry. As we all know, Sellers only played three of the four roles assigned to him. He was originally slated to play Air Force Major T.J. “King” Kong, the Texas Air Force Major who eventually rides the nuclear bomb to destruction, but Sellers thought his workload was too heavy and didn’t think he could produce the accent necessary for the part. The role, as we know, eventually went to Slim Pickens. Sellers did attempt to play the part at first, but sprained his ankle after some time and had to pass.
There are many things that make Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb a classic satire. The first such element is its look at sexuality. Nothing in Kubrick’s film is obtuse or obvious. The film is, rather, laced with innuendo in terms of sexuality. While there is only one female character, the film contains an awful lot of sexual references that are thinly guised beneath Southern’s clever screenplay. General Ripper’s “loss of essence” is a reference to his impotence. His obsession with his “sexual performance” and his “essence” is effectively what leads to nuclear holocaust. The President of the United States, Merkin Muffley, is a double entendre as well. “Merkin” refers to a female pubic wig that was used by prostitutes in the 18th century and “Muffley”….well, I probably don’t need to explain that one. Most of the names in the film are, in fact, derived from various sexual distinctions.
The film also heavily satirizes the notion of the Cold War. The threats from the Soviets in Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb are almost always hidden or hyperbolic in nature. That is, many of the threats from the U.S.S.R. are imagined by delusional officers hellbent on gaining a measure of vengeance for their own inadequacy. As we examine this satire closely, we find a number of rich parallels to the world as it is now. How many of today’s conflicts actually result from the same form of logic? How pertinent does the threat of nuclear war remain, especially against the backdrop of men acting like children with an utter lack of logical diplomacy? Stanley Kubrick’s intelligent and witty critique of the Cold War remains as strong and poignant a satire as ever, especially given the modern condition of the world.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a sharp, tactical, and measured attack at global politics and a poignant satire. Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden all turn in incredible performances and Kubrick’s direction is wonderful. The film’s musical score is tremendous as well, wisely guiding each scene intelligently and with irreverence at the same time. The film’s opening quasi-sexual mid-air fueling moment, played to the tune of “Try a Little Tenderness” is a perfect example of the use of music in moments to lift the scene to new heights. Modern Hollywood films would be well-served to take notes on satire and comedy from Kubrick here, as this film is as brilliant a look at war, politics, and the hearts of men as has ever been produced.
10/10
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