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

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Peter Sellers and Peter Sellers

****1/2

I'm not going to pretend that I understand all the politics that make up Dr. Strangelove but it really doesn't matter. The effectiveness of the conflict and the humor work well enough to not only sustain the average audience but entertain them. That begs the question, what makes the film work if not the foundation of the story?

To begin Dr. Strangelove we're tossed into the midst of the Cold War. Communism is the lingering threat, one which effects some more than others. In particular Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden). General Ripper is so paranoid over the fact that the Russians could launch a nuclear attack on America at any moment that he sidesteps the law that only the President can approve a nuclear attack by executing Attack Plan R, a plan that allows a ranking officer to launch a nuclear attack in retaliation. Small problem... General Ripper is a bit psychotic and there is no attack which to retaliate.

The subsequent chain of events is as follows...

Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Sellers) is informed of the situation by General Ripper thus setting the plan in motion.
General Turgidson (George C. Scott) is informed of the situation and goes to the War Room to discuss it with the President.
Captain Mandrake attempts to get the three letter code to call off the attack.
General Turgidson worries for the security of the War Room and the information displayed on "The Big Board"
President Merkin Muffley (Sellers) speaks with the Russian Premier, apologizing for the mistake and granting him permission to take whatever means necessary to prevent the attack.
Dr. Strangelove (Sellers) informs the politicians and Generals in the War Room of the Russian's Doomsday Machine which with destroy the world as a result of a hydrogen bomb's explosion.
General Ripper kills himself.
Captain Mandrake discovers the code.
President Muffley calls back the planes.
Major Kong (Slim Pickens) continues on route to his target point as his plane was damaged and did not receive an order to turn back.
The World Ends.

Sorry, did I just give it all away? Here's the point, the situation is somewhat devistating but I was never on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I was so entertained by the brilliant portrayal of these characters. Peter Sellers puts Mike Myers' abilities to play mulitple characters to shame, never mind what he does to Eddie Murphy. I laughed most at George C. Scott however as his simple facial expressions in moments of great suspense had me laughing out loud.

Fail Safe is an entertaining idea for a film but it doesn't stand the test of time at all, nothing Cold War related really does... maybe Rocky 4. By not taking the story or itself seriously, Strangelove succeeds. It relys on the characters reactions to the events rather than the events themselves to entertain. Ideally, a film will do both which is why taking an entertaining idea like Fail Safe and building funny, smart and entertaining characters around it really succeeds.

Strangelove is not perfect however. There's nothing particularly wrong with the movie but to call it a five star review I'd either have to be on the edge of my seat or be falling off it laughing. There was no point when either of those happened but I was glued to a great film. Kubrick's ability to escape the type of film I'm so used to seeing, that being slow, mythodical and deliberate, is somewhat refreshing. Strangelove kind of just flies at its own pace. Not that there's no consistency but its consistently inconsistent... if that makes sense. Either way, I've now seen the film a few times and its consistently great.