Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb Review

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

Release Date: 12th June 1964 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Hawk Films

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy/War

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

Budget: $1,800,000

Box Office Gross: $9,631,984 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A mad general orders a

surprise nuclear air strike

on the USSR, believing

the Reds are polluting

America's "precious

bodily fluids". His aide,

Captain Mandrake, is

furiously trying to find

a recall code to stop the

bombing.

Meanwhile, the POTUS

is on the phone and

trying to convince the

inebriated Soviet Premier

that the impending attack

is a foolish mistake. The

President's advisor,

Dr. Strangelove, confirms

the existence of the

dreaded Doomsday

Machine - a secret Soviet

retaliation device

guaranteed to end the

human race once and for

all!

Cast

Peter Sellers - Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake/President Merkin Muffley/Dr. Strangelove

George C. Scott - Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson

Sterling Hayden - Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Keenan Wynn - Colonel 'Bat' Guano

Slim Pickens - Maj. 'King' Kong

Peter Bull - Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky

Tracy Reed - Miss Scott

James Earl Jones - Lt. Lothar Zogg

Jack Creley - Mr. Staines

Frank Berry - Lt. Dietrich

Robert O'Neil - Adm. Randolph

Glenn Beck - Lt. Kivel

Roy Stephens - Frank

Shane Rimmer - Capt. 'Ace' Owens
Paul Tamarin - Lt. Goldberg
Gordon Tanner - Gen. Faceman

Crew

Screenplay/Producer/

Director - Stanley Kubrick

Based on the Book "Red Alert"/Screenplay - Peter George

Screenplay - Terry Southern

Continuity - Pamela Carlton

Associate Producer - Victor Lyndon

Executive Producer - Leon Minoff (Uncredited)

Production Designer - Ken Adam
Art Director - Peter Murton

Wardrobe - Bridget Sellers

Makeup Artist - Stuart Freeborn

Hairdresser - Barbara Ritchie

Director of Photography - Gilbert Taylor

Camera Operator - Kelvin Pike

Assistant Director - Eric Rattray

Special Effects - Wally Weevers

Film Editor - Anthony Harvey

Assistant Editor - Ray Lovejoy

Sound Supervisor - John Cox

Dubbing Mixer - John Aldred

Music - Laurie Johnson

Awards

1965 Academy Awards

Best Picture - Stanley Kubrick (Nominated)

Best Director - Stanley Kubrick (Nominated)

Best Actor - Peter Sellers (Nominated)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Stanley Kubrick,

Peter George and Terry Southern (Nominated)

Review

Director Stanley Kubrick was an accomplished master of the medium when his movie DR. STRANGELOVE premiered in 1964. Many film-buffs lauded it as his greatest triumph next to 2001: A Space Odyssey. It satirises the Cold War set in its time and turmoil. As it turned out, DR. STRANGELOVE isn't the perfectly ingenious comical masterpiece I hoped it to be. Though it's good to see another picture from Kubrick, it's a showcase of laughter that handles serious topics very well. The set design was perfect, and Kubrick's direction shows that he is a man of broad talent and a natural in comedy.

This film addresses the political issues of nuclear war between the Russians and the Americans. It has a plot not taken seriously and does touch on some controversial war themes but exaggeratedly and unbelievably.

Peter Sellers was convincingly hilarious in his three characters in this movie, one of which was the titular character who speaks in an over-the-top German accent. Some of the best scenes in this movie resulted from the improvisation and talents of Sellers. Even George C. Scott had a fun time playing a crazed general and complimented the absurdity and lunacy of this film. It is a debut for James Earl Jones, who was yet to play his most infamous character from Star Wars as the voice of Darth Vader.

Young audiences from the next generation have yet to experience the absurdity and the anti-war message of DR. STRANGELOVE. Still, the movie was not that exceptional, even to me, as I prefer modern comedies, and I can better relate to its humour.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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