Essential to a full appreciation of the satire of Dr. Strangelove is an understanding that the nuclear devastation results not from any political disagreement, but from the desperate attempt by a crazed member of the U.S. military to explain away the loss of his sexual power by any means necessary.
What is the movie Dr Strangelove about?
Dr. Strangelove, trailer. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 political satire black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States.
What is another name for Dr Strangelove?
For other uses of "Strangelove", see Strangelove (disambiguation). Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States.
How does Dr Strangelove relate to the Cold War?
Dr. Strangelove reflects the Cold War sensibility in its lack of blood, guts, weaponry and battlefields. Though the conflict portrayed in the film was the most costly war in human history, this war movie is sterile and free of the conventions associated with the genre.
Why did Stanley Kubrick make Dr Strangelove?
In 1964, Stanley Kubrick released Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb to both critical and commercial praise. The historical context surrounding the film’s release was at the height of the Cold War, just over a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis as the Vietnam War was beginning to escalate.
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What was the message in Dr. Strangelove?
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States.
What is the significance of Dr. Strangelove actions?
Stanley Kubrick's black comic masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb opens in theaters to both critical and popular acclaim. The movie's popularity was evidence of changing attitudes toward atomic weapons and the concept of nuclear deterrence.
What is so great about Dr. Strangelove?
"Dr. Strangelove" (1964) is filled with great comic performances, and just as well, because there's so little else in the movie apart from faces, bodies and words. Kubrick shot it on four principal locations (an office, the perimeter of an Air Force base, the "War Room," and the interior of a B-52 bomber).
What makes Dr. Strangelove a satire?
Strangelove opened in theaters across the country. Kubrick utilizes satire in the film to critique the political climate of the early Cold War. Satires provide the kind of critical distance that comes with exaggerating a situation enough to be able to step back from yourself and have a laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Is Dr. Strangelove propaganda?
Dr Strangelove was widely dismissed as Soviet propaganda or at the very least as being completely implausible, and despite its obvious position as a satire, the film was (for example) heralded as “impossible on a dozen counts” by a specialist at the Institute for Strategic Studies.
Why is it called Dr. Strangelove?
We figure Kubrick chose to name the movie after him because more than any other character, he symbolizes the scientific "progress" that resulted in the creation of the atomic bomb. What's up with How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb?
Why Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece?
The picture captures the tension of the era so that it can be clearly understood by a new generation; the skilful and bizarre humour, and Stanley Kubrick's distinctive technique, make it as watchable as ever.
Why did Dr. Strangelove walk at the end?
Strangelove is miraculously healed. He leaps up from his chair, gives a Nazi salute, and famously cries, "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!" (Apparently this line was improvised by Peter Sellers after he accidentally got up from the wheelchair.)
Why is Dr. Strangelove a classic?
Dr. Strangelove deals with the fear that everyone was feeling with the threat of world destruction through nuclear warfare. What makes this film brilliant is that rather than dealing with the fear directly as a drama, he turns it on its head and makes it into a black comedy.
What does Dr. Strangelove say about the Cold War?
The first notable theme in the movie and also throughout the Cold War is the idea of deterrence — the hope that the fear of mutual destruction would be enough to prevent total war. As Dr. Strangelove puts it, “Deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy… the fear to attack” (Dr. Strangelove 55:09).
Is Dr. Strangelove a political satire?
Strangelove': The Sharpest, Most Cautioning, Hilarious Political Satire. The story has it that Stanley Kubrick was very interested in the nuclear war, and that he read more than seventy books on the subject, one of which being Peter George's 'Red Alert.
Why is Dr. Strangelove in black and white?
Additionally, the black and white contributes to the film from an aesthetic point of view. This style of filmmaking allowed Kubrick to creatively use shadows, and create a film noir tone for the viewers, particularly during the shots of General Ripper and others smoking cigars.
What is the meaning of Strangelove?
[ streynj-luhv ] SHOW IPA. / ˈstreɪndʒˌlʌv / PHONETIC RESPELLING. noun. a person, especially a military or government official, who advocates initiating nuclear warfare.
Why was Dr. Strangelove able to walk in the end?
Strangelove is miraculously healed. He leaps up from his chair, gives a Nazi salute, and famously cries, "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!" (Apparently this line was improvised by Peter Sellers after he accidentally got up from the wheelchair.)
Why did Peter Sellers played three roles in Dr. Strangelove?
Sellers was eventually asked to play three roles, US President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove and Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. Complex and refined, Seller's three performances showcased the full extent of his comic genius, with each character requiring a different persona and demeanour.
Why was Dr. Strangelove shot in black and white?
Additionally, the black and white contributes to the film from an aesthetic point of view. This style of filmmaking allowed Kubrick to creatively use shadows, and create a film noir tone for the viewers, particularly during the shots of General Ripper and others smoking cigars.
What's with the GUM?
I never noticed this but, like you, other people have. Check this out: https://www.reddit.com/r/StanleyKubrick/comments/s6dkm/something_i_noticed_a...
How does the film depict the Russians?
I'm sorry, this is a short-answer literature forum. We are unable to assist students with question related to films unless otherwise noted in the c...
Did General Turgidson show good judgement in solutions he proposed?
I'm sorry, unless otherwise noted in the "categories", this is a short-answer literature forum. We are unable to provide definitive answers regardi...
9 Closest Contender: Duck Soup
Widely regarded to be the Marx Brothers’ finest comedy, Duck Soup is a scathing satire of geopolitical conflicts. Groucho’s iconic character Rufus T. Firefly is begrudgingly appointed the leader of the bankrupt nation of Freedonia at the behest of a wealthy benefactor.
8 Dr. Strangelove Is The Best: Every Scene Is Like A Live-Action Political Cartoon
The screenplay for Dr. Strangelove – credited to Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, and Peter George – is constructed of scenes that play out like live-action political cartoons.
7 Closest Contender: In The Loop
Armando Iannucci is one of the UK’s greatest satirists, so it was no surprise that when he brought that brand of satire to the big screen, it was a sight to behold. Iannucci has since made The Death of Stalin, another great political satire, but In the Loop is still his magnum opus.
6 Dr. Strangelove Is The Best: Peter Sellers Lampoons The Entire Political Spectrum In Three Performances
Peter Sellers stars in Dr. Strangelove in three roles – the mild-mannered U.S. President, an awkward British RAF exchange officer, and the titular Nazi scientist – and in three hilarious, distinctive performances, Sellers captures the entire political spectrum.
5 Closest Contender: Team America: World Police
In response to the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq and the 2000s’ endless slew of explosive Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer action movies peddling nationalist messages, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone made Team America: World Police.
4 Dr. Strangelove Is The Best: The Ending Is Perfect
The end of Dr. Strangelove is as perfect as any ending in film history. Major Kong riding the bomb down to the ground beautifully encapsulates the absurdist tone of the film, while the President’s fears about the “mineshaft gap” brilliantly lampoon the notion of mutually assured destruction.
3 Closest Contender: Election
Not every political satire is about politicians. Alexander Payne’s Election satirizes political issues through the lens of an overachieving high school student named Tracy Flick (played by Reese Witherspoon in one of her career-best performances) running for student body president.
What is the black gloved hand in Strangelove?
Sellers's Strangelove takes from Rotwang the single black gloved hand (which, in Rotwang's case is mechanical, because of a lab accident), the wild hair and, most important, his ability to avoid being controlled by political power.
What is Strangelove's last name?
Staines ( Jack Creley) that it is not a " Kraut name", Staines responds that Strangelove's original German surname was Merkwürdigliebe ("Stran ge love" in German) and that "he changed it when he became a citizen".
Why was the pie fight cut?
Kubrick and others have said that the scene had already been cut before preview night because it was inconsistent with the rest of the film.
How did I learn to stop worrying and love the bomb?
Box office. $9.4 million (North America) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. The film was directed, produced, ...
What was Stanley Kubrick's idea for Red Alert?
Stanley Kubrick started with nothing but a vague idea to make a thriller about a nuclear accident that built on the widespread Cold War fear for survival. While doing research, Kubrick gradually became aware of the subtle and paradoxical " balance of terror " between nuclear powers. At Kubrick's request, Alastair Buchan (the head of the Institute for Strategic Studies) recommended the thriller novel Red Alert by Peter George. Kubrick was impressed with the book, which had also been praised by game theorist and future Nobel Prize in Economics winner Thomas Schelling in an article written for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and reprinted in The Observer, and immediately bought the film rights. In 2006, Schelling wrote that conversations between Kubrick, Schelling, and George in late 1960 about a treatment of Red Alert updated with intercontinental missiles eventually led to the making of the film.
Why did the Air Force make the SAC Command Post?
Strangelove, which raised questions about US control over nuclear weapons, the Air Force produced a documentary film, SAC Command Post, to demonstrate its responsiveness to presidential command and its tight control over nuclear weapons.
Who recommends that the President gather several hundred thousand people to live in deep underground mines where the radiation will not penetrate?
Kong joyfully straddles the bomb as it falls and detonates over the target. Back in the War Room, Dr. Strangelove recommends that the President gather several hundred thousand people to live in deep underground mines where the radiation will not penetrate.
What does Strangelove tell the Russian Ambassador?
Strangelove makes this distinction when he tells the Russian Ambassador that, “the whole point of a doomsday machine is lost if you keep it a secret. Why didn’t you tell the world, eh? International Politics The politics within the film are apparent in the fear and hatred of the Russians. The American crew a bored the B-52 bomber are an eclectic mixed group including a Texan pilot, a Jewish operator and an African American bombardier. When Kong receives orders to bomb the Russian, he makes a speech to the men regarding the mission. He tells them that they will all receive medals and commendations “regardless of your race, color or creed”. True to the American ideal of masculinity and determination, they over come missile attacks, fuel leaks and faulty bomb bay doors in order to successfully achieve their objectives.
When was Strangelove made?
In 1964 , Stanley Kubrick released Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb to both critical and commercial praise. The historical context surrounding the film’s release was at the height of the Cold War, just over a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis as the Vietnam War was beginning to escalate. While based on a more serious book, Red Alert by Peter George, it was soon transformed into a black comedy that parodied the absurdity of global nuclear destruction and the mentality of the Cold War.
What is the lighting effect in Melodramas?
A lighting effect that is shown largely in melodramas and tragedies to show, evil, fear and the unknown, all of which the character embodies.The overbearing masculinity of most of the characters is balanced by Mandrake and the Presidents, who are decidedly feminist when handling the conflicts and attitudes about war.
Why was the Doomsday machine a necessary part of deterrence?
This was a necessary part of deterrence because it instilled fear of the ultimate retaliation in the minds of an enemy. It could also have prevented any type of attack from the Americans in the first place. Dr.
What is the theme of Kubrick's film?
Technology One of the major themes that Kubrick displays throughout the film is the inherited difficulties of the communication process. Much of the dialogue takes place over the telephone or radio and the major conflicts of the film centre on the shortcomings of both.
What is the potential problem with communication in the movie?
As is one of the current themes throughout the film, the potential problem with communication is that the message can be altered in the process. During the scenes set within the war room, the Premier is contacted by the President over the phone and the audience only receives one side of the conversation.
Who is Miss Scott in the bathroom?
When Miss Scott answers the phone at the beginning of the film, she relays the messages back and forth to General Turgidson, who is in the bathroom.During the course of this quick conversation, she alters the message a number of times.
What does the Premier tell the Ambassador about the Doomsday machine?
The Premier explains to the ambassador that work on the Soviet Doomsday Machine is completed and the machine is armed, which de Sadeski relays to the President and the rest of the War Room. Turgidson is in disbelief, and thinks that de Sadesky is lying to make the Americans work harder to get the planes back.
What is the location of the Doomsday project?
We presume these to be the peaks of the Zhokhov islands, which the narrator mentions as the location of the doomsday project. The film then cuts to the credit sequence, shown over a montage of a USAF B-52 engaged in a mid-air refuel while “Try a Little Tenderness” plays.
What happens in the end of Strangelove?
Once it is inevitable that the doomsday device will be activated he progressively loses control of his alien hand, culminating with a Nazi salute to the president. Strangelove begins describing how humanity could persist underground.
What is Mandrake's flaw?
Once it is assumed that Mandrake represents the British Empire in general and the British military in particular, his flaws are easily interpreted as criticisms of these institutions. His inability to assist Ripper with the machine gun is symbolic of the loss of British will to fight alongside the US.
What did Turgidson say about Russia?
The US nuclear arsenal in the film is apparently adequate, with Turgidson saying a first strike could destroy 90% of Russia’s nuclear capability. Turgidson is by no means satisfied with merely having the means to destroy Russia, and still prefers a release to the long military buildup.
What was the movie about the Cold War?
Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb presents us with a fascinating satirical snapshot of the Cold War. It reflects back at us the absurdity of US (and to a similar extent Soviet) nuclear policy. Unsurprisingly, the film was controversial, accused of “pinko” communism before production ...
What is the alien hand in Operation Paperclip?
His alien hand could be symbolic of latent Nazism in Operation Paperclip scientists. Although former Nazis were never officially recruited, the reality was that many scientists and engineers were Nazi party members and had their backgrounds whitewashed before being recruited (Trueman, “Operation Paperclip”).
Is Mandrake able to pretend for Strangelove?
While Mandrake can put on a show of being able bodied, there is no pretending for Strangelove, just as West Germany could no longer pretend to be a dominant power. Throughout the film, although he is the leader of the dominant power, President Merkin Muffley is ineffectual and unable to control his subordinates.
Was General Turgidson virile?
In contrast to Ripper, General Turgidson is shown as being virile.
Overview
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick and stars Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens. The film was made in the United Kingdom. The film is loosely based on Peter George's
Plot
United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper is commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, which houses the 843rd Bomb Wing, flying B-52 bombers armed with hydrogen bombs. The planes are on airborne alert two hours from their targets inside the USSR.
General Ripper orders his executive officer, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (an exchange officer from the Royal Air Force), to put the base on alert, confiscate all privately-owned radios from bas…
Cast
• Peter Sellers as:
• George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Sterling Hayden as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper, paranoid commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, which is part of the Strategic Air Command.
Production
Stanley Kubrick started with nothing but a vague idea to make a thriller about a nuclear accident that built on the widespread Cold War fear for survival. While doing research, Kubrick gradually became aware of the subtle and paradoxical "balance of terror" between nuclear powers. At Kubrick's request, Alastair Buchan (the head of the Institute for Strategic Studies) recommended the thriller novel Red …
Themes
Dr. Strangelove ridicules nuclear war planning. It takes passing shots at numerous contemporary Cold War attitudes such as the "missile gap," but it primarily directs its satire on the theory of mutual assured destruction (MAD), in which each side is supposed to be deterred from a nuclear war by the prospect of a universal cataclysm regardless of who "won." Military strategist and former physicist Herman Kahn, in the book On Thermonuclear War (1960), used the theoretical e…
Release
The film was a popular success, earning US$4,420,000 in rentals in North America during its initial theatrical release.
Reception
Dr. Strangelove is Kubrick's highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, holding a 98% approval rating based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 9.13/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Stanley Kubrick's brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964." The film also holds a score of 97 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 32 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim." The film is ranked number 7 in the All-Time High Scores chart of Metacritic'…
Potential sequel
In 1995, Kubrick enlisted Terry Southern to script a sequel titled Son of Strangelove. Kubrick had Terry Gilliam in mind to direct. The script was never completed, but index cards laying out the story's basic structure were found among Southern's papers after he died in October 1995. It was set largely in underground bunkers, where Dr. Strangelove had taken refuge with a group of women.