Brilliant Masterpiece in Cinema

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2008)

One of the great timeless classic Black comedies by the without doubt the greatest Film Auteur ever the one and only Stanley Kubrick. Shot with specially hand grounded film lenses in Black and white is shot with exquisite cinema-graphic effect and masterful blocking of scenes and editing characteristic of direct and cinematographer Kubrick is set in the early sixties, when the film is actually made, and contains state of the art military technology of the age of the classic cold war between Russia and the United States of America.
A general Jack D. Ripper, the late Sterling Hayden, in charge of an American Military Air base which controls the tactical strategic nuclear armed bomber air squadron invokes a special clause in the USA strategic defense policy which sets off a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Russia.
Peter Sellers plays several very memorable in not now famous roles in the film one as the president of the USA, Merkin Muffley, who desperately tries to recall the attack with the assistance of the Russian president from the safety of the USA war room. Sellers also plays a British Officer, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, at the military air force base who tries desperately to contact the President with the recall code needed to prevent the attack caused by his Commanding General Ripper. Sellers also plays an ex Nazi Scientist, Dr StrangeLove advises USA president of how the human races will endure and survive a nuclear holocaust.
This film is outrageously hilarious and at the same time a completely serious study of the inherit problems of a fail-safe Nuclear arsenal in those troubling times of the Cold war arms race. A very memorable film for those who grew up in the shadow of the Nuclear Mushroom cloud and still relevant to the current generation. Like most of Kubrick's films its worth seeing repeatedly and if you don't get a little chuckle from it or even intellectual stimulation then I suggest you stick to Australian films. Truly Great Cinema.