Phallic Symbols and World Domination

Rating: Null/10 (15 March 2004)

It's the height of the cold war, and an accidental nuclear strike on Russia has been called by American forces. How is the U.S. going to stop the weapons from reaching their targets and avoid worldwide destruction? Why was the strike confirmed? And could Dr. Strangelove's plan work out just in case? These are only a few of the many questions posed by Stanley Kubrick in his 1964 film, Dr. Strangelove.
The full title; Dr Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, aside from being quite unique, does a good job of setting up the audience for the premise of the film. It may not sound like a comedy from the title, but don't judge a film by its tagline. Here Kubrick has created a very funny black comedy that examines our fascination or `strange love' with power and military superiority. He smothers his film with symbolism and psychological metaphors, many that remind us of Freud's theories on the matter.
Those not interested in a deep and analytical movie will still enjoy this picture nonetheless. It is a great comedy propelled by perfect comedic timing and some of the best actors of their time. Two of the best actors, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden, stray from their regular dramatic roles for a little comedy. Of course a little help is given by the hysterical Peter Sellers, who plays three roles, including the title character.	Kubrick is a cinematic master and you can see why. The way he composes his shots and directs his actors tells you something about his genius. Very few people could take a topic such as apocalyptic world destruction and make it into a comedy, and do it so well.	One word of advice though before you watch this movie; you will like it so much better if you really understand the feeling associated with that time in American History. You can feel the tension and the uneasiness that was extremely prevalent during the early 60's. Regardless of your historical knowledge, you'll still enjoy this hilarious piece on the insanity and weird obsession surrounding war and the struggle to become the best.
At the very least, you'll learn the proper technique of riding atomic weapons out of planes. Enjoy!

Overall rating for Dr Strangelove: A
Recommended Kubrick flicks: The Killing, Clockwork Orange