A time capsule from an uneasy time

Rating: 8/10 (27 August 2011)

Dr. Strangelove is an interesting film. So interesting in fact I had to see it twice before I could make my mind up about it. I was born well after this film came out, and even after the fall of the USSR. However, history quite interests me and I do research on the films I see. Dr. Strangelove still polarizes me.
From the mind of the legendary Stanley Kubrick, Strangelove is about war. Nuclear war. And somehow, this black comedy made it humorous. I don't want to say funny, because I didn't quite laugh out loud, but the characters are quirky, the plot over the top, and one famous scene demands a chuckle.
Strangelove didn't leave an immediate impression on me. I thought the jokes weren't funny enough and the first half hour was slow, which is a big chunk of this 100 minute movie. But in the days and weeks after, I found myself referring to things as the 'Big Board' and used a crazed German accent more. What Strangelove has is staying power.
This is due to the excellent performances. Sellers is a great anchor as the President, delivering some good lines. He does the job of Mandrake adequately, but his scenes weren't the best. General Ripper, while being quite nuts, would've lit up those scenes in the air force base with a little insanity. But the character of Strangelove is the best. His voice, hair, glasses and glove (evil!) are hilarious. His last scene, where his body starts to lose control, is great and his final line is priceless. Other winners are George Scott, and the anxious General Turgidson, Peter Bull's spot-on Russian stereotype, and Slim Picken's Major Kong.
Unfortunately, Strangelove simply isn't as shocking or funny as another satire of conflict: The Great Dictator (If you read my review, it's golden). That film, 20 years older, stands above Strangelove in many ways, especially the humour. Strangelove is too slow-burning in comparison.
And then there's the ending. While I understand the plot's conclusion, I'm unclear of the message being told to a generation who lived in paranoia. If it's that nukes will kill us all, why was this a comedy with such a left-field ending? It's not a bad ending, just a fuzzy one.
I liked Strangelove more and more after I saw it. If you stick with it, it gets better later into the film. It may have had a large effect on people when it came out, but it hasn't aged too well. 8.4/10
*Edit* Now, 8 months after the second viewing I can say I've seen Strangelove 3 times, and now I have Kubrick's earlier repertoire under my belt as well. I can summarize my new thoughts of the film.
There's no denying that this is a great film. The script is legendary, the performances adequately silly, and there's just a very light atmosphere for a dark subject. But Strangelove is now... irrelevant. The future cannot be kind to it as it is very 'in the moment'. I envy anyone who saw this in theaters, but today it just doesn't have the same effect. It's not a universal theme that can be applied elsewhere, the film is very specific. And that is why, while great, Strangelove can't last.
Still an 8.4.