Don't Forget To Say Your Prayers

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2009)

General Jack D. Ripper, who is more than a little insane, uses an obscure emergency procedure to order a fleet of bombers armed with nuclear warheads to attack Russia. Only he knows the recall code, and when he commits suicide can the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff find any way of preventing World War Three  ?
Written by Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George, based on George's novel Red Alert, this brilliant black comedy of nuclear annihilation remains perhaps the funniest and most savage military / political satire ever made. The story and its details are completely credible, the characters - despite being twisted buffoons - are instantly recognisable and human, and the movie is both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. The entire cast find exactly the right tone for the film. Sellers repeats his Lolita trick of playing three different parts, Scott is possibly funniest of all, Hayden is perhaps the definitive first in a long line of Kubrick's crazed, staring, psychos, Pickens and Wynn both give career best performances, and watch out for a young Jones as the bombardier. A lot of critics seem to find this film (and Kubrick's work in general) very cold and misanthropic, but this really misses the point. First of all, as satire, it merely serves to remind us not to place too much faith in government / technology / procedures / what have you. But more importantly, it's really a celebration of human ingenuity. The reason the bomber gets through is precisely because they don't follow procedure, they adapt to a new situation, use intuition, solve difficult problems and work out a new plan for themselves. The end result may be catastrophic, but it's also a celebration of individuality and mutability. Kubrick may have been a bit controlling but he really understood people, and that's what makes his work so good. Featuring great sets by James Bond designer Ken Adam, and brilliant photography by Gilbert Taylor - don't miss the shots of an angelic Strangelove surrounded by a halo of light. This movie is packed full of incredibly funny dialogue; if I had to pick a favourite line, it's General Turgidson's masterpiece of understatement, "Although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority.". Kubrick died ten years ago, but his influence as a giant of both film-making innovation and insight into human nature still permeates all cinema. He was thirty-five when he made this movie and lost the Best Director Academy Award to sixty-five-year-old George Cukor, who won for My Fair Lady; does anybody want to argue with me about which of these was a more talented director ? Do not miss this brilliant film.