Kubrick's second best film

Rating: 10/10 (28 August 2005)

Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove is the ultimate black comedy. It's #26 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest movies. The movie is full of outrageous lines and scenes. On one level the movie is an exact depiction of a nuclear bomber on its way to attack the Soviet Union. On another level it's a satire of cold war politics. Kubrick throws in a generous amount of sexual innuendo both in the names of the characters (Buck Turgidson) and the visuals. You can watch this film many times and always spot something new.
Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) goes a little funny in the head and orders his bomber squadron on a full scale nuclear attack against the Soviet Union. Group Captain (G/C) Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) tries to get Ripper to stop the attack by giving him the recall code. President Merkin Muffley (also Peter Sellers) and his advisors meet in the War Room trying to decide what to do. The conversation between Sellers and Soviet Premier Kissov - you only hear Sellers' end -- is hysterical. George C. Scott is Gen Buck Turgidson who is one of the main military advisors. Scott was never better than in this role. Dr. Strangelove (also Peter Sellers) joins them in the War Room at the end of the movie and Sellers gives his most famous movie performance. Keenan Wynn (Col Bat Guano) and Slim Pickens (Major Kong) are also good in the film.
The sets -- the war room, the bomber interior, the Air Force Base -- were by Ken Adam who worked on many of the Bond movies (Goldfinger, Thunderball, Dr. No, Moonraker) and with Kubrick again on Barry Lyndon.