Brilliant Satire (50 Megatons Worth)

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2013)

"Yes, the whole point of the Doomsday Machine is lost...if you keep it a secret! VY DIDN'T YOU TELL DER VORLD, EH?!"- Dr. Strangelove in DR. STRANGELOVE.
I'll tell "der vorld". After the dewy circumspection of LOLITA, Kubrick had a creative brainstorm. Gone are the eternally long takes of the previous film, with its prosaic settings and conventional structure. Beating back the censors, Kubrick was emboldened. He let loose with a barrage of wit and stylization. DR. STRANGELOVE is a template for radical filmmaking, dropped squarely into the film industry's bland mainstream. The director excoriates the denizens of the military-industrial complex, exposing them as a collection of disturbed lunatics whose pathological urges translate into nuclear destruction.
The production is geared to stun. The editing creates a rapid cascade of jolting imagery and dialog, much of it hysterically funny, but overlaid with an ominous solemnity. Ken Adam's sets are overpowering works of detailed artistry (cheers for the vaulting ceiling of the War Room). With Kubrick attached firmly to his back, the stark monochrome of Gilbert Taylor's photography exudes a vise-like grip over the audience. The script's satirical punch is so effective it gave birth to a slew of jocular, oft-quoted one liners: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here; this is the War Room!" And once more, Kubrick displayed his flair with actors. Nowhere in George C. Scott's film appearances will you see a more unfettered and successful effort. In what would prove to be the acme of his professional career, Peter Sellers comes across with three devastatingly funny portrayals, each one weighted with a touch of gravity to give them lasting impact. Kubrick was fearless. Fifty years after STRANGELOVE'S release the film is still alive with the power of his audacious wit and intellect. STRANGELOVE is arguably the director's finest hour and a half.