The Ultimate Cold War Film Set in Kubrick's Disorienting Pace

Rating: 10/10 (28 March 2008)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by the brilliant Terry Southern, Dr. Strangelove is a landmark film in many ways. While the film is normally classified as a dark comedy, it really consists of a hell of a lot of darkness made light of.
There are plenty of great films which, in one way or another examine or evolve from the context of the cold war. Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove is one of the best. A deranged paranoid General (Keenan Wynn) shuts down all communication at his base, orders his men to shoot at anything which attempts to approach the base and orders the dozens of B-52s under his command to drop nuclear bombs all over the Soviet Union. The rest of the film is mostly about how the United States' bumbling bureaucracy and megalomaniacal military attempt to 'contain the situation' while practicing the usual ass-covering.
Sellers plays at least three disparate and challenging roles, and, not surprisingly, has most of the truly comedic scenes. George C. Scott and Keenan Wynn are frankly incredible as a couple of deranged generals respectively attempting to make the best of the situation and end the communist threat of fluoridated water. There are very few LOLs in this film. The humor is, in fact, somewhat uncomfortable most of the time, though it is definitely humor nonetheless. And yes, everything about this film is intentional and calculated.
Stanley Kubrick used pacing in a somewhat unique way in many of his most well-known films. He sometimes created visual phrases with Shatner-like dramatic pauses attached to either end, and the result is always jarring and always disorienting - making the quotidian seem odd. Strangelove is the earliest Kubrick film I remember seeing this visual style in, but he took it to a new level in 2001 and Eyes Wide Shut. A Clockwork Orange exploits it as well. In Strangelove, he complements the alienating pacing with spectacular camera work and over-dramatic lighting. Visually superb film.
Highly recommended.