A Surreal Commentary on Nuclear Arms

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2016)

I recently saw "Dr. Strangelove" for the first time ever, despite its being such a well known film and despite my having seen a few other Kubrick flicks over the years.
If you're not familiar at all with the movie, this is Stanley Kubrick's comedic commentary on nuclear armament. Unlike some of his other films ("2001", "Clockwork Orange"), this film has somewhat of a more realistic feel to it, albeit one that deals in a bizarre "what if" type of fantasy. The basic premise of the film is that an American general with access to nuclear attack plans has gone crazy and initiates a nuclear war sequence. The rest of the movie is the nation's attempt to stop the war from happening before the first bomb drops.
The film is shot in black and white, and features robust cinematography--I was fortunate to have seen it in a theater release, and seeing it on the big screen really highlighted the wonderful camera work.
All in all this is a well made film with a couple of memorable lines--although there are elements of the movie that were just a bit too over the top for me (Dr. Strangelove himself, for instance). I think the most important reason to watch this movie is for the message it conveyed regarding nuclear arms. The film is a social commentary on the absurdity of nuclear weapons, and if you watch it without comprehending that then you've missed the point entirely. That said, this is one that requires a bit of thought rather than simply taking it at face value.
Having said all that, I'm going to go with 8/10 stars for this film. It's very well made, and certainly worth the time to see once in your life. I'm not sure whether I'd consider it in my "favorites" category on the other side of viewing it--but it's a tale that certainly makes you think, and perhaps I might even say that it's a film that's more important to see than it is enjoyable to see. You'll perhaps see the world a bit differently on the other side of this movie--and that's not a bad thing.