The darkest comedy ever

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2005)

One of the worst things to ever happen to Hollywood was the end of the Cold War, and looking back at a movie like Dr. Strangelove reminds us of the fearful, sober, overall silliness that was the tensions between the Soviets and the Americans. During the 40 years or so that the two super powers threatened each other's destruction, movies had always exploited the fears of the movie-goer to create suspense that often was "too real." Dr. Strangelove is the darkest of the black comedies about the Cold War, and the source of the humor comes from how real it is. Examine one of the classic scenes from the movie. What would be the first words between the American President and the Soviet Premier when nuclear war is about to start? Thanks to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, we have an answer that looks ridiculous, but may be as real as anything else in movies. Or look at the George C. Scott character. As the head of the Air Force, he gleefully announces that an all out attack on the Soviets would only result in the "death of 10-20 million civilians, depending on the breaks", of course. There are a few weaknesses to the movie in the way of time issues (is it 3 am or 3 pm?), but those are only minor quibbles. This may be my favorite movie, a comedy about the end of the world. We are able to laugh at the circumstances that lead to the end of civilization, which also scares the hell out of us. What if these are the people running our country, with their finger on the button? Even now, with the Cold War over, this movie resonates with the viewer, showing us how silly the competition was in the Cole War (By the end of the movie, there's concern over a "Mine Shaft Gap") and how the leaders who controlled the fate of a planet may not have been the right men for the job.