A film that works!!

Rating: 10/10 (3 December 1999)

I find it difficult to recommend a film more highly. Kubrick's vision of a world teetering on the brink of nuclear apocalypse is in every way a perfect film. It captures the essence of a time, and yet it is not at all dated. It is as funny a film as you will ever watch, but at the same time its message is deadly serious. The acting is uniformly brilliant, led by an incredible triple-threat performance by Peter Sellers. While his characterization of the good doctor is most often pointed at, in my mind it is Sellers' portrayal of President Muffley which shows his true genius. His flat, toneless, midwestern accent was a work of art, as was his ability to communicate through non-verbal cues. In addition, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden were never better than they were here. But the special mention must go to Kubrick. He took a huge risk with this movie - and turned it into a cultural touchstone. In watching this film, one is struck by the lack of "jokes." Every image, from the "copulating" airplanes to the Nazi salute in the "war room," was intended as a means to further the irony inherent in a comedy about the destruction of civilization. I especially recommend this film to younger viewers, unfamiliar with the concept of "duck and cover" drills and back yard bomb shelters. In this film can be found a valuable history lesson, as well as an object lesson in the art of unified filmaking.