Mad Doctor's orders

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2018)

I came to "Dr Strangelove" after watching the alternative contemporary movie based on the same source novel, the super-serious "Fail Safe", which may have been a mistake on my part. It probably didn't help either that I've been lately tracking down and watching other Cold War political thrillers of the era. I think what I'm trying to say is that I didn't quite get Dr Strangelove, heretic as that may appear given its prestigious reputation.
I understand too that its anti-war message perhaps had more relevance and resonance to its original audience which had just gone through the whole Cuban Missile Crisis scenario, but for me the message here overcame the medium with Kubrick using a bazooka to crack open these particular nut(case)s.
I love Peter Sellers and of course he ably demonstrates his comic versatility and mastery of his craft over the course of the three roles he plays but just like Slim Pickens, George C Scott and Sterling Hayden his fellow-crazies, the characterisations used are just too broad, blunt and overpowering. I also found the running gags centring on sexual innuendo just too crude and obvious.
I do recognise that some of the scenes have become iconic like Pickens riding the missile down to destruction and Sellers gradually more deranged title character at the end plus I love the last line of the movie even if I suspect more of Sellers improvisatory skill than Kubrick's directorial hand in it.
However I can't escape my conclusion that the movie seems overrated and more of a museum piece at least to my eyes.