Review of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) by Jesse B — 28 Jan 2012

The blackest of all black comedies, Dr. Strangelove stands out as a film with true chutzpah when it looks the cold war in the nose and laughs. Teetering on the edge of horror and comedy at all times, the great tension created by the very real threat of nuclear annihilation during the day takes farcical jabs at all of the major political power players.

From the milquetoast president Merkin Muffley (one of three brilliant performances by the incredible Peter Sellers) to the insanely plausible cause of this nuclear threat, United States Army General, Jack D.

Ripper (Sterling Hayden). Not one character is left untouched by the satirical sword which writers Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George wielded so deftly. The absurdest nature of politically driven war and those who would allow themselves to be corrupted by such power is the target here, and there is no funnier a moment in the film than the very last when the ex-Nazi weapons expert, Dr.

Strangelove (a wheelchair bound German with an uncontrollable right hand which finds it's most natural position in the way of a Nazi salute), stands to his feet and in surprise looks down upon his working appendages and utters the last spoken dialog of the script, "Mine Fuhrer, I can walk.

" The very next image is of the earth being decimated by numerous, engulfing nuclear explosions. This is the film, whilst in the midst of a very real crisis, found it necessary not merely to chuckle at the ensuing insanity, but make a great and resounding guffaw at the pointlessness of such plausible destruction.

Apparently, Kubrick was only able to get this last laugh by blowing up the world.