Review of The Mouse That Roared (1959) by Sean V — 14 Jan 2010

The Mouse that Roared rivals Dr. Strangelove in its satirical take on the nuclear arms race. The plot is as funny as it is absurd - a tiny European country is broke after its chief export to America (wine) is replaced by a California imitation - prompting the Prime Minister to come up with a foolproof plan - declare war on America. "We declare war on Monday, are defeated on Tuesday, and by Friday we will be rehabilitated beyond our wildest dreams." The leader of the opposition responds: "As leader of the party of the common man, I say that war is reprehensible, barbaric, unforgivable, and unthinkable, and I second the motion." Classic.

Peter Sellers (as always) plays multiple characters and gives the film an extra touch of hilarity ("My girl... and my bomb!"). The culture of 1959 America is nicely captured - air drill preparations, talk about aliens, and work on a bomb thousands of times more destructive than hydrogen bombs - the Q bomb. Its brief discussion on nuclear disarmament is actually still quite relevant to the debate today. At 85 minutes it is a film well-worth watching.