I had to pick a film to do a report on for an International Relationships class. Though the list I had to pick from had over 40 films on it, I had to go with a Kubrick film. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Kubrick did not disappoint. His direction cannot be ignored throughout the film’s runtime. Being that he wrote the screenplay, produced, and directed the film, I was more than impressed. This film was subtly hilarious. Its type of humor is one that is often ignored today by both directors and audiences alike. Whether it’s watching all of these men scramble to keep the world from getting launched into a nuclear holocaust or hearing lines such as “no fighting in the war room”, all of the subtle comedy lands perfectly. Hearing General Ripper go on a tangent about the Russians “sap and impurify their precious bodily fluids.” via the safe practice of fluoridation to the water was also hilarious and showed the irrational fear that some Americans had towards Russians. Both Peter Sellers in his three roles and George C. Scott were stand-outs in my opinion. Scott was perfectly loud and brash in his role as General Turgidson, creating a larger-than-life personality with his character. Sellers showed versatility in all three of his roles, my favorite being the titular character, Dr. Strangelove. The cinematography was also top-notch. The framing that Kubrick used was absolute perfection. I loved the fact that he used many different angles throughout the film. Being that the film is primarily set in close-quarter rooms, filled with characters, it would have gotten boring if Kubrick used the simple shot-reverse-shot approach to shooting dialogue. Thankfully, Kubrick didn’t do this. He opted to use dynamic shots of characters. These dynamic shots include close-ups, as well as well-blocked and framed shots.
As for my negatives, this film is essentially flawless. Obviously, the visuals involving any fighter jets look bad compared to today’s films. Given it was released in 1964, it’s excusable. I found some scenes with General Ripper and Mandrake dragged a bit as well.
In conclusion, Stanley Kubrick crafted a brilliant Cold War satire. The use of subtle comedy, dynamic conversation shots and cinematography, as well as great performances by Peter Sellers and George C. Scott made a truly great film that will last the test of time.
9/10
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