Posted on 01/29/2024 11:02:04 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
Stanley Kubrick’s sharp and persuasive comedy about nuclear war remains a hilarious act of provocation
Sixty years ago, Columbia Pictures released the first of two black-and-white movies with the exact same premise: what if American planes with hydrogen bombs were inadvertently ordered to drop their payload on targets in the Soviet Union, potentially triggering an all-out nuclear war that wipe out humanity? The Cuban missile crisis had pushed the superpowers to the brink of conflict less than two years earlier, and film-makers were unusually eager to face their cold war nightmares head on.
~snip~
On balance, Kubrick’s message is more persuasive. Dr Strangelove remains the greatest of movie satires for a host of reasons, not least that it hews so closely to the real-life absurdities of the cold war, with two saber-rattling superpowers escalating an arms race that could only end in mutual annihilation. There’s absolutely no question, for example, that the top military and political brass have gamed out the catastrophic loss of life in a nuclear conflict, just as they do in the war room here. Perhaps they would even nod sagely at the distinction between 20 million people dead v 150 million people dead. All Kubrick and his co-writers, Terry Southern and Peter George, have to add is a wry punchline: “I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I read where it was originally a “good weekend in Dallas” but got changed due to the JFK assassination.
Are you showing the miniseries? It combines a lot of characters and plays loose with some of the facts, but the feel and air of incompetence in its depiction of the late Soviet era is authentic.
In that case, it was a great success. I suppose Kubrick wanted us to find space boring as well. He succeeded with 2001.
Up until the Cuban Missile Crisis there was serious talk of fighting, winning and surviving a nuclear war with Russia. After having our noses rubbed in the reality of what just almost happened in the CMC, fighting WWIII became the subject of dark comedy. That was the case until the powers that be in DC decided now was the time to attack Russia. Now the maniacs in the War Room tell us we won’t even get our hair mussed.
C’mon man.
He warned us about the “mine shaft gap”.
Lol.
Dr. Strangelove is perfect for today’s times.
Every young person should watch it—even the “preverts”.
;-)
Are you invoking God?
Well I... I would hate to have to decide.. who stays up and.. who goes down.
Strangelove:
Well, that would not be necessary Mr. President. It could easily be accomplished with a computer. And a computer could be set and programmed to accept factors from youth, health, sexual fertility, intelligence, and a cross section of necessary skills. Of course it would be absolutely vital that our top government and military men be included to foster and impart the required principles of leadership and tradition. Slams down left fist. Right arm rises in stiff Nazi salute. Arrrrr! Restrains right arm with left. Naturally, they would breed prodigiously, eh? There would be much time, and little to do. But ah with the proper breeding techniques and a ratio of say, ten females to each male, I would guess that they could then work their way back to the present gross national product within say, twenty years.
Muffley:
But look here doctor, wouldn’t this nucleus of survivors be so grief stricken and anguished that they’d, well, envy the dead and not want to go on living?
Strangelove:
No sir... Right arm rolls his wheelchair backwards. Excuse me. Struggles with wayward right arm, ultimately subduing it with a beating from his left.
Also when... when they go down into the mine everyone would still be alive. There would be no shocking memories, and the prevailing emotion will be one of nostalgia for those left behind, combined with a spirit of bold curiosity for the adventure ahead! Ahhhh! Right are reflexes into Nazi salute. He pulls it back into his lap and beats it again. Gloved hand attempts to strangle him.
Turgidson:
Doctor, you mentioned the ration of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn’t that necessitate the abandonment of the so called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Strangelove:
Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.
DeSadeski:
I must confess, you have an astonishingly good idea there, Doctor.
Strangelove:
Thank you, sir.
Are you invoking God?
_________________________________________________
Sure. Because God was with those brave astronauts as they traveled to the moon and back.
Yup—one of the best scenes ever.
It nails the self-appointed “elites” to the wall.
I am with you, FRiend.
I’m with you.
I can’t imagine an Englishman like Peter Sellers playing a Texas cowboy. Slim Pickens, from Kingsburg, in California’s San Joaquin Valley and the son of a Texan, was a perfect fit.
Gun geek sez “Hey, there’s no bayonet lug!”
I am currently doing a class on CHERNOBYL.
I was thinking about it a few hours ago and for a fleeting moment thought of one but now it's gone. I'll try to remember it.
But here is the suggestion. I long ago subscribed to The Criterion Channel on ROKU. This month they presented a bundled collection called Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi. Amung the Climate Catastrophe, Celestial Threats and Mad Max/Escape from New York/Italian Knock-offs, the have four that you may want to review.
From the UK, "Threads" and "The Day the Earth Caught Fire", then from Hollywood, "Panic in the Year Zero" (Ray Milland) and "Testament" (with William Devane).
I haven't watched any of the four but now I plan to just because you caused me look for them.
Biden’s War Room maniacs are scarier than President Muffley’s War Room maniacs were.
The CRM-114 made an appearance as the overloading amp Doc Brown built.
If a person was in Strategic Air Command it was almost mandatory for Dr. Strangelove to be on of your top five movies.
I saw the movie when I was in Junior High School and it was instantly one of my favorites.
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