Dr Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb by Stanley Kubrick - Movie Review Example

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!” Dr. Strangelove Theme of the following research is a great film“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” by Stanley Kubrick released in the early 1964. This movie is a great example of a brilliant artistic performance impressive not only as a professional work of fiction but also as a controversial and timely event significant for the social and historical environment. “Dr. Strangelove” as a true and masterful work of art remains a cultural treasure to this day. Further delicate analysis will provide a wider and better understanding of the film as well as its place among the most glorious creations of the film industry. “Dr. Strangelove” being one of the most creative and imaginative Hollywood projects shows great and professional industrial success in creating both artistically, socially and historically valuable work despite the fact of its individually directed approach which above the historical significance allows this movie to attract current interest. The idea of the film appeared as the reaction on a Cold War paranoia which was widespread in the late 1950s and early 1960s. At first Kubrick wanted to create a film about a nuclear accident. His further interest in the Cold War led him to the concept of “Balance of Terror” which was referring to the paradoxical and peaceful status quo between two massive leaders of the world – the United States and the Soviet Union. Later as an answer to his request to the Institute for Strategic Studies he read a book called “Red Alert” by Peter George. Having become pleased with the book Kubrick bought movies rights on the novel very quickly and started to write the script (Abrams). In addition of this starting point of the film production might be useful to add that Cuban Revolution and Caribbean Crisis both had an important effect on the idea’s appearance. Though George’s narrative in the novel is serious Kubrick on its way to developing a starting idea decided to make it a black, catastrophic, nightmarish comedy as he later regarded it. Most of all he felt like that because of the concept known as “Mutual Assured Destruction”. In other words it is an expression or definition of the Apocalypse, Armageddon, the end of the world to be absolutely clear. The end of the world was mutually agreed by the USA and Soviets as an only and most possible consequence of the nuclear war and atomic winter (Duncan 2003). Such unhappy scenario wasn’t beneficial for anybody. That is why the whole Cold War perhaps was seen in a funny and absurd way which pushed Kubrick to create a satirical and parodic comedy. It was typical for Kubrick to write his own scripts based on the books which he has read and liked. Writing script for the “Strangelove” Kubrick collaborated with the author of the original novel Peter George and satirist Terry Southern. All Kubrick’s projects always followed strict and direct scenario during their development. Most of the times Kubrick sponsored, wrote and directed his films which allowed him to acquire great percent of an individual vision and own thought. That’s why for his new ambitious project he created his own production company Hawk Films which became a subdivision of Columbia Pictures. It was Hawk Film which then produced Kubrick’s best works among which are “Clockwork Orange”, “Barry Lyndon” and “Full Metal Jacket”. The most bright and brilliant actor`s performance was done by Peter Sellers. He played in the previous Kubrick’s film “Lolita” where he acted magnificently. Columbia Pictures which was a distributor of “Strangelove” stated that they would finance the movie only if Peter Sellers played four roles. Kubrick replied that he thinks of that as an improper limitation. Director however agreed but due to the accident on the stage Sellers was unable to play the aircraft pilot. That was to the better because Sellers had troubles exactly with that role. The other characters which he played were incredible. One of them is worth to talk about him separately and it is Dr. Strangelove himself, a crazy ex-Nazi mad scientist who serves as a President’s (played by Sellers too) counselor. This character and the role itself is one of the brightest though most of dialogues were improvised on the stage. Strangelove’s character was built upon numerous German scientists but most of all on the personalities of John von Neumann and Wernher von Braun. Another one member of the cast who deserves attention is George C. Scott who played Spartacus in the Kubrick’s film of the same name couple years before Strangelove. Scott plays a not-so -serious and in some way ridiculous character of General Buck Turgidson. During the production Kubrick asked Scott “not to play serious and two of them started to argue on the matter of the character`s mood and intentions. Kubrick solved this problem in a funny way allowing Scott to play how he wants too but at the same time play like director desires. After the film was shot and before the editing Scott realized that extra shots will not be used and he was tricked after which he promised to never play in Kubrick’s movies again (Case). Film cost $1.8 million which made it Kubrick’s biggest work due to that time. Before this film Kubrick’s relationship with huge cinema giants like Columbia or FOX were not established but Universal saw in Kubrick a great potential and so with a less demands gave him artistic freedom and helped to provide sponsorship and further distribution. Shepperton Studios was a place where the film was staged and shot. The studio provided more than enough to shot a dialogue - almost all the film`s events and actions were shot in a couple pavilions. Most important was the War Room because the discussion there was one of the most necessary elements of the film. Set design was brilliantly done by Ken Adam who before “Strangelove” worked on the movies about James Bond. Kubrick strictly followed the construction of the War Room and his dissatisfaction with the first model eventually led to the second one which can be seen in the movie. Its design smoothly reminded set designs of Fritz Lang’s expressionist movies like Metropolis. Another interesting detail during the filming was inability of a crew to create an identical B-52 cockpit (Jenkins). Despite having only one photo and mostly just comparing B-52 cockpit to the B-29 and adjusting it to the form of fuselage filmmakers managed to create it almost identical to real. After that some of the USAF personnel were invited to look at the cabin on which they replied that it is the same as real. Being one of the best military planes B-52 inner details were held in secret and so military representatives were shocked and even Kubrick was not sure if Ken Adams did everything legally. Production time from the very start took almost 8 months. Kubrick even helped to edit film and that again shows his personal interest in all the aspects of creating of the film. This very approach allowed Kubrick to maintain his artistic individuality. The film was released on January 29th 1964 and during its official theatrical release received $4,420,000 in North America which up to this moment adds almost to 10 million in the international box office including video re-release in the 1990s (Kramer). The film was a great success and both publicly and critically acclaimed. “Dr. Strangelove” received BAFTA award for the Best Film and was nominated for the couple of Oscar awards but did not receive any of them. Almost all the critics approved film stating it to be intelligent and timely satire. First screening of the film was done on the November 22, 1963. It was the same the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Because of that film release was rescheduled until the middle of the winter because filmmakers thought that public wasn’t having an appropriate mood for the film parody Cold War. This also led to the cutting of two lines: "a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Dallas with all that stuff" "Gentlemen! Our gallant young president has been struck down in his prime!" Though both of them are just a case of simple coincidence the fact that the President was shot in Dallas made film crew to change Dallas on Vegas. As for the second line it was cut alongside with an alternate ending in which all the members joined in the War Room have a pie-fight. The reasons for such an ending in spite of nuclear explosions are not clear even now. Some say that pie remains made impossible to see character’s facial gestures while others say it would be too much even for the comedy-parody. Another interesting story which encountered during the production was the fact that Sidney Lumet was directing film with a similar theme named “Fail Safe”. Kubrick as well as other filmmakers even taking in consideration that Lumet’s film was a serious drama were afraid that “Fail Safe” would overshadow Strangelove. This led Kubrick who had film rights on the book “Red Alert” sue “Fail Safe” in court because in some way one book was plagiarizing another. This led to the reschedule of Sydney Lumet’s adaptation and Kubrick’s Strangelove was released first. Movie critic Roger Ebert stated that “Strangelove” was one of the most significant film parodies of the 20th century. It is also significant that after “Strangelove” was released US military and scientific units remade their safety schemes in order to eliminate the possibility of one man to push a red button. That shows that Strangelove affected the system of nuclear weapons safety and so nowadays more than a couple people are needed to launch a nuclear warhead and codes of launch are different almost any day. There is nothing exceptional or interesting in a way film was produced or distributed. But its exhibition and effect on people can be described as significant in a global context. That is because “Dr. Strangelove” showed in an intellectual and intelligent way that the concept of MAD (mutually assured destruction) was real madness and even being so it still would be possible to make real such scenario. Kubrick himself talked with the author of this concept Herman von Kahn (Rasmussen). In a capitalized and commercialized world cinema can often become only a tool for the profit and that is horrible both for the directors (good ones) and the audience who truly like cinema. Fortunately, creative and individualistic approach of Mr. Kubrick did not fail him and his hands were free to do as he wished despite some historical circumstances (Kennedy assassination) but nobody is insured from them. In America film’s success is measured by the money and awards which almost always walk side by side. When talking about “Strangelove” we can say that people admired it more than critics though critics praised it not any less but nevertheless American Academy refused to give any Oscars because the decided to give all the main awards to “My Fair Lady” by George Cukor which is of course a great movie but not so essential as Strangelove. Writers, directors and actors with talent and creative minds suffer most from the capitalist logic which penetrates the core of film-making. Audience here can’t protest, it will watch what it can watch and it’s only up to the filmmakers to defend their artistic freedom which in our case is a great example because “Strangelove” was filmed in a tight political environment and so limitations and restrains were presented but not so brightly as and individuality of Stanley Kubrick. Structures and goals of film industry are similar – money and more money. That is why often no questions are asked if the film is successful. In the case with “Dr. Strangelove” there wasn’t even a clear goal at the beginning and only on the stage great director started to create in his full power after which nothing was able to stop him. The path of “Dr. Strangelove” from the concept to commodity can be seen as an ideal one as well as its result can show how important for the director and other filmmakers not to serve to big companies and create films with their own hands showing that it will be done even if no one will eventually pay any attention to its production. Works Cited Abrams, J. “The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick”. Chicago: University Press of Kentucky, 2007. Case, G. “Calling Dr. Strangelove: The Anatomy and Influence of the Kubrick Masterpiece”, New York: McFarland, 1994. Duncan, P. “Stanley Kubrick: Visual Poet 1928-1999”. London: Taschen, 2003. Jenkins, G. “Stanley Kubrick and the Art of Adaptation: Three Novels, Three Films”. New York: McFarland, 1994. Kramer, P. “Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Rasmussen, R. “Stanley Kubrick: Seven Films Analyzed”, 2007. Read More