Dr. Strangelove, Or how I learned to stop worrying and love Peter Sellers

The first time I saw this film, it was for American History 1945-present. I have loved it both times. I think Stanley Kubrick is a genius for changing the mood from a war drama to a nightmare comedy. Only by showing how absurd the situations are, after establishing a serious topic, does it become apparent that nuclear policy is in itself ridiculous.

It wasn't until we did the reading for class did I understand all of the sexual imagery in the film. The opening scene with the planes being refueled did not make sense to me until I read the article. The large phallic tube that transports fuel into the receiving party definitely hearkens to some sexual imagery. Also, the only female in the whole film is at the beginning, and she is wearing a bikini. The fact that she is wearing a bikini is also interesting because the bikini islands were made famous by the nuclear tests that were conducted there. These sexual images push the idea that the men in this film are driven by a very masculine sense of excitement.

The men in the B-52 are the only people in the movie that carry out there duties to a 't'. The reading talks about Stanley Kubrick's obsession with technology and how all the men in the plane are experts that will not let any technological disadvantages deter them from there goal. Slim Pickens list of all the things in the emergency kits they all get is famous for its ridiculousness. Condoms, nylon stockings, a half Russian phrase book half bible which is the size of the face of a watch, money, gold, a handgun, etcetera. They say after reading the list that they could have a good time in vegas with all the stuff. If they set off a hydrogen bomb, which is around 30x more powerful than the bombs at hiroshima, it would be hard to do much of anything, being dead. Also Major Kong (Pickens) tells all the troops that they will receive commendations for there dedication to duty in this instance, when the harsh reality is that everyone will die if they complete there mission so there will not be anyone to give them a medal. That last iconic scene where Kong rides the nuke into the base also has the huge amount of symbolism seeing as how the missile resembles a large penis.

Another story line is the events in the war room. We have a bunch of guys looking at a big board with the position of all the planes. Peter Sellers plays the president and is the most sensible person in the movie. Once he tries to implicate his plan however, he becomes an unassertive joke. This symbolizes the other side of the extreme conservatives, and how week they are. The movie is even filmed in black and white to help emphasize the extremes of the situation. You also have the comedic relief of the russian guy and turgeson who end up fighting because he doesn't want the russians to see the big board.



The most ridiculous aspect of the whole movie is Dr. Strangelove. In the reading Strangelove, is compared to three other figures that I am not to familiar with, but I find interesting the combination of scientists. Peter Sellers again does a great job. Accidentally calling the president mine furer was hilarious. His hand that has a black glove on it has a mind of its own, almost like the germans installed it to keep him quiet as he keeps trying to silence himself with it. My favorite part takes place immediately before the bomb drops and he is sitting and becomes extremely excited when the generals were talking about a mine gap between them and the Russians. He stands up and yells "Mine Furer, I can walk!" And then the bomb drops. It is hilarious. This technical mind is distorted by a taste for destruction and his view that the destruction these devices can call is beautiful. The end of the movie goes along with this with the bomb's exploding in an almost beautiful way.

The last story line is the one that follows Colonel Mandrake, Peter Sellers third role in this movie, he is amazing. General Jack Ripper has the stereotypical cigar and is shot from a low angle to make him appear menacing, but going back to to the sexual symbolism, the shot above looks like the camera is in his crotch. Almost like he is looking at things with his stubborn manliness. He talks about all of this conspiracy and radical things that do not make sense and he starts a nuclear war because of it.

Peter Sellers plays three different characters with three different nationalities beautifully in this movie and I couldn't find if he won any awards for his work here, but I think he deserves it. Dr. Strangelove is a great movie chronicling the absurdity of extremist view points when it comes to ideologies and nukes. I would use this as a text to show all of those radical conservatives pointing fingers now and say, "hey look, who do these people remind you of?"