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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."

1964 PG / Comedy War Directed by: Stanley Kubrick Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden

Tagline

The hot-line suspense comedy

Summary Capsule

Nutty military-types start a countdown to world nuclear armageddon, and sanity has no way of stopping the flow

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Amazon.com: DVD

Justin's Rating: It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine... as in a fine radioactive powder.
Justin's Review: It's part of the human condition to use laughter as a form of defense when the only other option is a hysterical scream of absolute terror. Like when you wake up and see Kyle hovering over your bed, axe in hand and sunglasses on face, drooling a bit: "Ha ha, Kyle! You certainly scared me, you kooky nut!" Or whenever you watch the evening news and have to provide your own sarcastic commentary track to keep the haunting images at bay.

"The final piece of my approval comes in the form of Dr. Strangelove, and after that, the rest of his film collection can burn deep in the pit of Hell, where feisty imps shovel smoldering manure on top of them."

Now, I'm no friend of Stanley Kubrick - to be honest, I think he's a hack auteur who's been worshipped far too much for films that are largely self-indulgent, boring crap. That's my policy of being up front with you. I also have a rash. But hopefully I'm also one who will grudgingly concede credit where it's due, and Kubrick has done a few things "all right". The creepy entirety of The Shining, for instance, or the first half of Full Metal Jacket, or how he used incriminating photos in his will to force Steven Spielberg to make A.I.. The final piece of my approval comes in the form of Dr. Strangelove, and after that, the rest of his film collection can burn deep in the pit of Hell, where feisty imps shovel smoldering manure on top of them.

Dr. Strangelove is also unique in the fact that it seems to appease both serious film critics and most casual movie watchers. Typically, film classes will pour over and analyze movies that boast rich subtext, complex camera movements and multi-layered themes. This does not translate to "fun", however, but instead more of a grueling prison term that must be endured so that you can get out of there and let the next generation of students be tormented by the misunderstood genius of some French film director who made a two-hour silent film of a guy staring at a mirror, in black and white. It's symbolism people!

While film students may enjoy pinning Dr. Strangelove to the dissection table and pulling it apart, we're free to just revel in the dark humor and great performances. I hadn't seen this in many years, and having gone back to watch it, I found myself surprised that a movie with basically three sets and dialogue by the pound could be this entertaining.

Deep in the middle of the Cold War, Kubrick took a serious novel about nuclear escalation and somehow twisted it into a black farce that became many people's way of laughing at something so terrifying. Up in one of many nuclear B-52 bombers, Capt. Kong (Slim Pickens) receives some scary news: the US has been hit in a first strike by commie forces, and they're ordered to retaliate with atomic bombs in return. This couldn't be happier news for the crew, who envision all of the promotions as war heroes that they'll receive by the radioactive ants who are the only survivors back at home.

Unfortunately, the Air Force base that issued this attack order did so from faulty intelligence, but by the time the only British officer on base figures out the mistake, the place is locked up tight, with communication silence, and orders all bombers to do the same. Deep inside the War Room, the President and his cabinet find themselves in a completely ridiculous and frightening scenario; the USA will strike first at Russia, and they have no way of recalling the bombers.

Like Catch-22, Dr. Strangelove spirals from zany situation to lofty heights of insanity that you'd only wish you were witty enough to write this stuff. The bulk of the film's content and humor takes place in ping-pong conversations between (typically) a straight man who's horrified as to the situation, and a crazy man in power who sees this as a golden opportunity for US dominance. Never mind the 20-200 million casualties.

Much has been made out of the fact that Peter Sellers (the Pink Panther series) played not one, not two, but three separate roles in this movie far before Austin Powers made it fashionable. The most recognizable of the three is the titular Dr. Strangelove, an ex-Nazi mad scientist with an uncontrollable arm who's working for the American military. Other characters are equally great, such as the stupidly crazy General Turgidson (George C. Scott). Keep your eyes open for James Earl Jones (the voice of CNN, Darth Vader and Mufasa) as one of the bomber crew, too!

Although it's a bit like desecrating holy ground, I have to be equally fair in pointing out a number of hang-ups about this movie. It is somewhat uneven in pace, crude in set design and special effects (although those were probably intended), and if you're not in the mood to listen to people talk, you might as well jump out of the nearest convenient window and I mean right now, mister. The biggest turn-off is that if you ever bring this movie up in conversation, you're going to have to contend with the know-it-all air of a snobby film connoisseur who will seek to impress you with some arcane tidbit of Kubricivity.

Just go ahead and shove them out of the nearest convenient window and I mean right now, mister.

We were a little more lax about the mental quality of our generals way back when Nazis: easy humor or easy cannon fodder. Your pick. "Hm. Yes. Quite. Smashing. Brilliant. Pip pip."

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• General Turgidson (George C. Scott) was not scripted to fall over in the war room when he gets excited, but when it happened, Kubrick decided it was in character, and left it in.
• When Strangelove is talking about the doomsday device, Turgidson says, "Strangelove. What is that, German?" The reply he receives is "He changed his name; it was originally Merkwurdigliebe." In German Merkwurdigliebe means Strangelove.
• The centerfold in the copy of Playboy being read by one of the B-52 crew is Gen. Turgidson's secretary, Miss Scott.
• The stock footage shown in the opening credits (a suggestive image of refueling military aircraft) was also used in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
• Other than Miss Scott, there are no female characters in the film
• In the novel by Peter George the two H-bombs are named Hi There! and Lolita. Two years earlier, Stanley Kubrick directed Lolita. The graffiti on the second bomb is Dear John in the movie.
• Stanley Kubrick intended the film to end with a custard pie fight between the Russians and the Americans in the War Room (which is why we see a big table of food there). The footage was shot, but he decided not to use it because he considered it too farcical to fit in with the satirical nature of the rest of the film.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

No.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Peter Sellers was cast in four roles, but experienced problems when trying to develop a Texas accent for Major T. J. King Kong. After Sellers coincidentally broke his leg, Kubrick was forced to find another actor. Convinced that nobody could have acted the part as well as Sellers, Kubrick decided to cast someone who naturally fit the role. Remembering his work on the western One-Eyed Jacks, Kubrick cast Slim Pickens as Kong, the gung-ho hick pilot determined to drop his bombs at any cost. Pickens was never shown the script nor told it was a black comedy; ordered by Kubrick to play it straight, he played the role as if it were a serious drama - with amusing results.

Has the longest title of any film ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

The illuminated symbols on the War Room map displays were cutouts lit by individual floodlights behind them. These generated so much heat that the display was quickly damaged and special air-conditioning had to be installed.

This film was the debut for James Earl Jones.

Groovy Quotes

Ripper: Your Commie has no regard for human life. Not even his own.

Ripper: I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

Turgidson: Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.

Muffley: Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.

Guano: Okay. I'm gonna get your money for ya. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you?
Mandrake: What?
Guano: You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

Turgidson: Sir, you can't let him in here. He'll see everything. He'll see the big board!

Dr. Strangelove: It is not only possible, it is essential.

Turgidson: Doctor, you mentioned the ratio 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?
Dr. 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.
Ambassador de Sadesky: I must confess, you have an astonishingly good idea there, Doctor.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Canadian Bacon
• Full Metal Jacket
• The Day Aftr