Dr. Strangelove
During the 1960's, nuclear warfare was one of the biggest threats facing the world. The Cold War between USSR and the USA was escalating to the point where nuclear weapons were apparently pointed from Cuba to the US, and JFK was contemplating how to, or even if he ought to, strike back. (Then again, my history is a little rusty, so don't quote me on this)
The world was just a hair away from nuclear war, and a few movies came out which were quite timely. One was Fail-Safe (recently remade as a live TV drama on CBS), and another was Dr. Strangelove. Both films are very similar, but while Fail-Safe was a serious thriller, Dr. Strangelove is absurd, comical, and probably a lot more effective in showing how easy it appears for the world to end on the basis of the decisions and the whims of a few powerful (and occasionally insane) men.
The one true insane man in this piece is Colonel Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden), who orders an attack on Russia. He does this by messing about with the rules; the rule was that, if the Russians successfully organized a "sneak attack" on the major points in Washington, thereby incapacitating the president, Ripper has the authority, normally given to the commander-in-chief, to strike back against Russia. However, it soon becomes quite apparent two minutes later that there has been no attack at all against anyone, and Ripper made this up to justify declaring war on Communist ideology, while dozens and dozens of fighter planes head toward Russian airspace, equipped with bombs more powerful than those dropped on Hiroshima at the end of WWII.
The problem is, however, that once the wheels of war have begun turning, it is not easy to apply the brakes to them. A British lieutenant (Peter Sellers) tries to convince Ripper that nothing is going on outside, and that he ought to recall the jets. Ripper can only do that by sending a very specific code, but he's not about to give that code away. Ripper does, however, give the lieutenant his reasons for attacking the Russians, and it has something to do with preserving our "precious bodily fluids". Apparently, Ripper believes that the Russians have infiltrated the American way of life in more ways than one, even to the extent that they contaminate our food.
Back in Washington, the president (Sellers again) hears all the bad news from General Turgidson (George C. Scott), and tries desperately to find a solution to the problem. His best bet is to phone the Soviet premier, but the Russian ambassador who contacts the premier for him finds him at a party drunk. Nevertheless, the two leaders attempt some sort of political dealing, although it sounds more like a man talking to a child ("The general just went a little funny! He just went a little funny in the head. He did a very silly thing."). Things become even more desperate when the Russian ambassador claims that the "Doomsday Device" will go off if one of the jets hits a certain target. The president asks his advisor Dr. Strangelove (Sellers yet again!) about the machine, and the purpose of it is so it will not be affected by human error or malice. But the machine is not set up to prevent nuclear war if it is activated, of course; rather, the machine involves a series of computers connected to bombs, and if one goes off, a domino effect occurs, and the machine can not be turned off in any way by human intervention.
Latest Articles