I don't know how to explain Dr. Strangelove, to be honest. It's a Stanley Kubrick classic that is so hard to explain. It's not as mind-boggling as The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but this is a weird watch.
For a brief context, this movie dramatizes humorously what would happen if both the Soviets and the United States decided to launch their nuclear warheads against each other.
Plus, Peter Sellers portrayed three different major characters in this movie.
Plot Overview
The movie begins with a commander of the U.S. Air Force, Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper staying inside the base full of airplanes loaded with hydrogen bombs. The planes are sent airborne toward USSR.
The General strangely orders Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) to confiscate all radios and put the base on high alert without reason. He also ordered the bombers to continue their approach to the USSR. To make his plans seamless, his command can only be overridden by a three-letter code he knows. Mandrake realizes there is no order from Pentagon to attack and decides to stop his General and locks them in his office.
Meanwhile, inside the War Room in Pentagon, President Merkin Meffley (Peter Sellers) is being briefed by General Turgidson about the plan to launch a nuclear attack against the Soviet Union. Since the President cannot override Ripper's orders, he orders his army to attack and arrest him. As they continued discussing the right plan, they called the Russian Ambassador to talk to Soviet Premier Dimitri Kissov about how they could protect themselves from the bombers.
The Russian Ambassador revealed that the Soviets were also preparing a doomsday machine to counter their plans. If triggered, the world will be engulfed in a nuclear fallout lasting more than 90 years. They seek help from Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers), a former Nazi turned president advisor, to assist them with possible outcomes.
Review
It's hard to describe Dr. Strangelove. It surely dramatizes the possible outcome if the United States and the Soviet Union decided to launch their nuclear weapons against each other. Still, it also reveals a shocking realization that we would be doomed if they did that. The madness surrounding this movie can only be done by Stanley Kubrick. It's a pretty bold film that is hard to portray.
Dr. Strangelove features so many techniques that are way ahead of its time. Like Kubrick's other classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, it brought his creativity into reality.
If you don't research this movie, you will not notice that one actor portrayed three different roles. A big hands down to Peter Sellers for his smooth acting performance. Also, the makeup artists did a great job. I also need to commend George C. Scott for his terrific acting performance as General Buck Turgidson. His role here and Patton are like two peas in the same pod.
Overall, Dr. Strangelove is a great movie. It's a spectacle that everyone needs to watch.
A great 5 out of 5 stars.