HIS 102

December 7, 2012

Film Review of

Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and Love the Bomb

Plot Summary: The class was asked to review the film Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and Love the Bomb. The movie was a satirical comedy about nuclear weaponry and what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button. At the core of the film was the story of top-ranking men of the United States and the Soviet Union who had become so destabilized by their inferiority complexes, they dared to use nuclear war as a way to supplement their short-comings.

Ironically, the movie was made during a time when the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was, perhaps, at its worst. To the politically-aware, the film could have seemed rather untimely. The film was a ridiculously exaggerated take on Cold War attitudes, with the primary focus being the satirical theory of mutual assured destruction (MAD). Even though MAD was a realistic threat during the time, the film made it seem trivial and funny.

The film opened with the mid-air refueling of a long-range bomber with obvious sexual overtones. After that, the movie shifted into gear when General Jack D. Ripper became mentally unhinged and sent bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The subject of the movie was Dr. Strangelove, a mysterious, wheelchair-bound German scientist whose mechanical arm was always on the verge of a Nazi salute. Loaded with thermonuclear weapons, a U.S. bomber piloted by Major T.J. "King" Kong was on a routine flight near the Soviet Union. There, he received orders to commence “Wing Attack Plan R,” best summarized as "Nuclear combat.” The Major relished the thought of going “Toe to toe with the Russkies." On the ground at the Air Force Base, General Jack D. Ripper calmly informed Group Captain, Lionel Mandrake, that he had given the command to attack the Soviet Union. His reason was that he felt it was time someone did something about fluoridation. The General was convinced it was sapping body fluids which, apparently, had something to do with his sexual dysfunction. Meanwhile, President, Merkin Muffley, met with his top Pentagon advisors, including General Buck Turgidson. General Turgidson saw it as an opportunity to do something about Communism, particularly in Russia. However, the ante was upped when Soviet ambassador de Sadesky Muffley and his staff informed the Americans of the latest innovation in Soviet weapon technology. After a hot-line consultation with the Soviet leader, Premier Kissoff, who was tracked down at a Moscow brothel, drunk, the Russians began to formulate a plan to shoot down the American planes. Even though the Soviets had been informed of every U.S. move, they remained suspicious and decide to take matters into their own hands. They set about to unleash their "Doomsday Machine"—a defense system so destructive it was capable of annihilating the world population.

Back at the Air Force Base, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, a British liaison officer, busied himself with trying to trick General Ripper into revealing the code that would recall the bombers. He was unsuccessful; however, as the General put him off with tale of how he had kept his bodily fluids to himself, thus, denying women of his essence. General Ripper then excused himself, went into a washroom, and blew out his brains.

Meanwhile, a commanded by the name of Colonel "Bat" Guano broke through Ripper's defenses just as Mandrake had discovered the recall code. With only a pay phone to alert the White House, but without a dime, Mandrake suggested they break into a Coca-Cola vending machine. The Colonel, who had warned the Briton against trying any "preeversions," shot into the machine, but not before warning Mandrake that he would have to answer to the Coca-Cola Company. Armed with the code, President Muffley's War Room staff was able to recall all of the bombers that had not been shot down, except the one piloted by Major T.J. "King" Kong, who guided his damaged plane through the Soviet defenses on its way to a secondary target. As the plane approached its objective, trouble arose with the bomb release mechanism. The ever-eager, Major Kong, manually released the bomb, and, cowboy hat in hand, rode it to earth like a bronco buster. The explosion triggered the Russian "Doomsday Machine." Just before the end of the world, President Muffley and Dr. Strangelove fritter away precious time discussing how society's male elite and an even larger contingent of beautiful women might survive the nuclear holocaust in underground hideouts, eventually repopulating the planet. Then, moments before the screen was filled with mushroom clouds, Dr. Strangelove staggered to his feet, proclaiming, "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk."

Themes: One of themes the class was asked to discuss dealt with the strategy of containment. Here, each side strategized a plan for a limited nuclear war. For example, estimating how many human lives would be lost and a country still would be able to rebuild economically. The plan involved sheltering people in a network of underground fallout shelters that would be capable of holding millions of people. This attitude was reflected in Turgidson's remark to the president about the outcome of a war: "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." Another theme for discussion involved the theory of mutual assured destruction (MAD). The MAD theory was based on the idea that each side, in this instance, the United States and the Soviet Union, would be deterred from a nuclear war by the prospect of a universal cataclysmic disaster, regardless of who won. In this instance, both sides already had a sort of “Doomsday Machine,” since their nuclear arsenals were large enough to destroy most life on Earth. Each side came to realize that a nuclear war was inherently suicidal because it was unwinnable. Thus, neither side was willing to engage in all-out nuclear war. The class was also asked to discuss General Curtis LeMay’s and General John D. Stevenson’s views on the Cold War. General LeMay was considered one of the Cold War's fiercest warriors. His very first war plan drawn up in 1949, proposed delivering, "the entire stockpile of atomic bombs in a single massive attack." That meant dropping 133 A-bombs on 70 cities within 30 days. He argued that, "if you are going to use military force, then you ought to use overwhelming military force. Use too much and deliberately use too much. You’ll save lives, not only your own, but the enemy's too." General John D. Stevenson was a bit more diplomatic. He was director of operations of the Western defense arm known as Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe. He was outspoken in his beliefs about the Soviet Union's intentions and how best to thwart them. He was quoted as saying about the newest fighter jet “…that is something which will give the Russians cause for consideration and possibly keep them off so that we can continue to employ diplomatic discussions to a point when a hot war will never come about." Opinion: The movie was a comedic, yet satirical indictment of the concerns of the U.S/Soviet Cold World. It made an important statement about the apocalyptic consequences of nuclear war and misplaced faith in humankind. Through the laughter, there was a constant reminder of the horrors from such an outbreak. As for entertainment value, I did not find the film particularly funny. It was not my brand of humor. That said, if a student wants to learn about the Cold War, what better way to learn than through laughter? For that reason, I would recommend it.

General Curtis LeMay was considered one of the Cold War's fiercest warriors. His very first war plan drawn up in 1949, proposed delivering, "the entire stockpile of atomic bombs in a single massive attack." That meant dropping 133 A-bombs on 70 cities within 30 days. He argued that, "if you are going to use military force, then you ought to use overwhelming military force. Use too much and deliberately use too much.. You’ll save lives, not only your own, but the enemy's too." General John D. Stevenson, was a bit more diplomatic. He was director of operations of the Western defense arm known as Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe. He was outspoken in his beliefs about the Soviet Union's intentions and how best to thwart them. He is quoted as saying about the newest fighter jet “…that is something which will give the Russians cause for consideration and possibly keep them off so that we can continue to employ diplomatic discussions to a point when a hot war will never come about.,"