Movie #298 Dr Strangelove *1964*

This is my favorite comedy of all time.  You would think a review for one of your favorite films would be easy, but I hold this film in such high regards that I feel like anything I write about it would be a disgrace.  But here it goes anyway.

This year I watched Paths of Glory for the first time. It is a war movie by the same director of Strangelove, Kubrick.  The first time I watched Paths I noticed how wonderfully it was acted and shot. Stanley is widely thought of as a perfectionist and for good reason.  I also thought of how brutal and horrible the plot was.  It is a bout a group of soldiers that are sent out on a suicide mission.  They retreat after what they consider to be giving it their best, but they are court marshaled for being cowards.  Pretty serious subject matter.  Then the second time I watched Paths I realized another staple of Kubrick's work, his dark and twisted sense of humor.  Paths is a farce on the hypocrisy of military structure.

I mention Paths to help illustrate how dark Kubrick can be.  In Strangelove a rouge general has found a loophole in the US attack plans in cold war times.  Without the proper authority he sends dozens of bomber planes to attack the USSR.  An action that will surely result in a full on nuclear war.  Once the US president finds out, his choices become clear, either: comitt 100% to a full on attack of Russia or speak to the Soviets and order them to shoot down all the US planes.  The later is chosen, but one plane evades the Russians and makes an effort to bomb a new target.

While all this doesn't sound very funny, it only gets worse.  Apparently the Soviets had completed a doomsday device in which any attack on Russian soil will launch an planet wide launch of nuclear weapons.  Wiping out all of humanity. 

This is Kubrick's playground and he takes full advantage of it.  The humor in this film ranges from clever word play to down right absurdity.  This movie stops at nothing short of a pie fight to evoke laughter.  The characters (and character names) in the movie are by today's standards not as ridiculous as they should be.  And that is really the most frightening thing about this movie. 

The reason I admire this movie so much goes far beyond the great script and wonderful acting.  It is Kubrick's camera and his attention to detail.  As I said earlier, he is a perfectionist and it shows in this film.  It is shot in a vast and starkly opposing black and white.  The cinematography is perfect.  Not good, perfect.  Kubrick's use of props and sets blows my mind.  The light around the war room round table is often times shown over the head of someone in the room, making him look like an angel.  The way he frames shots, is that of a master.

I won't get into anymore details right now.  I will say this is my favorite comedy and a masterpiece if ever there was one.  I give Dr Strangelove *****.