To call Dr. Strangelove a classic is to severally undersell what a truly fantastic movie it is. A black comedy among black comedies. It absolutely trashes governments never ending lust for power, satirizes generals, ambassadors and presidents alike. It's themes are dark to the point of being vicious, and yet I find myself rolling on the floor by the end. On top of that, the movie handles elements of dramatic story telling rarely seen in the comedy genre. The brutally funny and serious characters played by Peter Sellers seem to steal the show (His spastic right arm as Dr. Strangelove being my personal favorite) and yet he's accompanied by a cast that deserve an Oscar a piece.
The sound and visuals that accompany this are easy to overlook, but bring a lot to the film. The war room is a brilliantly created set. Completely silent other than the screaming of the men inside it, along with the dark brooding feeling you get from it visually, is a wonderfully laid backdrop for the dry and dark comedy it houses. The drone of the airplane and it's confined space lend to the feeling of isolation. Cut off from the rest of the world except through a few coded numbers.
Dr. Strangelove houses one of my favorite cinematic moments in history as well. The perfectly placed "We'll Meet Again" overtop the explosions lends a sense of surrealism, beauty and majesty that never accompanies the horrors those images should instill. I think what makes Dr. Strangelove such a must see is it's ability to blend. It takes deep thought provoking problems mankind has faced since far before recorded history, and makes it into an absolute farce. Something that we can enjoy, laugh about, and then years later, think about.
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