DB7

Must-have movies: Dr Strangelove (1964)

Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 08/02/2008

Sheila Johnston discusses Stanley Kubrick's surreal Cold War comedy of errors
Right from the beginning, this film has you on the back foot, as sensuous images of B-52s glide eerily through the sky to a lush string arrangement of Try a Little Tenderness. Made at the height of the Cold War, Dr Strangelove tackles a topic - the end of life as we know it - which might, perhaps, have warranted serious treatment.
Peter Sellers as a half-Nazi mad scientist, one of his three roles in Stanley Kubrick's Dr StrangeloveInstead, its tone is puzzling, unsettling: a surreal comedy of errors played out with a deadly straight face for much of the duration. Peer closely at the small print of the hand-written opening credits and you will see the production company: Hawk Film. Famously attentive to detail, Stanley Kubrick studs the screen with such tiny jokes; slow-burning time bombs that explode only on repeated viewings.

Everyone is drunk on testosterone (there's only one woman, a Playboy model-turned-"secretary"): the nutso officer who orders the attack, with his fixation on "precious bodily fluids"; the Soviet Premier, partying in a Moscow brothel as the world faces extinction; George C Scott's Pentagon General, creaming himself at the thought that, in the post-Doomsday bunker, there will be 10 nubile females for every man. The dim-witted, Texan-accented cowboy, who captains what he calls the "nucular" charge, is a strangely familiar figure.


It is sometimes said that Dr Strangelove, brilliant as it still unquestionably is, has lost its bite. Not at all: it lampoons a crazed warmongering machismo that never goes out of style.


In the throes of a traumatic divorce, Peter Sellers is extraordinary, in a triple-threat performance, as the bald, ineffectual American president, the mad scientist with an uncontrollable bionic hand, and the clipped RAF officer who tries to save the day, but hasn't got the right change for the phone and finds that the White House won't reverse the charges.
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The amazing War Room set, with its huge circular conference table intended to suggest a poker game, comes courtesy of the great production designer Ken Adam, who squeezed the assignment in between Dr No and Goldfinger. This film is set, however, in a world even James Bond can't rescue.

Blue Velvet

Another amazing Kubrick film. I've always wondered how well it would have played with the 'original' ending of a custard-pie fight in the war room. I seem to remember reading somewhere that there was a BFI archive print containing this ending. Can anyone confirm this or is my memory playing tricks on me?

DB7

Was the scene ever filmed? From what I recall there were just production/storyboard stills.

I presume some footage of Sellers as Kong must exist?

Blue Velvet

I'm sure I read that it was filmed. I remember reading about it around the time, probably before, of the (Criterion?) Laserdisc release and I looked on the ppackaging to see if it was included as an extra. Mind you Kubrick did shoot alot of stuff and then buried it away in his personal archive.

stevie boy

sorry never rated Strangelove, I much prefer Fail Safe.

ican

The custard pie scene was filmed. I think his brother in law Jan Harlan showed the footage in London shortly after his death.



On a related note Kubrick's early film Fear & Desire is being shown at the Barbican on Wednsday 27 Feb.

NappieB

Great quote from the film:

"You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"

"The future is yet to come" - George W. Bush

Blue Velvet

Fail Safe is a very good drama. Strangelove is a completely different kettle of fish. Razor sharp satire. I believe Sellars was originally going to play the Slim Pickens character too.

christoph404

According to the IMDB the only known public screening of the custard pie fight was at the NFT in London in 1999 after Kubricks death, though I don't recall reading anything about that at the time. Interestingly the film was originally due for release on the day that JFK was assassinated and reputedly there is a line during the custard pie fight that says, "our young president has been struck down" as Sellers as the president is hit in the face with a custard pie.

stevie boy

Did you see the Fail Safe remake ?? I have not but it is supposed to be good.

GRAEME

Let's just hope they never ever try to remake Strangelove!

I love both movies - similar subject and plot but very different approach, tone and impact.

I sometimes wish Sellars hadn't played three characters - he is excellent in all of them but it is rather gimicky and gets in the way. Having said that I don't know which one/s I'd want to lose! He could have relinquished the rather straight RAF officer role to another actor without much impact to the film - but Strangelove and the president are incredible comic creations.

1stas

Did you know Strangelove is an anagram - see if you can get it

1stas

christoph404

I have heard (and have an inkling of what it is)that the full title "Dr Strangelove" is an anagram, do you mean that (including the Dr) or as you have written it? "Strangelove"

suzepulcheria

I assume it is something rude, but I can only think of:

Agent lovers, Great novels, Grave stolen, or... a longer vest, or... even... (my favourite)... real veg snot...

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."

suzepulcheria

OK If you include the 'Dr' there is dove strangler and strangest lover. Now I give up so please tell us!


Hey, hey hey, delirium, I have just become a senior member!!!!!!

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."