American Politics & Pop Culture

In the time when everyone was in fear of the possible nuclear war and nerves were running high, I can see how Dr.Strangelove might confuse the audience with its satirical comment on the government and military with its hard headed, bullet minded, but passionate and outrageous characters. It definitely wasn’t a precise portrayal of the government and military however think it was a conscious choice made by the director to do so in order to show the contrast between the human and incompetent qualities of human beings with machines and technologies that serves the purpose it was programmed for. The use of technologies sticks out in this film with constant scenes that just focused on the large mechanism that surrounded these central figures whether it was in the strategy room or cockpit of the air force plane. Ironically, all communicative devices always failed to serve their purpose except to lead all humankind to doomsday. Ie, when the R.A.F officer tried to contact President Mufflin though a public payphone, the destroyed radio on the plane that made it impossible to recall the order. Even if the use of these communicative devices were successful, it often had ridiculous conversation that just strayed the characters from their original purposes (like the conversation between the US President and the Russian Premier). Ultimately technologies can only carry on what they were programmed to, but how they are used, are up to those who are capable of logical thoughts, such as human beings.

Posted by lungx009 at 01:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After seeing Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb I recommended it to other people. I thought the film was fantastic. Without this class I may never have seen or even heard of this movie. But to the point…

Two aspects of the story line stuck out for me. The first was the ridiculous characters (and their names) we got to learn about. It was impossible to not laugh at these authority figures that often had the quote “Peace is our Profession” as a background. From General Jack Ripper’s obsession with bodily fluids to the obscene amounts of gum chewed by General “Buck” Turgidson and the comical conversations, in particular between President Merkin Muffley and Soviet Permier Dmitri Kissoff, the character development never ceased to amaze me! I agreed with Burgess completely when he wrote that “the ones who effectively blow up the world are shown not as incompetents or villains but as lovable lunatics, and when the fireballs unfold in the final frames and the girl begins to sing ‘We’ll Meet Again’ the picture has allied itself with their lunacy, leaving the viewer all by himself with no place to stand.” When the movie ended I was at a loss for words. There was no resolution after these men had tried to overcome their technological “boo-boo.”

This leads into the second aspect of the movie that really got my attention… The role of technology. Although these men were supposed to be our brilliant leaders, even they couldn’t figure out a way to outsmart the very machines and procedures they had created. As Dr. Strangelove put it, they had figured out ways to “rule out human meddling.” In a less amusing way of viewing this aspect of the film, it depicts that our society doesn’t have a firm understanding over the very technologies that we depend on for safety.

Monica Weir

Posted by weir0041 at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In Dr. Strangelove, Gen. Ripper personifies the judgment we are able to make over time. That is, while his assumption that fluoridation--because it began in 1946--was the work of the Soviets seems ludicrous now, at the time it may not have been as crazy. As we went over in class, the Red Scare of the fifties prompted people to be suspicious of their neighbors (in case they were commies), their professors (because all professors were commies), and everyone else. In this type of society, it is easy to see how something as precious as water might be used as a weapon. It is in this mental warfare; this eye of suspicion, that the cold war truly took shape. There were no battles directly between the US and the USSR; rather, the paranoia and constant race ("we must not allow a mine-shaft gap!") to stay above the other side technologically became overwhelming. The erratic behavior and decidedly dangerous decision of Gen. Ripper shows the effect the Cold War had on people-- even if his fear of water was only imagined.

Posted by aretz008 at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My first impression of Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was how well Stanley Kubrick created a film that was lighthearted as well as serious on a subject that was very controversial for its time. The fear of nuclear devastation after World War II created an atmosphere of suspicion, with everyone prepared and waiting for the “bomb” to drop. Kubrick’s film portrays a worst case scenario in which humans fall victim to the machines of destruction they have created. I agree with Jackson Burgess’ assertion that, in the movie, the machines “…are the villains, but in the images of the film there are the repeated juxtapositions of Man-sloppy, incompetent, unreliable, but full of hope and courage-and Machine-beautiful, functional, absolutely reliable. but mindless and heartless” (pg. 9, The "Anti-Militarism" of Stanley Kubrick). A human (General Ripper) was the one who ordered an unfounded attack on Russia as a result of some psychotic disorder (showing the fallibility of the human brain), and the “Doomsday Machine” did exactly as it was created to do, strike fear and release total destruction (showing the reliability of machines).

The matter of nuclear war was and still is a serious one; however, Dr. Strangelove made it a rather blithe one, leaning far away from reality and more towards the outlandish and humorous. I feel that the film was not taken seriously because no one wanted to acknowledge the fact that they could live in such uncertainty and powerlessness, even the politicians, who we as Americans put our trust in, were powerless. Also, in spite of the very tragic end of the movie, there was a sense of optimism with “We’ll Meet Again” playing in the background as the bomb went off. Even though Dr. Strangelove became more of an uncomfortable joke than a potential reality, I feel that its humor was what made it such a success.

Posted by colb0086 at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Stanley Kubrick described that using “black comedy” was the best way to tell “Dr. Strangelove” and the “things you laugh at the most are really the heart of the paradoxical postures that make nuclear war possible,” and I believe that this is the only way his story could have succeeded. If this were a serious film, I believe it would invoke more fear than necessary in US citizens at the time about the possibility of nuclear war, and further raise anti-Communist paranoia. As the Maland article describes, Kubrick’s film “uses nightmare comedy to satirize four dimensions of the Cold War consensus,” which I believe is the only way Americans would still be have been sane after seeing on film examples of “the problem of accidental nuclear war” and what “blind faith modern man places in technological progress.” Kubrick’s satirical strategy lessens the seriousness of the enormity of actual nuclear war, through both the storyline and the “lovable” lunacy of the characters. Yet this effect is advantageous in some respect, as it informally plants an awareness of nuclear war in viewer’s minds.
“Dr. Strangelove” is accused of “making mincemeat of the military mind” in the Burgess article. Such an accusation probably means that certain critics of the film “just didn’t get it,” or they just don’t response to satire well. The film may unfairly portray the military on the surface, but it is all in the satirical sense and adds to Kubrick’s nightmare comedy effect in order to convey his point. In some sense, the serious side of this film is falsely the “buffoons” of the military, possibly for the purpose of adding to the detraction from the seriousness of nuclear war.

Posted by joh02361 at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In my opinion, Dr. Strangelove did portray the military unfailrly. This was clearly seen the the scenes on the ariplane flying to Russia. One of the pilot was reading playboy while controling the plane, the other one was eating and drinking. Then they made it sound like the soldiers were usually "horsing" around on the air. The captain even wasn't wearing his uniform; he had on a cowboy hat instead of his captain hat. When the U.S. military being portrayed as too relaxing and lack of disciplines, I felt that was really unfair for the soldiers of the country. I think at any given times, the one out in the front lines should be respected and honored. When they were portrayed such as lackers and undisciplined group of people, their honored and pride were somehow taken away, more or less. I think Kubrick should had focus all the humor on the government instead, not the military men, making them look not so well trained in the public's eyes.
Except for those humors on the military, I think the humors from the scenes of the meeting room and the rest were good. I believe they did get the points across. Everyone should relax, don't worry too much about the nuclear war. Everything is ok, the bombs are not that big of a deal. One of the best piece in the movie when there was shooting at the office, and right at the scene where the shooting was happening, on the back ground was a giant sign "Peace is Our Profession". I found that funny and significiant. It was like a way of saying the government can do anything to bring peace to the country, they can shoot, fight, kill, or even use the nuclear bomb to keep the peace. I think the movie brought its message across clearly and loudly. Even when a nuclear bomb is dropped, everything would be fine like before. Recall the scene when the men on the plane received code for plan R, which is to attack Russia. They were getting ready to reach there target and drop the nuclear bomb, the captain and every men on board were so relaxed and the captain himself said something like "After this thing is over, you will get some kind of promotion". No one in the movie seemed to take it seriously. Right after the plane received the code for plan R, the captain called the general on land to comfirm, but he didn't bother to take the call and let his secretary lover answer it instead. When he was in the meeting with the president, his secretary even called and they talked informally like the meeting was going on. Moreover, one of the most important pieces in the film is the conversations between the President of the U.S. and the President of Russia. They were always chatting like old time buddies and they knew each other really well. They were portrayed as if they were just having a small little fight and it could be over tommorow. I thought those were halarious scenes, and the points were brought across pretty well.

Posted by truon052 at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the movie Dr. Strangelove there are some flawless technologies and some extremely flawed technologies. The technologies that fail always seem to be the ones that need humans to operate them. Human fallibility is the reason for the failure of many of the machines when they are needed the most: Mandrake doesn't have enough change to place a call to the president, and the men who were sent to get Jack D. Ripper on the phone blew out the phone lines in the gun fire. The technologies that fail are mainly communication based, indicating that the country, or world's inability to communicate is what eventually will cause it's destruction, along with nuclear weapons. While these technologies fail, others succeed flawlessly. The doomsday device is set off. This device was created by humans but functions completely on it's own, removing the possibility of human error. No hero can come to the rescue and disarm the bomb because it was created to be completely independent of humans. The one technology that requires humans to use it and does work is the hydrogen bomb. Even with this example there is a lack of communication as Major King Kong is dropped with the bomb. He while not very quick, is well trained and able to open the doors without communication or help from anyone else. The use of technology in these movie gets to the point that technology and a lack of communication in war, or war in general leads to unnecessary deaths and mass destruction.

Posted by Alicia Bjork at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think the portrayal of the soldiers was a bit over the top but I think it was necessary to be so extreme to add to the overall satire of the piece. I think the many different military characters in the movie helped to show some of the ridiculous ideas about the war. Of course I do not think anyone who has not been a part of the battlefield would not get it but this was the director’s way of showing that we were waiting for nothing. The way the soldiers acted when they were patrolling around in the airplanes shows that there was nothing for them to do. They were waiting around for nothing to happen. These soldiers were fine people just doing their duty but the base commander and the General were nuts. Now I also do not think that is what the military is like but these characters were there to show how outrageously stupid this war was.
As far as General Ripper and Cornel Kong are concerned, I do not believe they were loveable characters. General Ripper was a nut case. The fact that he sent the United States into war just shows how crazy he was. Then when the other base came to get the code, he told his men to fight. He pinned American against American. He thought that the few lives that would be lost there would benefit the greater good of American. I thought his character was disgusting. Even his name suggests that of Jack the Ripper, a murder and lunatic (Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the Ideology of Liberal Consensus). As for Cornel Kong, he was not loveable but at least he added some comic relief. He did a good job of at least portraying some reality to the military. He was a smart leader who did a great job on his mission. He may have been somewhat crazy but he loved his country and was willing to have fun defending it. I think these to characters show important ideas within our society at the time. General Ripper represents the people who think that communists are everywhere and that they are taking us over any way they can. As for Cornel Kong, he represents those in our society that are willing to die for our country and place trust in our duty as Americans. Grant Flatgard

Posted by flat0101 at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As a comedy film lover I thought that Stanley Kubrick’s, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and The Love Bomb, was a genius idea. I found this film to be as loved as Knocked Up, because it is quite hysterical in its own way. As known back then, many people thought that world was coming to an end during the time of the Cold War. This is what created such a vigorous plot of for Kubrick to work from. I find that only back in the time of the Cold War could this movie have been made. If a director such as Kubrick tried to recreate it in present day he would have missed the sarcasm that lies within the Cold War era. It would have lost its black and white filming to color and many over used technological effects. Yes, this movie may not appeal to our generation today, but this is why it is used as a historical part of our pop culture era. It’s important for us to see these kind of films, so we know every once an awhile that our movies today aren’t anywhere near the affect that past films have left.

One scene that got a laugh out of me was the part where the Texan (Slim Pickens) and the Colonel (Kenan Wynn) behaved outrageously funny when the Alert Force ordered to drop the bomb. Kubrick was a genius to cast these two actors in these roles. He also masterminds the ability of using human to see themselves with many flawed characteristics as the society emerges with technological advances. This is shown throughout the movies as the technological advances of the missiles cannot be stopped, because they are stupified as to how they turn them around. This can be related to our technological advances today as well. We are found that as we gain more knowledge on technology, we also get ignorant as to what can happen. For example, internet bullying, fake profiling, murders through websites that are "selling" products, stalking, and much more.

Posted by carr0445 at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick uses satire to portray a society who has “delivered their environment into the hands of totally amoral technological Science and their decisions…to gamesmen aspiring through amorality to Science” (Burgess 8). Kubrick uses character portrayals to reference the idea that mankind’s hearts, brains and souls have been completely mechanized. For example, Kubrick’s portrayal of General Jack Ripper is that of a man who has stopped all rational (human) thinking and begun thinking like a machine. General Ripper’s theory that the communists of Russia are attempting to contaminate the “precious bodily fluids” of the American people through water, ice cream (“children’s ice cream”), etc. is nearly void of logical human thinking. Kubrick’s portrayal of Dr. Strangelove himself also follows the belief that mankind has become too mechanized. Dr. Strangelove is in a mechanized wheelchair and the function of his right arm is completely dependent upon machines. His right arm continuously gives the Nazi solute, not because Strangelove was or is a Nazi, but rather because that is what the machine is programmed to give. Dr. Strangelove uses satire and wit to portray the idea that mankind has ceased to reason with their hearts and minds, and started to reason with machines.

Ian R. Bell

Posted by bellx236 at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The opinion that Dr. Strangelove unfairly portrays the military and those who might be strong on national defense as "buffoons," undoubtedly fails to realize the true message of this film. First and foremost, it is a dark, satirical comedy, and the incompetency of the high up military officials is designed to be humorous and to satire the sometimes outlandish statements made by advocates of the nuclear arms race who feared the "missile gap."

In my opinion, the real focus of the film is to contrast the "inadequacies" of humans with the lack of morals in machines. In Burgess' article, he states that "War, whatever else it may be, is still the area in which public morality is most terribly and most dramatically tested." Kubrik uses the war setting to effectively portray what happens when a strictly "rational" and "logical" approach to war is taken while disregarding human morality. Through the comedy and the satire, Kubrik established how he saw the world heading towards an almost comical reality. As Burgess also stated, the film portrays men who claim to be moral that are leaving their environment in "the hands of totally amoral Science and their decisions (the very stuff of morality) to gamesmen aspiring through amorality to Science." It represents a vicious circle that leads to a less moral world dominated by "inhuman and passionless machines." Thus, in contrast to those who think that Dr. Strangelove is meant to mock militarists, it expresses the superiority of human fallibility over amoral machines.

Posted by marsh401 at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The film Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, is a clever satirical piece about nuclear war and the absurd circumstances surrounding it. Much technology seems to pervade the films action, from the “big screen” depicting the locations of the planes which are attacking Russia, to the B-52 bombers delivering the atomic bombs to their final destinations to the bombs themselves. This movie tends to portray technology as a thing which can be used for either good or evil, but it shows the way it can be used for evil being much more successful than the attempts to stop those evil acts. I think it shows this dichotomy to show that no matter how far we have come as a society technologically, nothing is as foolproof as it seems. The methods of delivering evil, such as the B-52’s ability to still function after being hit by an anti-aircraft missile serves as an example of really turning what we think of as “good” and “evil” things on their head. I believe the portrayal of the military by this movie is a fair one, albeit a bit too humorous for my taste. The character of “Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson” played by George C. Scott I thought stole the show. He showed an amazing acting ability and very witty comic timing. The character he portrayed however, I felt was a bit unfair to the military as a whole. He was ready to throw away the lives of many people based on just a hunch that it might save some American lives when I don’t believe the actual people in command would act so hastily. I do agree that many of the villains in this movie are portrayed more as a “lovable lunatic” than villains, but I think that serves the purpose of trying to really humanize them. It is far easier to hate a villain who is out and out evil, while you have to at least attempt to rationalize the behavior of a man who is acting for his country, as in the example of General Ripper. I think that Kubrick’s use of a “Black Comedy” to portray nuclear war as a thinking point to the world is an effective and enjoyable one.

Posted by nemme003 at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Strangelove shows how a series of outrageous events managed by renegade and inept leaders can lead to the destruction of the world. I do not think the movie unfairly portrays the military. Dr. Strangelove uses over the top and outrageous characters and scenarios to convey its message - that the arms race and nuclear war will destroy our society.

General Ripper is shown as a psychotic renegade that majorly oversteps his authority when he orders the attacks on Russia. He brings his entire unit into his own paranoia by telling them to attack anyone who tries to enter the base, saying "shoot first and ask questions later." The president was the most rational character but was completely ineffective in implementing a solution. He was making useless small talk with the Russian Premier while nuclear war was under way.

The point of Dr. Strangelove is to show the ridiculous path our society was following during the cold war. The characters were intentionally exaggerated. Those who felt the military was unfairly portrayed did not see the movie for what it was - a satiric commentary on the state of our nation.

Posted by fran0723 at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The movie Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Stop worrying and Love the Bomb was an ok movie. I didn't find it as entertaing as the other movies we watch thus far. Reflecting on the movie and how technology plays a huge role in our society is depicted through this movie. During the cold war era and up until now, technology has affected society. The possiblity of using technology to gain power still exudes in countries today. Using technology as a form of threat. Think of all those the innocent people who were afraid of dying because of bombs dropping in. At the time of the cold war the same kind of fear is felt. At the same time technolgy to our society means advancement. We are able to save lives because of new advances in technology in the healthcare/surgical field. The point is, technology, good or bad seems to be it has the same effect. Technology to society is depenedent to humans, animals, technolgy gives us hope and at the same time causes us fear. Technology makes us happy or sad/regretful. Advances in technology will continue for us to have these kind of feelings.

Posted by tuazo001 at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The satirical nature of the film may lead people to believe that its intent is to mock the war hawks and pro-military leaders, but it can be argued that Kubrick was meaning to establish an comparison between man and machine to show the fallibility of human kind. Throughout the film the machines were dependable, and were not at fault for any part of the catastrophe that was unleashed. Anytime there were problems or flaws, it was always the part of people. The technology worked just as it should, but the entire national defense plan left the final responsibility for success in the hands of an imperfect master- people. Kubrick showed the “lovable lunatics,” as stated by Burgess, to be doing what they believed was right, whether it helped or hindered their intended cause. General Ripper believed he was doing the just thing by starting an offensive against Russia, without knowing he was triggering the destruction of mankind. It was a clear demonstration of the fallacy of mankind, fighting through life on the basis of his beliefs and convictions, regardless of whether they are true or right. Buck Turgidson was convinced that the “Commies” were trying to trick him, and refused to cooperate in an attempt to save the world. Every character is acting on their convictions with the best intentions, but end up going nowhere. The movie shows us that people are a faulty machine, capable of mistakes and misguided passion, but “also capable of hope and courage” (Burgess). In the end, the only plan that is carried out perfectly, and without the obstacles human emotion or decision, is the ultimate destruction of the world by the machine.

Alex Schreiner

Posted by schr0845 at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My reading of the t he film Dr. Strangelove was that it is a statement about powerholders in Cold War America and the citizenry. THe film creates the impression in its viewers that the power holders, and the citizenry who are supposed to keep them in check, are infantilized, decadent, and that is dangerous for the world during the cold war and is irresponsible on part of those in power :Americans.
There are several points in the story where men in power are shown indulging in pubescent curiosities. First, The pilot of the jet carrying a nuclear bomb is shown looking at a Playboy magazine and eating. Later on the same plane, a man opens a safe with several envelopes marked "top secret" and pasted to the inside door are several pictures of women in bikinis. One of the presidents advisors is in a relationship with a woman in her early twenties who is clearly intended to be a sex object. During a meeting with the president's cabinet the same advisor's girlfiend calls and he tells her "I can't talk to you baby. I deeply respect you as a human being." This is not the activity of mature leaders who have a sense of urgency and duty during a time of crisis and is highly representative of the decay of adult maturity into an adolescent ideology for those in power and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
The characters in the stoy are very small minded, even anti-intellectual. General Jack Ripper tells a colleague "today war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought." What he is saying is that there is no more room for diplomacy but he hasn't proved anything. He is just talking directly out of his ideology as a military man. Also, the American president calls the Russian president or Czar and has a ridiculously petty bourgeios housewife like conversation. "I'm glad you are fine. I'm fine too. I'm glad we are both fine." The examples in the film of those in power being small minded are supposed to remind us that our elected official are not above being idiots. That has proven deadly. Although if that's not clear now, it may never be!
The men in power are also created to be unscrupulous, and so is the public. For instance, when the presidential advisor's mistress calls him during the meeting, no one seems to notice. Not even the President! When the American President chats with "Alexi" some kind of Russian ambassador I think, he is informed about a nuclear weapon that is designed to detonate itself including if someone ever tries to disarm it. Exclaiming about the idea being mad he questions why they would ever build such a device. The ambassador tells him "there are of course those of us who fought against it, but in the end we couldn't catch up with the cost of the arms race, the space race, adn the peace race. At the same time our people grumbled for more nylons and washing machines." It is no irony that those who fought against a device being built were not successful because of material distractions. It is as such even today with demonstrations or lack there of. During the film the idea that the publiic forcing the government never enters the picture. That in itself is highly indicative too of an unscrupulous public. The theme is indicative that in our AMerican democracy there is a significant deterioration occuring in our willingness to see ourselves and our situation in a critical light in order to make smart choices.

small minded, unscrupulous, and adolescent.

Posted by dahme012 at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was a highly entertaining piece of media. It was a perfect mixture of a serious matter that needed to be addressed to the public and comedy. The most enjoyable parts of the film for me was the conversation between The Presidents about being sorry and when the pilot “rode” the atomic bomb to its destination. The use of black or “nightmare” comedy in the movie was a great way to address the very real possibility of a nuclear war between the super powers without scaring the audience. The quote, “black humor is pitched at the breaking point where moral anguish explodes into a mixture of comedy and terror, where things are so bad you might as well laugh” by Charles Maland in “Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the Ideology of Liberal Consensus” sums it all up for this movie. The audience is able to come to a realization of how possible and horrific a nuclear war could be, but is able to take it on easily through the use of the black comedy. Dr. Strangelove worked in the manner of effectively getting its point across, but with a few knee slaps of laughter. On the same note, this film would not have worked as a serious drama. If the film had strictly been on the nuclear war subject, its high possibilities, and devastating effects, it would have merely frightened the public into a panic. The nightmare comedy was effective and the audience was still able to understand the seriousness of the nuclear situation.

Posted by mcgui149 at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” is a “black comedy” which satirizes the exaggerated fears of nuclear war that paralyzed America in the 1960’s. I don’t think the movie could have been released at a more ideal time. Less than two years after the Cuban missile crisis caused a wave of panic throughout America “Strangelove” was released. It was for the most part a kind of relief for all of the paranoia that the nuclear war was causing; it was the first time that the situation was presented in a comedic (albeit dark) and not-so serious manner. I think the general population found that it lessened some of their fears of the war because of how non-chalantly the issue was portrayed. On the other hand it was a blow to politicians and the upper echelon of the military because of the way that Kubrick presented those characters in the movie. Jack Ripper, a psychotic United States Air Force General, orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union because of the delusions he has of the Soviet’s plan to impurify the bodily fluids of the American people with fluoridated water (he believed that it was the Soviet’s who caused his impotence). The reason behind his need to bomb the Soviet’s is so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. This is one of the ways that Kubrick slips comedy into the movie. Ripper is also usually filmed at odd, close angles and uses odd facial expressions which add a bit to his supposed insanity. Another character who has odd mannerisms is Air Force General Buck Turgidson. His way of speech, combined with his excessive gum chewing, makes him seen quite mentally unstable as well. His comment about being in superior strategic position and attacking the Soviet’s, thus destroying 90% of their missiles, and only having “10 to 20 million American casualties… tops” is also a funny, but sad line, because I feel like some generals actually look at war in that way. President Merkin Muffley invites the Soviet Ambassador to the United States war room, and gives him strategy on how to shoot down his own American planes which are on their way to bomb his country. What president would do that? I mean really. I could go on about the other characters in the movie, but I think you get the idea. Dr. Strangelove is a brilliant piece of political satire which will probably remain atop that category for quite some time.

Posted by ruppx051 at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Was anyone else thoroughly bored by this movie? Skimming the last couple of posts, there seems to be something going on within this movie that I simply did not catch on to. The movie had its moments, but ultimately, comedies are ineffective (in my opinion of course) when it comes to critiquing something as subjective as governmental policies. As a class, we viewed this movie already knowing it was a dark comedy attempting to satirize and poke fun (and ultimately critique) the government. Therefore, why bother with the comedy part? Anyone who views this movie strictly for enjoyment purposes will not think twice about the underlying meanings, and anyone who views it to study its critique doesn't need it to be a comedy, because we aren't necessarily interested in the humor. It reminds me of the book "Animal Farm," which I am sure many of you are familiar with. I first read this book when I was very young, and did not understand its deeper intention as a critique of Soviet Russia. I simply found it a good and enjoyable book. Once I was told it was a parallel to the old Soviet government, I had to go back and read the book again because it required an entirely different frame of mind to analyze it as a satire. George Orwell was able to succeed in writing a book that was both enjoyable and meaningful (consider it an anomaly), while Dr. Strangelove falls short on both counts, as it is neither extremely funny nor extremely influential in its message. Films and shows involving bumbling idiots is a common genre (The Three Stooges, Family Guy, Hot Shots!), and just because these bumbling idiots are cast as leaders of the two most powerful nations in the world does not suddenly make this film a political satire. I feel Stanley Kubrick may have tried to draw more significance out of this movie than there actually is, and while there are certainly some good points to be made about government policies, this movie makes none.
-Chris Hansen

Posted by hanse978 at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The film “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” was a lot different than I was expecting it to be. I was expecting the film to be more old-school, slap-stick funny and very clean with little dirty humor. However, the film used dark, mocking, and sarcastic humor and it even made use of some sexual jokes and references. I do think that the seriousness of the subject of nuclear war was downplayed through the use of humor. The film did make light of the subject of nuclear war, but I think that this was a good way to handle this particular situation.

At this point in America’s history the whole country was terrified of nuclear war. Making the whole situation seem a bit less critical through comedy aided in easing peoples fears. If this film was a serious drama about nuclear war I think that it would have only added to the fright and tension that Americans had about a potential nuclear war.

When watching something more serious and realistic it is easy for a person to put themselves in that situation and get scared, and when something is being mocked and not taken seriously it is not as scary in peoples minds and lightens the situation. So by creating a film that was making light of such a serious subject helped people to not think so seriously and intensely about nuclear war.

Although this film was not one of my favorites to watch, I think it did a good job of making light of a very serious situation and potentially took away some of the tensions people were feeling.

Posted by Martine Schroeder at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought the film Dr Strangelove was a very good film that made a joke of the military being incapable to defend the United States effectively and a very serious event of dropping the first nuclear bombs on the world. I also believe that the film shows how effective technology is used in the military.
The best example of the film making a joke out of the military is in the telephone conversation between the President of the U.S. and the Russian President, Demitry. The importance of the call is essential to the well-being of an entire nation, however in the film it is portrayed as friendly conversation between friends who would rather talk about who is sorrier than talk about the situation in hand. Also Demitry being drunk at that moment in time makes it even more comical, as one of the world’s most important decisions is going to be made by a drunken man. Other aspects that make the military look like a joke is when one of the men is talking on the phone with his girl rather than trying to save world war three from starting.
Technology is used as a vital part of the film. The use of technology, especially technology of communication is used in making extremely important decisions for the world’s safety. Maland makes this point in “Nightmare comedy and the ideology of liberal consensus when he states that Kubrick, the director of the film, “develops his attitude toward technology in Dr. Strangelove by making use of …machines of communication” (pp. 711). The technology in the film is not as reliable as it is in today’s world. This is shown by the plane that dropped the bomb managed to escape the radar of both the Russian and the U.S. militaries. Another example would be when the military man was unable to contact the President because he did not have any money for the pay phone.
In conclusion, the film makes very good points about the military and the technology that they use communication technology in particular. Maland make these points in his article, especially the point about technology and how it is so important.

Posted by culve018 at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This was my first time viewing the movie. I really enjoyed it, as it was nothing that I was expecting. From the readings, I would have guessed that most the movie took place in the war room. I was pleasantly surprised to find it switching focus from the military base, to the plane, to the war room. Also, I was slightly taken aback by Dr. Strangelove's surprisingly minimal role in the movie, especially since the movie was name after him. Also, it's now nice to place a movie to the scene where the atomic bomb is ridden to the ground, especially after seeing something similar on the Simpsons, knowing it's a parody, and not knowing what it was a parody of.

I can understand why Dr. Strangelove wasn't necessarily a box office smash, as stated in the blog assignment. I feel that movies of that type aren't necessarily seen as important films. By 'of that type' I mean movies dealing with the Cold War being produced during the Cold War. I can see why the public didn't necessarily herald a movie with a negative outcome about a very real issue at the time. However, now knowing the outcome of the Cold War, we look back on Dr. Strangelove as being a great example of a Cold War satire. Likewise, in an attempt (perhaps fruitlessly) to make a comparison to a contemporary film, should the global warming issue have a major effect on the earth, perhaps we will look back on 'The Day After Tomorrow' as a Hollywood benchmark on global warming. I should probably feel ashamed for comparing Dr. Strangelove to The Day After Tomorrow.

I think the main reasons Dr. Strangelove has been able to find acclaim 40+ years after its release are the characters in the film. I really enjoyed all the stereotypes (is that bad?) portrayed. There was Mandrake, the British who was seemed sort of feminine; Ripper, the general who just wanted to kill Russians; De Sadesky, the Russian who took every opportunity to spy on the US...The Charles Maland article (on page 10) pointed out an interesting bit that I definitely would have missed on the film. The main characters who were against the attack were President Muffley and Mandrake, which have female sexual connotations. Meanwhile, all the other characters were about as aggressive as you could get, calling for the US to cripple Russia with nukes.

All this has led to the survival of Dr. Strangelove as a classic from the Cold War. I wonder if it would still be considered so good if the Cold War resulted in a global nuclear war. I would guess that people would find it to be making light of such a horrible tragedy, and the movie would be more condemned than lauded. However, seeing as things turned out relatively okay, I think it's good to be able to view a film that takes a lighthearted, satirical outlook on the whole situation.

Jeff Batts

Posted by batts002 at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Strangelove was a pretty good film in my mind. I found it interesting how Kubrick turned a serious matter, like the cold war, into a comedy. I enjoyed how Kubrick did this, because I like comedies and I feel as if the majority of the population would choose a comedy over a serious drama film to go see. And since this film was a very popular one of its time, I think most people agreed with me. I thought that technology definetly had a role in this film. Communication was portreyed very strongly throughout the film. I found it interesting how when Mandrake is trying to get a hold of the President but can't because he doesn't have anough money for the pay phone. This would never happen in our day, since mostly everyone has a cell phone. Overall I thought this film was very interesting to watch and it portreys the military very well and the use of technology, especially communication very good as well. I can see why this film was so popular and considered an important film.

Posted by Katrina Heikes at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In Burgess' film review, he notes the "curiosity" in the portrayal of the generals as being "lovable lunatics" rather than incompetent or villainous. While it could be construed that this was used by Kubrick to enhance the comic effect (which it in fact did), I believe that the choice goes deeper than that. We as a society have always loved eccentrics (Take Seinfeld's Kramer for example). I think that we tend towards these buffoonish types because they allow for a vicarious release from the social rules that we are expected to follow. As long as they don't stray too far from the expected rules (as in talking to oneself), we view them almost as childlike- laughing at their foibles but not really holding them accountable. I think it reflects a desire in all of us for escape. Given the time and the context when the movie was made, the need for escapism in the face of the nuclear threat must have been great. I believe this sort of desire for lovable lunatics has continued today with the war on terror. George W. Bush has long cultivated a persona of likable incompetence, which had for quite some time worked in garnering favor and support. Unfortunately for us, instead of seeking an eccentric in film, we have found one in real life.

Posted by Melissa Green at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This week’s film Dr. Strangelove was a great film. The reasoning for this is how the director, Stanley Kubrick was able to take a very serious issue, in this case being the Cold War and making it somewhat funny.
In the film Dr. Strangelove technology played a large role through out the entire film. I believe that it is portrayed in a sense that without it we would not be able to defend our country and not have world power. It is very apparent that the use of communication from a technological perspective is very important to our society in being triumphant. In present society communication is extremely efficient because of past technological advancements that have helped pave the way for big and better creations. In the reading “Kubrick develops an attitude toward technology in Dr. Strangelove by making use of both machines of destructions and machines of communication” (p. 710). An example of this is how Kubrick emphasizes the importance of communication and if not used properly can result in death. In the reading it talks about Kubrick’s world view, “modern man has made scientific and technological advances inconceivable to previous generations but lacks the wisdom wither to perceive how the new gadgetry might be used in constructive ways or, more fundamentally, to ask whether the “advance” might cause more harm than good” (p. 701). An example of ineffectively using technology through the use of communication is when Mandrake tries to call the President after hearing about the supposed recall code. He tries to get in touch with the President, but he does not have enough money to call him at a pay phone. In today’s society that would never have been an issue because most people have cell phones, which are virtually always reliable.
The film Dr. Strangelove was a movie that portrayed how technological advancements are always being developed for the greater good of society, but if not used properly can do more harm than good.

Posted by white968 at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Strangelove is undoubtedly a movie that depicts the phobia that people had over the cold war. It was a time during which technology in the military was booming. It seemed as though there was a competition amongst different countries to own the biggest and the most damaging explosives. Even though such technology advancements was still at its birth, Americans were highly horrified by the thought of it being used by the communists. Politicians helped to fuel this anxiety, which then modified a concrete purpose to become less hesitant to applying a nuclear attack if there was a slight need for it.

Reliance over the use of technology has definitely made it possible to advance on many aspects on the way of living. However depending on technology especially when there has not been a safe certainty of its use presents major consequences. Even though technology was there to represent the development and aspiring new ways of warfare, the movie showed the up and downside of its reliance. Phone lines worked all the time, but it did not work when it came down to the fact that aborting the General Ripper’s attack codes relied on a simple phone notification. To make matters even worse, there was not other alternative to reaching the bombers; thereby depicting that technology can in-fact harm the ones that rely on its use. Aside from a simple phone glitch, every other technology seemed to be perfectly reliable.

Some may say that the military was improperly characterized while some may disagree. I think the movie used a good illustration of the military in getting the message across. It was a time that nuclear weapon was new and as in other aspects, people usually get excited about new things. General Ripper, knowing that he needed an authorization from the president to send the “Code R”, his obsession of the nuclear weapon idea made him ignore the needed authorization. Upon acknowledging the message, Major Kong became very eager to accomplish the mission after a little doubt that the ‘go’ code was actually real. He was so excited that he left the plane with the bomb in other to ensure that it went through. I think that he military in this movie represented the minds of American popular belief. People may say that such method used to portray the military was unfair, but there was not a better way to depict a national obsession for cold war especially when the top political heads were not hesitant to strike with a nuclear weapon.

I think that Kubrick made a good decision to use black comedy in getting the message across because knowing that the time the movie was made, the idea nuclear weapon and its possible usage anywhere would do nothing but fuel the already existing cold war anxiety. The comedy strategy also worked because it makes the film more acceptable to public. Majority of people that see movies only go for the fun of it. They do not sit and analyze the movie or think in depth about why certain actions were depicted because that is when it starts to go down the sensitive part.

Like any other great movie, it took some time to understand more in-depth how much Dr. Strangelove tells about the American obsession over the cold war. Kubrick made the right move in choosing to use a black aspect, and the movie overall tells a tale of the consequences of total reliance on technology especially when there isn’t any second or even third back-up plan in the event it fails its purpose.

Posted by onon0006 at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think that the portrayal of the military in Dr. Strangelove’s was very unfair and biased. I believe that Kubrick intentionally satirized the intentions made by the military leaders at the time. He was trying to show the stupidity of military leaders with their "callous disregard for other human lives, and their own lust for power" (Malland 702). Turgidson was a perfect example of this when he showed how he could care less about the number of people that were killed. He also showed his selfishness when he later talked about the ration of women to men in the shelters. I think that this movie really gave the people and unfair and untrue look of what really goes on and behind the scenes of the war room. They mocked and made fun of many situations when in reality it was a very crucial and important time. I think that Kubrick used black comedy throughout this film to sort of enlighten people and not show how serious and scary "war" really is. I believe that this sub-genre of comedy was a new thing at the time and was really a risky thing to do. I don't believe that it was a huge hit when it came out in the 60's because this was such a new idea and many people didn't really agree with it. Now a days, people are much more accepting and are willing to view this movie in a more light-hearted way. In “Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the Ideology of Liberal Consensus”, Charles Maland suggests that '"black humor is pitched at the breaking point where moral anguish explodes into a mixture of comedy and terror, where things are so bad you might as well laugh, and I believe this totally explains the way it is used in this movie. Kubrick also uses technology in the film to show how important it is in defending the country. Maland emphasizes that Kubrick shows a fascination for machines and “develops his attitude toward technology in Dr. Strangelove by making use of both machines of destruction and machines of communication” (pp. 711). All of this shows that our country relies largely on communication and this is an extremely important part of the technology used in the war. All in all I felt that this was a pretty good film but I just think that its use of black comedy was way ahead of its time period and the people did not get a good feel of what the movie was really trying to do. This is why I think that it is now viewed as one of the best U.S. films of the 60's.

Posted by kapla137 at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After watching Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, I was reminded of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. Both are representations of black comedies in which the comical elements underscore the senselessness or futility of certain aspects of life. I think that the fact that this movie is still relevant today is astonishing. As stated in the Maland article, "black humor is pitched at the breaking point where moral anguish explodes into a mixture of comedy and terror, where things are so bad you might as well laugh . . ." I think this how some people in the US feel with our current government. Some of the decisions that are made are simply laughable. A similar theme is reflected in Catch-22 and the movie; ‘the only way to survive such an insane system is be insane’.

Posted by swens389 at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr. Strangelove doesn't portray the military as a whole fairly in my opinion. There are two different aspects that must be considered when assessing whether or not this is true. For one, we must look at the so called "pro-war military war hawks." These people were portrayed fairly ruthlessly in the film. These men were shown to be almost robotic with no sense of morale. Secondly, we must look at those who are involved in the war and may not be so extremely pro-war. From knowing people who have even served in Iraq recently, I can definitely say that many people who are fighting don't actually believe in the cause of the war. Many fight for the principles of their own country, not to go out there and fulfill political agendas. I definitely do agree that many of those who are pro-war hold much power. However, I do think that its possible that critics of the film are overlooking "it." Perhaps the "it" of the film is indeed about those power holders who are terribly lack diplomacy in their own agendas. I guess either of side of this argument can be true depending on what a person sees as the "it" of the film.
In my opinion, there is no question however on the role of technology in the film. Its effect on society is definitely not portrayed as very positive. The film established this idea that we humans first create things and advance technologically, and then those very creations end up controlling us. We become somewhat dependent and perhaps even at technology's mercy at times.

Posted by mahmo024 at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In my opinion, Dr. Strangelove did portray the military unfailrly. This was clearly seen the the scenes on the ariplane flying to Russia. One of the pilot was reading playboy while controling the plane, the other one was eating and drinking. Then they made it sound like the soldiers were usually "horsing" around on the air. The captain even wasn't wearing his uniform; he had on a cowboy hat instead of his captain hat. When the U.S. military being portrayed as tos relaxing and lack of disciplines, I felt that was really unfair for the soldiers of the country. I think at any given times, the one out in the front lines should be respected and honored. When they were portrayed such as lackers and undisciplined group of people, their honored and pride were somehow taken away, more or less. I think Kubrick should had focus all the humor on the government instead, not the military men, making them look not so well trained in the public's eyes.
Except for those humors on the military, I think the humors from the scenes of the meeting room and the rest were good. I believe they did get the points across. Everyone should relax, don't worry too much about the nuclear war. Everything is ok, the bombs are not that big of a deal. One of the best piece in the movie when there was shooting at the office, and right at the scene where the shooting was happening, on the back ground was a giant sign "Peace is Our Profession". I found that funny and significiant. It was like a way of saying the government can do anything to bring peace to the country, they can shoot, fight, kill, or even use the nuclear bomb to keep the peace. I think the movie brought its message across clearly and loudly. Even when a nuclear bomb is dropped, everything would be fine like before. Recall the scene when the men on the plane received code for plan R, which is to attack Russia. They were getting ready to reach there target and drop the nuclear bomb, the captain and every men on board were so relaxed and the captain himself said something like "After this thing is over, you will get some kind of promotion". No one in the movie seemed to take it seriously. Right after the plane received the code for plan R, the captain called the general on land to comfirm, but he didn't bother to take the call and let his secretary lover answer it instead. When he was in the meeting with the president, his secretary even called and they talked informally like the meeting was going on. Moreover, one of the most important pieces in the film is the conversations between the President of the U.S. and the President of Russia. They were always chatting like old time buddies and they knew each other really well. They were portrayed as if they were just having a small little fight and it could be over tommorow. I thought those were halarious scenes, and the points were brought across pretty well.

Posted by truon052 at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dr Strangelove is a well made dark comedy, with the insane characters being what makes the film so effective. They demonstrate how military officials act in war sitsuations to the extreme, the very extreme. Dr. Strangelove definitely made its point as a dark comedy, I do not think it would have done well as a serious film. The Americans have the most over the top protrayal including general Ripper and General Turgetson, you give them a little power and the run off with it, blowing it out of proportion. It is like they believe blowing everything up and shooting everyone down is the most sensible option. The overdramatization is what makes Dr. Strangelove a dark comedy. I recall General Ripper announcing to his men "Shoot first and ask questions later," this theme of trusting no one plays throughout the film. My point is also reinforced when he whips out his machine gun from a golf bag and shoots from his office like a madman. General Turgetson protrays a typical ego driven American with his agressive violent nature that presents itself under the extreme pressure of Plan R. He wants to strike with nuclear bombs and has no problem that "10-20 million people tops" would die in the process. It would be a small sacrifice to pay to save the American way of life. "Bat Guano" is also one to take his position both too far and too seriously. While he will shoot to kill people at the drop of a hat he hesitates to shoot a Cocacola machine for 55 cents, saying its private property! He does not trust Mandrake and won't listen to his reasoning as if he sees Mandrake as inhumane. All he does is follow orders, no questions asked "Don't try any preversions or I'll blow your head off." Yet another comedic character is the hysterical Dimitri, the phone conversations between Dimitri and the president are both ineffective and unprofessional. The president clams his call to be friendly with the basic message being that the US mistakenly ordered planes to attack his country, Woops! It was obviously just a small slip up, no biggie.
While all these characters are definitely crazy, they are also hilarious in their rigidity and stubborness. The humor comes from their over the top personas, they are lovable lunatics. They are effected so entirely by their ego and militant position that they are blind to any other way of thinking. General Ripper has some far fetched theories on our precious bodily fluids and he seems to be the only one that knows what the hell he is talking about. Turgetson is also pretty spastic and overreactive to be a general, who are usually composed individuals who think things through. Guano's tendancy to act on orders like a robot, unaffected by emotion is an overdramatization of the sodiers of war. The characters are who they are, unchangeable stubborn individuals that make the movie what it is. A great, timeless satirical film.

Posted by kolsu002 at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)