1964 black comedyRating: 20/20 (Dylan: 6/20)
Plot: Oh, snap! The Cold War is on, and batshit insane General Jack Ripper, suspecting the Commies of contaminating the precious bodily fluids of Americans, uses a loophole in the chain of command and sends bombers to blow up the Soviets. British Captain Mandrake, locked in a room with Ripper, tries to convince him to reconsider; meanwhile, in the war room (where no fighting is allowed), the president, his advisors, and the title scientist communicate with the Russians and try to figure out a way to reverse the crazy general's actions before bombs are dropped and the Doomsday machine kills all humanity.
I need to have my son's head examined. This, by the way, is not a movie about war. It's a film about sex, and that is why it's brilliant. Well, that and the direction, Peter Sellers' multiple roles, the rest of the acting, the dialogue. This is one of the funniest movies ever made that won't make you laugh. Actually, you might laugh, but you won't laugh until afterwards, when you're sitting by yourself thinking about how the movie is more about sex than it is about war.
This is obviously one of the great black comedies of all-time, but it has never been one of my favorites from Kubrick. The satire is so extreme that it eliminates any emotional connection and undercuts some of the political impact it could have had. It is almost an exercise in absurdity and technique. Sellars and the rest of the cast are brilliant and there are many, many very funny bits, but with no emotional meaning it remains a movie I respect, but for which I don't really have much feeling. A 17.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you say the same about 'A Clockwork Orange' which I recall was on your top 150 list? There's a certain coldness to Kubrick's movies that I can see lots of people having trouble with. '2001' too. Was that on your list?
ReplyDeleteI should point out that my brother gave this movie a 16, seemingly because he detests Slim Pickens. What the hell's that? Slim Pickens!
ReplyDeleteBoth "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001..." are in my top 300. Maybe because they are dramas and don't go so far over the top, they are more accessable, darker and more potent. I think they also have more iconic scenes (although Pickens on the missle and Sellars spastic hand are their equal). "Strangelove..." is a great movie, but it doesn't blow me away like the other two.
ReplyDeleteI like Slim Pickens just fine.
I read (or saw) that Slim Pickens was never told that 'Strangelove' was a comedy because Kubrick wanted him to play it completely straight. I think that's hilarious.
ReplyDelete'A Clockwork Orange' is one of my favorite movies of all time. I like '2001' less than 'Orange' and 'Strangelove'. Of course, 'Eyes Wide Shut' is Kubrick's masterpiece because of all the boobs.