Stanley Kubrick’s 1964- masterpiece Dr.Straagelove shares quite a few similarities with Charlie Chaplin’s 1939- classic Great Dictator. Both films were not only fine comedies but under that comic garb they highlighted the burning sociopolitical issues and even more commendably they showed the courage to do that in the midst of raging wars. It was satire at its scathing best. If Chaplin had showed the Nazi fanaticism of the Second World War in Great Dictator, then Kubrick portrayed the madness of nuclear arms-race during the Cold War in Dr.Strangelove. In today’s world, the whole issue of two Super Powers constantly lunging at each other’s throat, trying to assert their ideological supremacy through their scientific and military might has become redundant but still the film’s message comes out loud and clear and that warns us- ‘Advanced scientific technology in hands of misguided men could bring about the doomsday for entire human race!’

 

The film shows a zealot American General Jack D. Ripper ordering a wing of thirty-six planes carrying tons of nuclear missiles to attack targets in Russia. The general- (a ‘Commie-hater’ by his own admission!) has taken this decision unilaterally without consulting his Pentagon- superiors, despite protestation from his British attaché Colonel Mandrake. Ripper’s ‘logic’ behind this attack is simple- ‘Get them before they get you!’ He sees Communist conspiracies everywhere- even in fluoridation of water, which he believes is a Red plot to contaminate our ‘precious bodily fluids’!

 

This unprovoked, unplanned attack leaves Pentagon and the US President shell-shocked and to avoid the specter of Russian retaliation and nuclear holocaust, they invite the Russian ambassador over to the War-Room to apprise him of the latest developments. The US President then calls up his Russian counterpart to assure him that US would do everything to help Russia deal with this deadly situation. But with time rapidly running out and the plane- recall- code known only to Gen Ripper, will they be able to avert the disaster? How the world will survive the fallout of Russian Doomsday Machine going off? What solution will come forth from Dr. Strangelove – a genius scientist, rooted to his wheelchair?

 

Weaving comedy, drama and political analysis, Kubrick makes it a delightful and yet thought-provoking film. Madcap scientists, silly political leaders and grandiose military-men – his characters are larger than life caricatures. Peter Sellers (of Pink Panther-fame) shows his comic genius in an amazingly convincing triple-role where he plays the submissive British Group Captain Mandrake, the confused US president Muffley and the warped scientist Dr. Strangelove. Other two standouts are George C. Scott as Pentagon’s gum-chewing, ‘devil’s advocate’- advisor Gen. ‘Buck’ Turgidson and Sterling Haydon as the insane General Ripper.