Dr. Strangelove -- What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 101)

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Dr. Strangelove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Loved the Bomb -- this is Stanley Kubrick's now-classic satire of Cold-War era nuclear-arms races between countries, specifically the United States and the Soviet Union.

What is this movie about, and is it still relevant? This video reviews and analyzes the movie, trying to show its relevance, since of course nuclear weapons are still around and many countries now have them.

Disclaimer: All reasonable comments are welcome, including reasoned disagreements. You will be banned for foolish talk, harassment, and hate speech on sight; it's a tremendous waste of life. I believe in freedom of association and, by extension, freedom of dissociation from you.

[williamcurry]

You can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!

[VisitorEarth]

"Peace Is Our Profession" was the real, actual motto of SAC (Stratgic Air Command). It was created by SAC's first commander, General Curtin LeMay.

[propstano]

"This is it, boys? Nuc'lr combat toe to to with the rooskies!!"

[gregmattson]

ok, disagree that this movie was simply mocking or had no ideas to solve it. Its like the ultimate hactivist product. Like hactivists which try to break into computer systems to show those system owners that it is possible and to force them to fix it, this movie really stuck it to the military industrial complex saying that they needed to fix their systems as well - and really hammered the point home that we only get one chance at this, that one 'single slip-up' is enough to doom us all.

As a result, the government in the US (and probably other governments) really took it to heart. They changed their codes for launch from instituted tight controls on who could fire them (lower level echelon commanders), instituted dual key and triple key systems, etc. etc. etc We may have survived intact because of this movie, full stop. So Kubrick really did a big public service here by making it.

[guccimanlips]

Just watched this yesterday. As a gen z film watcher this is my 2nd favorite Kubrick behind Eyes Wide Shut.

[anakinsolo]

Holden, Scott, Sellers, Sellers, Sellers! Wow! you’ll never see a triumphant like that again! And that’s 5 characters. The levels of impressive that this movie is are insurmountable

[anakinsolo]

The first view it’s a war drama, next view it’s some perverse view of politics, the third view it’s a comedy and by the fourth view it’s the funniest movie ever made. This movie has aged better than any. Kubrick got the best movie in every genre. Guy is a god in film. No one touches him

[alanwatson]

Peter Sellers a great comedian - he had a really good grasp of the absurd. Sterling Hayden is a favourite actor - so good and a good man who saw through Hollywood - 'The Killing'.

[SoupLagoon]

Love this movie. I wish more modern/younger audiences were aware of it. The story may seem dated or irrelevant now, but the themes are timeless.

While Paths of Glory is probably my favorite Kubrick movie, Dr Strangelove is definitely a close 2nd. (I will admit that 2001 is probably his best movie, it’s just not my favorite).

[australiasfirstmate]

I watch it twice a year on CD and watched it in the cinema 60 years ago as it made me feel "safe, " and not be in so much "fear" of nuclear war because of the satirical nature of the topic by Kubrick. The film made people "lighten up" about atomic war and "the bomb!"

[DylanMorisson]

My dad was US Navy. Sub hunter patrol squadron during the Cold War. I'm a millennial but knowing what was going on not to long ago makes me still care.

[mrrrl]

This is one of my favorite movies. It's amazing to think that this came out at the height of the Cold War and really highlighted how absurd it all was.

[noname-bkbc]

This is in the conversation when I think of my favorite movies of all time, and it's definitely one of my top three comedies of all time. Another great pick, thank you for the review. My wife is a millennial with very little history background, and she loves this movie

Also, it's my favorite Kubrick movie. I think the Shining and Full Metal Jacket are stronger visually, but this is the far better movie

[pokor]

This movie and Fail Safe should be a double feature to show the thoughts of people in the 50s and 60s. Both movies are about the same thing but take very different approaches. Both came out the year I was born and I never really understood the attitudes from the time, these really put it into perspective.

[josephpetrosino]

Good vid, except I so very strongly disagree with your opinion of a "happy ending". This movie is a warning, and that type of typical Hollywood ending would have wasted the significant opportunity to hit us over the head with the danger we all really do face. It clobbers the viewer into realizing this really can happen, and the hope is that this masterpiece can accomplish that.

[gregoryknox]

I grew up at Offutt AFB lol. Dad was a 28 year USAF Chief Master Sgt. I love the movie. I thought of it when I went to Nuclear Warfare School.

[billybaugus]

I was born in 1986 and it's one of my favorite movies

[vivangreco]

This is a masterpiece. An absolutely perfect film.

[WoodgemanX]

'Peace Is Our Profession' was the motto of SAC(Strategic Air Command).

[ronggearrob]

Thanks for reviewing, I love this film (and yes, I was born in the '60's). I do think it is Kubrick's masterpiece if nothing else other than Peter Sellers amazing performances. It has a lot going for it - great use of satire, well written, good pacing, excellent acting, beautifully shot (although still in that cold Kubrick way) and unfortunately still relevant. I've watched this film over and over again and never tire of it.