[Part of the Science Fiction special in the Vienna Filmmuseum.]

Dr. Strangelove is a movie by Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel Red Alert by Peter George, starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden and James Earl Jones.

Plot:
Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) manages to launch a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union all by himself. Since the American government headed by President Muffley (Peter Sellers) doesn’t actually want a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, they frantically try to abort the command.

I have to admit that I was barely conscious when I saw this film. I had been too much to the cinema and I was stressed and tired and I kept falling asleep during the movie – even though I enjoyed the hell out of it.

The parts I’ve seen were awesome, but I’ll have to re-watch because I asked too much of myself with my cinema program. Not that it will be a punishment to watch this film again, because – as I said before – I really did enjoy it [my falling asleep had absolutely nothing to do with my being entertained].

Especially Peter Sellers was brilliant. If I hadn’t known that he was playing three different guys, I’m not sure I would have noticed, actually. Which of course partly because of the make-up but mostly because he’s fantastic.

It’s also very funny, despite the dire topic. And depsite or maybe because of the absurdity of the movie, it gets frighteningly realistic. One can actually imagine that a loophole such as the one Ripper is using does exist – and if there is such a loophole, it most definitely would pan out the way it did in the film.

Dr. Strangelove is a movie that lives from its dialogues and actors. And it lives well off of both. There are hardly any sets, or any flashy special effects – and you never miss them.

Summarising: a classic for more than one very good reasons.