Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) + Extras

U.S. Air Force General Jack Ripper goes completely and utterly mad, and sends his bomber wing to destroy the U.S.S.R. He suspects that the communists are conspiring to pollute the "precious bodily fluids" of the American people. The U.S. president meets with his advisors, where the Soviet ambassador tells him that if the U.S.S.R. is hit by nuclear weapons, it will trigger a "Doomsday Machine" which will destroy all plant and animal life on Earth. Peter Sellers portrays the three men who might avert this tragedy: British Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, the only person with access to the demented Gen. Ripper; U.S. President Merkin Muffley, whose best attempts to divert disaster depend on placating a drunken Soviet Premier and the former Nazi genius Dr. Strangelove, who concludes that "such a device would not be a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious". Will the bombers be stopped in time, or will General Jack Ripper succeed in destroying the world ?

What makes this film so powerful is the message that it made at the time of its release. This film came out at a height of paranoia of the nuclear age and the Cold War, right around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This film depicts a horrible, tragic incident in which a breach in the government and a few diplomatic mistakes result in nuclear holocaust. So, why didn't this film inspire panic? Because of the brilliant way in which Kubrick presents it… as a satire. The scariest thing about this film in retrospect is not how it depicts the impending doom of the Cold War, but how it makes you laugh at it. By presenting it with humor, it conveys just how much of a farce the nuclear arms race was in real life. And I don't think that any other film has captured the absurdity of war nearly as well as this one has. And I am not likely to believe that one ever will. In my opinion, Kubrick has never made a better film since. And kudos to George C. Scott for his astounding performance, as well as Peter Sellers for the most versatile acting I've seen from an actor in one film, and to Sterling Hayden, for performing the most serious, yet the most hilarious role in film with perfect accuracy. Beware of fluoridation!

Extras:
– Inside Dr. Strangelove (46 minutes): Despite its chummy narration, this engrossing documentary deftly digs into the production, Kubrick's last-minute decision to transform his film into a satirical comedy, the actors' improvisational talents, and the many hats of Peter Sellers.
– No Fighting in the War Room (30 minutes): An engaging, recently-produced documentary that passes the microphone to several notable filmmakers, critics, experts, and historians to dissect Dr. Strangelove, its themes, characters, dialogue, satire, and enduring legacy.
– An Interview with Robert McNamara (25 minutes): The former Secretary of Defense (himself the subject of director Errol Morris' brilliant documentary, Fog of War) discusses nuclear proliferation, the reality of nuclear threats, the Cold War, modern crises of conscience, strategic defense, and much more.
– Best Sellers (19 minutes): This Peter Sellers-centric featurette covers the legendary actor's life and career, the three roles he plays in Kubrick's masterpiece, and his contributions to each character.
– The Art of Stanley Kubrick (14 minutes): While it isn't as meaty as I had hoped, this From Short Films to Strangelove featurette is an all-too-brief catch-all that focuses on the evolution, development, and eventual direction of the film.