Hold on to your precious fluids because this month BPR watched Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb for this month's cinema classic challenge.
The Cold War was a time of uncertainty. Would America and the U.S.S.R destroy each other in a blaze of nuclear fire? This was the question that dominated the psyches of government leaders and gripped the minds of the adults and school children hiding under desk across the country. The gloomy shadow that spread from the ticking of the doomsday clock struck fear into the heart of America. While the fear of nuclear war no longer keeps us in a state of anxiety, this country still faces a time of fear and uncertainty. The antidote to this dismay is the same as it was during the Cold War, a perfect political satire. Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb allowed us to laugh at what scared us the most, and as doctors say, laughter is the best medicine.
The film's impeccable script, set design, and Kubrick's legendary visual style make this film great. Undoublty though, what makes it a classic is the all-time great performance by Peter Sellers. Sellers, who plays three roles in the film, lends his humor and gravitas, elevating the movie to one of the greatest political satires. Watching sellers reminds us of the importance of using laughter to fight our fears, permitting us the clarity to see the absurdity of the world and the woes that tend to swallow us.
Film Critic Garen Daly joined Boston Public Radio to give his thoughts on Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, and why he thinks the film still holds up.
