This little slice of 5:3 black & white celluloid via 1964 comes to us thanks to one crazy bastard known as Stanley Peter George C Scott Sellers Kubrick. Well done. Some other talents definitely on display here but this movie kinda set precedent in the cinematic world to use satire at such a significant level that it peels your face right off like a hydrogen bomb laced with cobalt thx-1138 or somesuch kinda element that’s totally real and will totally killz us all. Allegedly.
Mutually Fermented Destruction really helped spurn more conflict in the US-Soviet Union cold war, and this little tale lets us know how it may or may not have played out. Generals, Commanders, Pilots, Ambassadors, and one hot Secretary end up deciding the fate of the world in a simultaneously no-nonsense and darkly humorous manner, all over the protection of our precious bodily fluids.
Peter Sellers. Three roles, all completely awesome. British liaison, US President, and, uh, suspect not-see wheelchair-bound scientist. All brilliant in portrayal. George C. Scott as Bucky, the epitome of the M.I.C. who knows if you keep pounding long enough, the military hammer will always prevail always, and sometime pre-pounding is needed just to be sure. Then pound some more just to be sure some more. Slim Pickens as the USAF pilot who knows what orders are, even if it means riding that last one out to the end.
This is a searing look at our leadership circa 1964, and here we are 60 years later and while the actors may have changed, the results seem uncannily similar. Games on a higher stratum played by questionable characters of a lower level, with the pawns acting as the insignificant cogs they are perceived as. But at least they label their nuclear warheads with a “handle with care” warning because, you know, that’s a necessary reminder. Another Absolutely great film by Stanley Kubrick on the political mechinations driving the world, a must see for all who are paying even the slightest bit of attention. And if you ain’t, maybe ya better do a little catch-up.
