Lsogn
10-25-2009, 12:06 PM
Woven throughout “Dr. Strangelove” are examples of Director Stanley Kubrick’s efforts to downplay the seriousness of war through the use of exaggerated humor and satire. These elements are evident in all aspects of the film ranging from the selection of music and other background sounds to the plot structure, dialogues, facial expressions and actions of the characters. In addition--lighting, selection of camera angles and whether or not a scene is shot from a distance or as a tight close-up all add to the overall farcical design of “Dr Strangelove.”
In one of the earliest scenes in the film showing bomber aircraft in flight over an isolated area of the globe, there is an overlay of a well known orchestral piece which has a sweeping crescendo of violins. Taken by itself--the melody is lighthearted. But especially for viewers who are familiar with the lyrics, there is a sharp contradiction when “...try a little tenderness” accompanies a mid-air refueling from one plane to another while film credits--written in child-like script--scroll across the screen. Another song repeated several times throughout the film is “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.” When this Civil War folk ballad is heard for the first time, the flight commander of the B-52 and crew are struggling with the realization that what they have trained for all these years--an actual nuclear bombing attack--is imminent.
Throughout “Dr. Strangelove” there are recurring efforts to distance humans from their responsibility in times of war. How characters are portrayed in scenes --as well as the presentation of objects--are all designed to remove human culpability from the events taking place. In this way, the atrocities of war are diminished and the satirical construction of the film is heightened. For example, after scrambling through a top secret manual, the flight crew realizes that the code on the instrument panel, FGD 135, stands for “Wing Attack, Plan R.” They are in disbelief. But instead of emphasizing their emotional reaction with scenes filled with close-ups of their faces, there is a long and steady shot of the mechanical knobs and spinning numbers of the control panel. The code, FGD 135, signifies the beginning of a nuclear attack. It is as humans are off the hook and technology is now responsible for the killing and madness that is about to take place.
The difference between humans and machines and an explanation for the human failings that lead up to the nuclear “shooting incident” are also found in several sections of dialogue throughout “Dr. Strangelove.” In the war room scene, thirty minutes into the film, all the assembled military and political leaders have learned that the unthinkable is about to occur and air strikes deep within Russia are mere minutes away. General Buck Turgidson offers a question as an explanation: “Can you condemn a whole program for one slip up?” Here, oversimplification reduces the cause of the unfolding nightmare of potential nuclear annihilation to an “oops moment” or a “slip-up.” Turgidson’s answer would be a more appropriate response for a mundane annoyance such as: “Why didn’t you put enough quarters in the parking meter?” Set against the scenario of imminent global nuclear war, “Dr. Strangelove” is filled with the disparity of one “slip-up” moment after another.
In one of the earliest scenes in the film showing bomber aircraft in flight over an isolated area of the globe, there is an overlay of a well known orchestral piece which has a sweeping crescendo of violins. Taken by itself--the melody is lighthearted. But especially for viewers who are familiar with the lyrics, there is a sharp contradiction when “...try a little tenderness” accompanies a mid-air refueling from one plane to another while film credits--written in child-like script--scroll across the screen. Another song repeated several times throughout the film is “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.” When this Civil War folk ballad is heard for the first time, the flight commander of the B-52 and crew are struggling with the realization that what they have trained for all these years--an actual nuclear bombing attack--is imminent.
Throughout “Dr. Strangelove” there are recurring efforts to distance humans from their responsibility in times of war. How characters are portrayed in scenes --as well as the presentation of objects--are all designed to remove human culpability from the events taking place. In this way, the atrocities of war are diminished and the satirical construction of the film is heightened. For example, after scrambling through a top secret manual, the flight crew realizes that the code on the instrument panel, FGD 135, stands for “Wing Attack, Plan R.” They are in disbelief. But instead of emphasizing their emotional reaction with scenes filled with close-ups of their faces, there is a long and steady shot of the mechanical knobs and spinning numbers of the control panel. The code, FGD 135, signifies the beginning of a nuclear attack. It is as humans are off the hook and technology is now responsible for the killing and madness that is about to take place.
The difference between humans and machines and an explanation for the human failings that lead up to the nuclear “shooting incident” are also found in several sections of dialogue throughout “Dr. Strangelove.” In the war room scene, thirty minutes into the film, all the assembled military and political leaders have learned that the unthinkable is about to occur and air strikes deep within Russia are mere minutes away. General Buck Turgidson offers a question as an explanation: “Can you condemn a whole program for one slip up?” Here, oversimplification reduces the cause of the unfolding nightmare of potential nuclear annihilation to an “oops moment” or a “slip-up.” Turgidson’s answer would be a more appropriate response for a mundane annoyance such as: “Why didn’t you put enough quarters in the parking meter?” Set against the scenario of imminent global nuclear war, “Dr. Strangelove” is filled with the disparity of one “slip-up” moment after another.