Right off the bat, I like the fact that this movie called a nightmare comedy. If I had heard that before watching the film, I would be thinking like a really bad horror movie that ends up being funny. However, there is nothing that could better describe this film than nightmare comedy. Given the time period this came out, they really were making fun of everyone's worst fears. I was actually amazed that they were able to get away with it, with it being such a touchy subject for the time. However, the way that everything was done made a lot of ideas look funny rather than scare people.
When we look at the Cold War, we see two nations with the capability of ending the planet through nuclear weapons. Yet in the film, they make the phone conversations between the two leaders seem like small talk between two friends like the world isn't on the brink of destruction. They make it seem like noone is concerned about the possibility of nuclear war and it makes the idea less imposing. They make it seem like it's not something worth worrying about so it's backwards thinking compared to how the world is afraid of nothing but that at the time.
The other thing about the film is the way juxtaposition to make nuclear war not seem so bad. The way they use the clips of nuclear explosions at the end mixed with the song that doesn't fit makes it seem almost peaceful in a way. When we think nuclear war, it's the end of the world, but they make it like "Oh it's not so bad." They also make certain ideas in the film confusing in the film through similar methods. When the commander rides the nuke to it's target, whooping and cheering, it makes us feel like he's had a great success and done a great deed for the country. However, when you think about it, that event single handedly could end the human race so he was technically cheering in causing the single most destructive event in the world. Suddenly, we can't really decide who's the good guy anymore. We always view America as the good guys and after this, it kind strains that idea so we aren't really sure what the good guys would actually do in this situation.
One of the things this film manages to do is point out the futility of the cold war. I think this could be seen today with the Iraq war. The reasons for being there are rather obscure at this point so people might not be able to see the point anymore. Similar to the cold war, it just has the potentional to end a lot without any actual reasoning.
By today though, it's easier to watch this movie and see all the humor in it. However, at the time of the cold war, this still had the potential to scare everyone who saw it but in its own way that's a good thing. It managed to point out many of the problems of the cold war while still maintaining a humorous nature. That's a very difficult thing, especially for how serious the time was so they should be applauded for their efforts. I certainly enjoyed the movie for what it was and can see myself watching it again in the future. It's a fun movie that you can pull a lot from and has a rightful place in movie history.
"Mein Führer...! I can walk!!"
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I really liked your comment on the American cowboy commander riding the bomb to its destruction. Your totally right in that it makes us feel like he's had a great success and done a great deed for the country. The way he unleases the bomb at the last second before it could blow him and his men up as well as fail their mission; made it seem like the movie Armageddon in which Willis saves the day. We were happy to see him "save the day" but really he ended the day and all days to come for the human race! You are right, in that suddenly, we can't really decide who's the good guy anymore.
ReplyDeleteYeah I think it's really neat how the film kind of sucks you into their psychology of nuclear warfare not being such a bad thing. Then you back a way and realize that it is a ridiculously awful idea. It's clever how Kubrick uses the angle media sources such as magazines, as seen in the reading, used in trying to convince society that it may not be all that bad to actually make the exact opposite argument.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I just think it's funny how you added I can walk at the end of your blog. I also thought it was interesting how the pilot thought he was doing the greatest thing in the world for his country and was going to be this great hero when in reality he could have blown up the plane and all his men or, could set off the nuclear bombs and no one would make it alive. Either way he wasn't going to make it and the way he goes doen is just hysterical. It's also interesting how you mentioned the movie sucking us into the idea of nuclear warfare. It is a ridiculous idea and this movie definitely shows a new side to everyhting.
ReplyDeleteKubrick wasn't making nuclear war out to be funny, or not such a bad thing. Rather, he was showing us, through humor and satire, just how awful a thing it was and just how deluded society was at the time. He was making a point, not just encouraging us to laugh at such a horrific possibility.
ReplyDeletePeople took it as satire at the time too. There were other satirical movies, books, songs, etc at the time. In a way, we were better at laughing at ourselves then than now.
I like your comparison of this to a horror movie. That's original, interesting, and definitely worth exploring.