If you've seen the shape of the vehicle in 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'll understand that Kubrick may have had some kind of obsession with the male reproductive metaphor. The refueling scene at the opening of the film is a similar metaphor, implying that the source of all extreme belligerence is some kind of desire. This film is full of direct or indirect depictions of this desire, from the names of the characters to the lines and shots. Desire is the root of human nature.
The ultimate theme of a war movie must be anti-war. Different from the way that typical war movies such as "Black Hawk Down" and "Dunkirk" directly depict the details of the battle, Kubrick chose to stand from a top perspective and question the root of the war. The nuclear threat was supposed to be a chilling horror word, but because of its inherent logical absurdity, it became a clue to black comedy in the film. The origin of the "doomsday device" was traced back to the sexual dysfunction of an officer, and Kubrick's answer was clear: when the enthusiasm for war and animalistic desire overcome reason, extreme warism and racism will stand up again.
While Kubrick's films explore grand and profound themes, their brilliant cinematic language is equally at the pinnacle. The officers who crossed the president to launch a nuclear war have been given many close-ups of their faces at an elevated angle. Their hideous faces and grim expressions embody the desire for the origin of war. The cigar in their mouth, which symbolizes a male erection, conveys the masculine nature of war. Naked presentation; there are dozens of quick zoom close-ups on the dashboard of the B-52 bomber that finally completed the mission of dropping the hydrogen bomb. Every operation of the pilot is clearly and exaggerated in front of the audience. The contradiction deepens; Dr. Strangelove has very few scenes but can exist as the title of the film. With a backlit low-key panoramic shot, a grim and gloomy image of a war machine gradually builds up. In addition, we must pay tribute to the wonderful performance of Peter Cyrus-one person plays Dr. Strangelove, a British officer, and the President of the United States. Three characters with completely different appearances and personalities, and all of them are superb, and their superb acting skills are even difficult It can be seen that these three jobs are done by one person.
At the end of the film, accompanied by the soothing jazz song "We will meet again", a quick montage of images of all nuclear bomb explosions in human history may be Kubrick's fable about war and peace. All savagery and civilization, all madness and rationality, will eventually go away in explosions and beautiful songs.
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