hofbauer@utcsrgv.UUCP (John Hofbauer) (07/18/84)
Speaking of Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers was to originally also
play Major Kong, but an injury forced him to give it up. Thank
goodness, because it allowed Slim Pickens to essay one of the great
supporting performances in the history of cinema.
Kubrick first wanted to write a drama but no matter what he tried
it kept coming out funny so he went with his instincts and turned it
into a black comedy.
Originally the film was to end with a food fight in the war room
(Remember the buffet on the side?) but Kubrick wisely substituted the
symphony of mushroom clouds with Vera Lynn singing "We'll Meet Again".
This more subtle and ironic ending unquestionably made it a far more
effective piece of satire. It must be remembered that Vera Lynn was a
symbol of hope for the British people during the darkest days of WWII
and many of her songs alluded to the happy times which would return
once the current conflict was over. The lyric of "We'll Meet Again" is
perhaps the strongest example of this and juxtaposing it against the
nuclear annihilation makes for a most powerful ending.
The beginning of the film is almost equally effective in its
simplicity. The disclaimer which announces that the incidents in the
film couldn't possibly occur in real life was almost definitely forced
on Kubrick by the government but its effect is quite the opposite and
immediately sets the tone far better than anything else imaginable.
An observation: The film is so finely crafted that even 20 years
after its initial release it is still as timely as ever. In the film
the Russian ambassador accuses the U.S.A. of building a doomsday
machine and not making it public. When the President hotly denies this
the ambassador indignantly replies that his source was the N.Y. Times.
During last year's Korean Airliner incident a Soviet spokesman
appearing on ABC TV's Nightline program accused the U.S.A. of using
civilian airliners for spying. He cited the San Francisco Chronicle as
his source. Life imitates art...
Last word: Having seen Dr. Strangelove I can never again take the
leaders of this world seriously. I am convinced that the film is not
satire but a documentary.