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4.235.200.97
it STILL amazes and entertains.
The key to this film, of course, is the brilliant casting and acting. Sterling Hayden's performance is...well, it's hard to describe it as one. It seems more than real.
Peter Sellers, who was also slated to perform Slim Picken's pilot role until Peter fell off a prop whilst arguing with Kubrick, simply is amazing: the President displays a calmness and wisdom, with just enough sly humor, to be believable: Kubrick justly believed that this was the key role. It is the one NOT over the top character around which the other key figures revolve. Sellers showed his unsurpassed comic talent was matched by his dramatic chops.
Interestingly, George C. Scott---who earned critical acclaim for his hilarious portrayal of Gen. Turgidson---remained incensed at Kubrick for many years afterwards.
Kubrick had tricked Scott into his performance by asking him to first play a scene conservatively, then more "realistically" and, finally, "over the top" for perspective.
It was the latter takes, exclusively, that Kubrick printed. All of Scott's preparation and hardest work remained on the cutting floor...
Of course, Kubrick was correct: Scott's character frames the President's seriousness: if he were ominous, the contrasting power of their scenes would have descended into melodrama.
Moreover, the B-52 cockpit was created from imagination: the Air Force refused Kubrick permission to photograph it. Yet, it was so life-like that the gov't. investigated to make sure no one had "leaked" it to the designer.
Finally, I've got to say the Gen. Ripper's lines about "precious bodily fluids" and "essence" still convulse me. Terry Southern, one of three writers which included Kubrick, was a genius.
Follow Ups:
The inside of Kubrick's B-52 bears almost no resemblance to the real
thing. Regards,J.R.
in the film; I found an entertaining reminiscence by him on the Net on the 40th anniversary of Dr. StrangeloveGrins
there really isn't an auto-destruct mechanism?
riding test missiles as they're dropped from the belly...
It was quite pertinent. Your retort is funny, but misses the point.
the Air Force wouldn't cooperate so a well-known set designer got all the published photos he could of B-52 interior: it was but one, with the crew front and center and the panel quite obstructed and distant.
Yet, after it was constructed, word of mouth was that it was terribly real. The Air Force investigated to determine if indeed it was realistic and if so where he got the classified info.
I trust this satisfies you?
You basically repeated what you stated before. How accurate that "word of the mouth" was we do not know and it doesn't matter - you presented YOUR side of the story - whether a true story or an urban myth.Now, someone else, with first hand knowledge of that particular situation, has presented his.
You seem unhappy that he expressed his opinion, for some reason.
I say, his response was completely pertinent, because it addressed a particular, well defined item in your post, so it should not be subject to ridicule.
I am not passing any judgement on whose's story is more right here, just recording the fact that there have been different opinions.
It has many, many moments. And enough classic lines to make your head spin. One of my favorites from Gen. Turgidson to his girlfriend: I believe I'll mosey on over to the war room.
They changed "...before you can say RE-ENTRY" to "...BLAST OFF".
Well, the film has its moments, and is on balance an interesting work, but my favorite moment in it, by far, is GC Scott - his unforgettable performance when he describes the possible war losses. The true madness in his eyes is something one can't act!
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