1. Dr. Strangelove

When Dr. Edward Teller, the inventor of the Atomic Bomb, died in 2003, the media called him “Strangelove”.

The name was an especially cruel jape if you consider all of the other things Teller did in his lifetime. He was also the head of the research for Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, an attempt to disarm nuclear weapons in space. Tied directly to that was his involvement with laser weapons technology, a new field which Teller championed. Such devices as the F.E.L. (Free Electron Laser), a weapon that toggles the electrons within an atom – freeing them – to create a more powerful laser beam, came about due to his involvement with laser technology. Moreover, Teller was the head of recruiting at the San Francisco based Livermore Weapons Laboratory, a collective of the top minds in the world, all bent towards doomsday research. At his craziest, Teller attempted to develop a laser that could be fueled by the power of a nuclear explosion. With those things in mind, many thought he earned the name of “Strangelove”. Kubrick might have been one of those many people who thought him deserving of it. Strangelove and his undying mockery Yes, Teller and other scientists often had a number of things in common with the fictional weapons chieftain. Many scientists who gained influence in the 50’s and 60’s had fled Nazi rule in the 40’s. Although history never recorded it, many might have been divided up piecemeal with other countries once the Nazi regime had come to an end. These weapons specialists were quickly put to work in their field of specialty. They massed power, whispered unknown words into the ears of leaders, and influenced the air of animosity that characterized the Cold War. And Kubrick asked why. Jeremy once pointed out that Dr. Strangelove did not even show up until halfway through the movie, despite the fact that it was named after him. And yet, he is clearly the centerpiece of this darkly comical opus. Strangelove was a mockery of everything Teller and other influential scientists were. He was an unabashed jab that was masterfully carried out by Peter Sellers (and the seething edge of his sting is still felt to this day). Years went by, wars began and ended at the advice of people like Teller, and Strangelove remained the cruel joke of retaliation. Every doomsday weapon must have a brilliant mind behind it, you see. And Strangelove was among the very first of such minds to be characterized in motion pictures. He’s the quintessential mad scientist who is tinkering with the fate of mankind to achieve his own ends. At the end of the film, when depression sinks in for the loss of humanity, Strangelove rejoices at the resurrection of his beloved fascism. His forced, yet restrained speech when he utters the word “slaughtered” is a glimpse into his psyche. And his rogue Nazi hand, one of the few things about Strangelove’s persona still pledging allegiance to that bygone evil, seems to have more control over him then even he has. As such, Strangelove is a commentary on the very nature of weapons scientists and their influence. Strangelove seems to barely maintain an inkling of control over himself. Ironically, the President never stops taking him seriously.

The waroom where Strangelove dwelt

Kubrick was a great fan of Sellers’ performance. In fact, word has it that he couldn’t stop laughing when he was filming Sellers’ war room sequences. Did he know he had created something profound? Would Kubrick suspect that Strangelove would come to represent the vast collective of evil masterminds and madmen throughout the ages? Perhaps. But perhaps he was genuinely touched by the sheer hilarity of the character. And so it is; Dr. Strangelove continues to remain iconic to this day. Crazy scientists have never really outgrown Kubrick and Sellers’ caricature of their mentality. Their pegging of that era and those unseen historical figures was so acute that it remains credible even now. Of course, real life isn’t nearly so satirical as Strangelove, and Kubrick’s grasp wasn’t meant to be definitive. It’s merely a funny, new creation – the mad scientist and his evil plot.

But it is still a subtle wink….

Unfinished post by Brock (1/6/05)