Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

1964, Stanley Kubrick, USA/UK, 95 min.

Selected and introduced by filmmaker Shalini Kantayya

In this satirical take on Cold War anxiety, a fanatical U.S. general launches a nuclear attack on Russia during the Cold War, and the President and his advisors are shocked to learn that the Russians have technology to destroy the world in the event of an attack on them. Peter Sellers shines in three wildly different roles: a Royal Air Force Captain, the dumfounded U.S. President, and the title character Dr. Strangelove, a presidential adviser with a Nazi past.

“Kubrick gets terrific performances out of his cast here, particularly the multi-talented Peter Sellers, but equally memorable is his ironic use of music. “We’ll Meet Again” is a paean to man’s cycle of war and death, which never seems to end. “Try a Little Tenderness” transforms a mid-air warplane refueling procedure into something akin to robot sexual intercourse, and “Johnny Comes Marching Home” is continuously played to mock the blind patriotism of “our boys” on their fool’s errand.”—John Kenneth Muir

Why did you select Dr. Strangelove for the Cabaret Cinema: Soundtrack series?

“Film guru Roger Ebert called the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb “˜arguably the best political satire of the century.’ Filmed by American master Stanley Kubrick, it’s no surprise that Dr. Strangelove continues to have a kind of cult following. Kubrick yields dark satirical humor to make social commentary about the absurdity of war that remains relevant today. His ironic music choices, which both draw from and subvert the folklore of WWII, command a tone that is simultaneously wistful and apocalyptic. An exploration of Cold War politics and the potential for self-destruction, Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove creates a vision of the future that lingers with you as long after you leave the film.”—Shalini Kantayya

About Cabaret Cinema: Soundtrack

You can probably name the best movie you’ve seen, but what about the best movie you’ve heard? It might be your favorite because of its sound effects, sound engineering, score, or another element of the audio experience. Watch—and hear—a series of films that caught the ear of notable New Yorkers.

About the Introducer

Brooklyn-based filmmaker, educator, and eco-activist Shalini Kantayya uses film as a tool to educate, inspire, and empower audiences. Her new film Catching the Sun, a New York Times Critics’ Pick, explores the potential of a clean energy economy through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China.The mission of her production company, 7th Empire Media, is to create a culture of human rights and a sustainable planet through wildly imaginative media, while her work as a filmmaker explores human rights at the intersection of water, food, and energy. She has received recognition from the Sundance Documentary Program, IFP Spotlight on Documentary, New York Women in Film and Television, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Jerome Hill Centennial. She is a Sundance Fellow, TED Fellow, and a finalist for the ABC | DGA Directing Fellowship.