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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1989)
‘Dr. Strangelove’ is cold rationality VIDEO VAIXT from Page 10 world, existence on planet earth. H js satire, and the people exist as caricatures, but we recognize them as such and see the humor jm olv ed because it is r< >oted in the real world W'c laugh at the charac ters (Kong’s cowboy approach to nuclear annihilation, Kipper's para noid commiephobia, and Man drakes nervous calm) because they are exaggerations of person alities in our own socio-political exist eiu e. At the same time, Kubrick points out that these caricatures, though created by the situation at hand, go absolutely nowhere when it comes to solving the crisis. Indeed, they make it worse. In the war room, as President Murkin Muffley (also played by Sellers) confers with the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the crisis, someone comments, “The human element seems to have failed here.” The conferences in the war room are also populated by ridicu lous characters: the President, upset and bewildered that such a thing has happened; General “Buck'' Turgiiison (George C. Scott), w ho puts stick after stick of gum into his mouth as he explains that Kipper was able to order an att.u k due to a program of “cred ible deterrence;" and visiting So lid ambassador Kissov, who embodies the ugly, humorless, stereotypical Russian. Naturally conflict arises: Tur gids< >n pr< itcsts the breach <>f secu rity that Kissov is allowed to see “the big board,” and accuses him of taking pictures of the room A wrestling match ensues, and is broken up by the President who exclaims, “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here — this is the war room!" Although connections with Moscow are made, and everything possible is done to recall the bombers, it is not enough. Kong’s bomber finds a target and releases its device which reads ‘‘Nuclear warhead, Handle with care.” Kong rides the bomb dowm to the ground bronco style, detonating the Soviet’s secret “doomsday machine” and ending the world to the musical accompaniment of “NX e ll Meet Again.” As the film progresses, it be comes more and more difficult to laugh at the characters: if their altitudes are not so different from those in our world, is it not pos sible that the doomed planet on screen is also our ow n? Is ours a world where ends have become separated from means, where “doublethink” is common place and humankind has ad vanced to a stage of existence beyond that which it is able to sustain? Kubrick is fascinated with these themes, and although at tmics it is undoubtedly funny, it is dark at the same lime. Nowhere are the themes so unified as in the third character played by Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove, from whom the movie takes its name. Strangelove is cold rationality, in which matters of the survival or death of harth are reduced to a chess game. His is not the only voice in this crisis, how e\er. I here is the nervous Man drake, who worries about the impending doom, but does noth ing. And then there is Turgidson, w ho at one point reveals what may well be the current condition of humanity. While in conference in the war room, Turgidson tells his mistress that one day she’ll be his wife, but before he hangs up, says Hon t forget to say your prayers.” VCe make our plans and say our prayers that the plans will be car ried out, but our world is hanging by a thread. I nless something is done, the movie suggests, that thread will someday snap, destroy ing our plans and our world. “Dr. Strangelove” should be av ailable at most video stores. I’ve discovered that finding it not checked out, however, can be a problem. Do you work well on deadline? Good. Apply at the Daily Nebraskan and find out what it means to have lame, fortune and experience before you graduate. Then you can grow uptobe just like Lisa Donovan ... This fS *snmh£M mtprma /***, , ^ kW r Positions available for news reporters, sports reporters, arts and entertainment reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists and editorial cartoonists. Apply at the Daily Nebraskan office, Room 34, Nebraska Union. l.N'l docs mu discriminate in its academic, admissions or employment programs and abides by all Federal regulations pertaining to same. ^\r Tickets: $13, $9 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWISTERS! Everything on Sale! Posters, T-shirts, CD's, Albums, Tapes, Jewlery, Sunglasses, Pins, Watches. STOREWIDE SALE Sale ends Saturday I I 1 MUSIC ~ ^-'£0 GIFTS 14010 St. EaStJ5zoP£Za 477-6061 464-8276