I just want to start off by saying that Dr. Strangelove is one of my favorite films and Stanley Kubrick is one of my favorite film directors. Even though many people have called him controlling, demanding and even selfish, Kubrick is an incredibly talented and unique auteur filmmaker and truly one of the greatest. Dr. Strangelove is frequently listed as one of the funniest films ever made, and although I had already seen it numerous times before this, the film seemed more humorous and ridiculous than ever.
Dr. Strangelove’s black and white cinematography is gorgeous. I have always admired and (probably more so than any other filmmaker) been aesthetically inspired by Kubrick. The cinematography (much like in Preminger’s Laura), while being both interesting and innovative in its composition and lighting, rarely calls attention to itself. While Kubrick constantly pushes boundaries with his visuals in terms of both mise en scene and shot selection, he is able to achieve a look in which no particular image stands out as being intriguing for the sake of being intriguing. While there are incredibly complex and at times unconventional shots (such as the wide shot of the war room or the sequence of the shadowy atmosphere of General Ripper’s office after he turns off the lights) nothing overtly stands out. For everything that he creates and sets up in this world fits in the world and we do not question its creation no matter how extreme of a perspective. I listened to an interview with cinematographer Roger Deakins (No Country For Old Men, The Shawshank Redemption) and he claimed that ideally cinematography should not call attention to itself. Rather it should fit so perfectly in the world that viewers cannot possibly recognize its creation. I think that’s what Kubrick does with this film. And although he is known for his unique visual style, with Dr. Strangelove he strikes a perfect balance between ordinary and eccentricity which allows us to take in the gorgeous imagery without necessarily knowing it.
Kubrick has an incredible eye for color, as one can obviously see in films like A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut. But to me, the black and white fits perfectly with Dr. Strangelove. The fact that the cinematography is black and white makes the film more believable which in turn calls attention to the absurdity of the situations. The scenes often reminded me of a newspaper or older newsreel footage of a war or political event. I think it was an excellent point made in class that the imagery reflected the mindset of most of the characters in the film. For the outlook of many of the characters is clearly black and white in terms of both their perspectives and the options they consider.
What I also find surprising is how simplistic Dr. Strangelove is. The entire film takes place, more or less, in three locations (the war room, General Ripper’s office/Air Force base and the one B 52 Bomber.
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I like your discussion on cinematography and how subtly it should fit in with the film, depending on the message of the film maker of course. I have not gotten the chance to see Kubrick's other films, but am actively looking for them wherever I can!
ReplyDeleteAgain your diction in film is enlightening and makes your blog a fun read! Bravo!
Awesome blog especially the on cinematography part. I did partly think of Laura just based on the black and white filming as well. The black and white filming really did give the movie a WW2 to post WW2 feel and it really added an awesome effect.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree when you say that the beauty of the black and white feature is key in this film. I really enjoyed this film because of how funny it was and by how it poked fun of something that was really serious. I really liked when you talked about the shot selection in the film like the zooms in the air plane. very informative.
ReplyDeleteYour discussion makes me appreciate Kubrick better than I generally do, for sure. And I appreciate Kubrick intellectually much better than I like him. His films tweak me, because I generally hate them, but also can't stop talking about them. Also, you can probably tell by my film selections that I do not at all agree with Deakins about invisible cinematography, but your point is well-taken. Funny though, what I remember about this film is precisely the weird shots--that strange in-the-lap one of Ripper, which made him look like a free-floating malevolent head, or of course Slim Pickens riding the rocket like a bronco, or the nuclear montage at the end. Then there's the strangeness of the soldiers firing on their own base and the other soldiers in the plane--both filmed with a completely straight face exactly as if they were making a WWII movie. But his cinematography is definitely incredibly precise.
ReplyDeleteFinally though. Dude. You're forgetting to incorporate the reading into your discussion. More of that, plz.