CINE 101-Dr Strangelove Analysis PDF

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Final group analysis of Dr. Strangelove for CINE 101 Honors, taught by Professor Bennett....

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CINE 101- Film Analysis Assignment WORKSHEET April 12, 2018 Dr. Strangelove Assignment Instructions & Criteria The class is broken into 5 groups. The groups can be found on Blackboard (Bb). Each group is assigned a film to watch and each student will respond individually to all questions below. Note: This will take time and research! (FYI: All films will be watched during class time as schedule permits).

Students will then read their peers submissions and go to the Discussion Board (b) to discuss their responses. Please comment on a minimum of 2 other students’ submissions. Via the Discussion Board the group should reach a consensus on answers to each question. Students should share responsibility for writing the final answer to each question (1-10) and present that point verbally to the class. Points A-C will be answered as a group. Students will present their findings to the class the following week after the film is viewed. The class Presentation (c) must be supported by a Power Point presentation. Grade: a) Worksheet: b) Discussion Board: c) Presentation:

100 points 100 points 100 points

Film Analysis – Part 1: What is the film about? Does it have artistic merit? A. Present a single paragraph synopsis of the film. General Ripper’s hate of “commies” and his fear that the “Russkie’s” are poisoning the water supply in the USA causes him to enact “Plan R,” which sends a fleet of bombers to the U.S.S.R., and he is the only one who is able to recall them. The film then cuts between the tension between Ripper and his second in command Mandrake, the crew of a B-52 bomber headed to defend their homeland, and the White House War Room. President Muffley tries to talk the Russians down from retaliation, only to learn they have built a doomsday weapon that will destroy they world if they are attacked. Simultaneously, he deploys the Army to attack Ripper’s Air Force base and retrieve the recall code. Ripper shoots himself, but Mandrake is able to decipher the recall code and all the bombers are recalled, save one. The last bomber manages to evade Russian missiles but is damaged in the process and makes a last-ditch effort to bomb one Russian base, which triggers the doomsday device. B. Discuss the historical and cultural context at the time in which the film was made and how these may have influenced the film’s narrative.

The film was released in 1964, which was during the heart of the Cold War. As a result, the fear of a nuclear war was very present in the life of the everyday American, and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was very present in everyone’s minds. I think the Cuban Missile Crisis would have been an extremely important factor in the development of the film, as it took place while the film was probably in production. While the rest of the country was extremely fearful of what the next few days, months, and years would look like, Kubrick was working on film about the reality of a nuclear war. However, he also incorporated the fears of communist influences that were also prevalent, like Ripper’s fear of being controlled through the water he drank. I think the times influenced Kurbick because he started writing a drama but ended up with a dark comedy because he was able to pull back and see the morbid ridiculousness of all the fear. C. Discuss: 1) the historical and cultural context presented in the film’s narrative, 2) why you think it was presented in a specific genre and the overall artistic merit of the film. E.g. what does the film contribute to the genre and artistic value of cinematic arts? 3) What are the films’ strengths and weaknesses? 4) Why is this film significant in movie history? (Why did we watch it in this class?) 1) This question is challenging, and I’m not really sure where to find this in the movie. I wish I could have seen it again. However, they film does give you a little background in the beginning, when it talks about how the Russians were developing their Doomsday machine. Also, you get a feel for how culture of the US is fearful of the Russians from Ripper and Turgidson, and also how they feel superior to them. 2) I think the film was written in the satire, “nightmare comedy” genre because Kubrick was able to see how laughable the nuclear situation was between America and Russia. Both countries were racing to develop bigger and more dangerous weapons, which simultaneously increased the chances of both countries and possibly the world being obliterated. It was also one of the last films to be in black and white, which I think is fitting due to how black and white the plot of the movie and their world was. 3) One strength that the film has is its ability to see the ridiculousness in both sides. The Russians “doomsday” machine fails to accomplish its purpose as a deterrent, and Ripper is shown to be obsessed with potential Russian influences, while Turgidson sees obliteration as the only option. One weakness is the lack of character development. None of the main characters have a character arc, or really change at all over the course of the film. Ripper never relents from his attack, Mandrake stays consistently opposed to the attack, Muffley wants to avert nuclear crisis, and Kong remains steadfast in his desire to protect his country—even when his orders sound illogical. 4) This film is significant because it embodies important characteristics of that time period in movie history. Kubrick’s directing style and ideas were embraced by studios, which allowed him to make such a satirical film about such a serious topic.

People still watch it for the brilliant acting of actors like Peter Sellers, as well as the relevance to its time and today. D. 1) Did the movie receive any awards? 2) Was it successful at the box office? 3) Why is this film significant in the history if cinema? The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and four BAFTA Awards, winning three. It also was nominated and won many other awards but didn’t do as well at the box office (9 million off of a 1.8 million budget). However, its uniqueness, acting, and relevance have allowed it to become a classic over the years. Film Analysis – Part 2: What happens and why? 1. What is the protagonist’s deeper desire? What does the character want to gain or achieve? How does the film communicate that desire? We don’t know much (if anything) about President Muffley before the crisis, so his goal in the film is to avoid nuclear annihilation. In contrast to Ripper and Turgidson, however, he does not want to wipe out Russia. He wants to stay friends with everyone, to the point where he is willing to sacrifice his own soldiers if it means maintaining relations with Russia. 2. What obstacles does the protagonist face as he/she tries to achieve his desire? Ripper is the only one with the recall code, so in the beginning he is faced with either accepting Russian retaliation or reinforcing the bombers and obliterating them. Also, he discovers that the Russians have created a Doomsday device, which heightens the pressure to get the recall code and get the planes out of the air. 3. How do obstacles the protagonist encounters drive the story's structure?

The fact that only Ripper has the recall code drives much of the discussion in the War Room, and Mandrake’s conversations with Ripper. The Doomsday device ups the consequences in the film, as it is no longer a question of Russian retaliation, but of total and utter global annihilation. 4. What does the main character need to learn? What does the main character believe wrongly about him/herself and/or the world? What prevents him/her from learning that and how would you define that problem; e.g. character flaw, worldview, something else? Muffley doesn’t really learn anything, except that he shouldn’t have trusted his subordinates with the ability to instigate nuclear war. As a character he just wants to get along with everyone and avoid conflict, which almost saves him in the

movie—by involving the Russians, they were able to shoot down some of the planes—but ultimately it is not enough to preven global nuclear disaster. 5. What finally forces the character to change? What does the character have to give up to change? Is that change willing, unwilling, sacrificial, selfish or ambivalent? As I commented earlier, I don’t think Muffley or any of the characters really change over the course of the film. Muffley never gives up trying to achieve peace, and it looks like he accomplished that until the Kong’s plane avoids the Russian missile and drops its own. He then is faced with the possibility of going underground in a mine shaft, but we never really see what his end choice would have been, as the movie ends. Film Analysis – Part 3: What can we learn from the film? 6. What is different in the main character’s life and values at the end of the film compared to the beginning? How is he/she she a different person? a. If the character matures, how does that change mirror character qualities valued by the Christian faith? b. If the character doesn’t mature, how does the Christian faith suggest the character still needs to change? Muffley changes a little because at the beginning he is trying to save the world, and at the end he is considering saving himself and a few select people. The Bible teaches that every person is made in the image of God, and has value, while at the end of Dr. Strangelove there are discussions about picking the best people to send down into the mineshafts. The whole idea of choosing the perfect people to repopulate the earth, and the fact that the United States is considering it, is also ironic given that was in essence what they fought against in WWII. The Bible teaches that there is no race, or type of person worth more than another, which is the moral dilemma that Muffley faces at the end of the movie.

a. How do this film and the Christian faith agree and/or disagree? The characters in the War Room are almost god-like with the power they have to kill and destroy the entire world. Also, their discussion about who should live out of humanity is also taking life and death into their own hands. While I don’t think the Bible is against war, I do think it is against people deciding which people or countries deserve to exist or not. b. Is there a value that this film could have to the audience that would allow for a discussion about faith? There could be a discussion about the value of human life, or how the development of technology and weapons has the potential to eradicate life on the

earth. Both of these topics tie into God’s plan for the world, and man’s role in helping others instead of killing them. c. How might this film inspire you toward greater love of God, your neighbors, the Gospel, and your view of the world? In the film, the majority of people on earth had no idea that they were about to be wiped out, so it is a reminder that you never know which day might be your last. As a result, it is important to make each day matter especially in the relationships you form, the way you spend your time, and how you treat the people around you. Also, you want to make sure that what you are doing is glorifying God, because you never know when you’re going to end up face to face with him.

7. How does this film and assignment spark discussion about your faiths' journey? The film didn’t really spark anything in me but filling out this worksheet definitely reminded me of how I want to make every day count. I don’t want to look back on my life and feel like I didn’t accomplish anything, or that there were things I wanted to do, but had never done. Similarly, I want to make sure each day I live is glorifying God, and that the small, everyday actions I perform are bringing glory to Him. 8. How does this film further your appreciation for the art of filmmaking? I know most films probably have a political message hidden inside them, but this is one of the first movies I’ve seen that I can remember poking obvious fun at the government. This class as a whole has really highlighted the many different genres and styles of filmmaking, and the different messages they can send. 9. How did this exercise help you to view and analyze films? I have never thought this in depth about any movie, or more specifically had to answer these types of questions about it. “Analyze” is such a broad term, but now I feel like I have a grasp on how to go about looking at a film for its artistic merit and story rather than just how it makes me feel....