Directorial Techniques in Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is a classic film depicting, with much humor and irony, the strain and tension that the cold war wrought on America and the world. There are many aspects that make this film the work of art that it is, and, perhaps most importantly, they come together brilliantly to create something truly memorable. All of the facets of any good film are exemplary here and these include not only the characterization and underlying themes, but also the camera angles used throughout as well as the music and the different moods it sets in each scene. Without these components being as expertly crafted as they were, the film would have been a shadow of what it is today.

The characters are crafted perfectly and contrast each other very nicely. General Jack Ripper, portrayed by Sterling Hayden, is the epitome of paranoia and fear. During the Cold War, many Americans feared infiltration of the country by commu...