Dr. Strangelove: A Satirical Study of War and Sex

Upon face value, Dr. Strangelove is a brilliant, stark and pointed comedy about the unimaginable horrors of nuclear warfare. In fact, Dr. Strangelove is perhaps the most outspoken commentary on the dangers of nuclear power to date because the scenario proves to be so catastrophic and final. Despite the fact that the nightmarish possibilities of the Cold War become haunting and real as the movie climaxes, the film manages to maintain a level of silliness that emotionally distances the viewer from the horrors to a comfortable level, allowing for an analysis of the lighter and more important themes within. 

One could speak volumes about the danger of nuclear escalation and whether or not the Doomsday scenario is still feasible today. However, there is much more going on in Dr. Strangelove than just atomic bombs and politics.

The film is indeed a cautionary tale about nuclear power, but the crux of the message is not so much about what can happen but why! At the core of this film is the real cautionary tale about the danger within our minds; the results of important men becoming destabilized by their own inferiority complexes, waging wars to supplement short-comings. 

The film even goes as far as to implicitly suggest that the Cold War can be summed up as nothing more than a case of inter-continental penis envy. The lampooning of the sexually-obsessed-yet-deficient male-psyche remains present throughout the entire film from beginning to end and serves as a foundation for the other satirical themes in this film. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Kubrick's film is a clever and bold examination of the male-psyche, ego, sex-drive and the underlying sexual nature of war.