Some might regard Stanley Kubrick’s infamous film Dr. Strangelove: Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb only as a satirical take on the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Released just two years after the Missile Scare, it is a valid and rather rational observation (Sepulveda, 2019). However, it is crucial to grasp the nuances of Kubrick’s symbolism and storytelling. The film sends an important message about the attitudes of global leaders on gender and masculinity. Men are viewed as he sole contributors to international politics, which somehow grants them the right to disregard women completely.
From the names of the characters such as Merkin Muffley to the actual depiction of a woman in the picture, Dr. Strangelove emphasizes the limitations put on women in terms of their role in society. Political leaders are the ones who should be progressive and urge the public to partake in progress. However, the film demonstrates that the foreign policy elite does not know better. They see women as objects for sexual release (Sepulveda, 2019). Buck Turgidson’s lover lies on a bed in a bikini and sunglasses. She is not in her underwear or naked; rather, she wears flashy clothes and is illuminated by a focus lamp. This suggests that the only woman portrayed in the film is subjected to objectification.
Kubrick also shows the absurdity of the male ego driving the decisions of global political leaders. After an episode of erectile dysfunction, General Jack D. Ripper blames communists and their efforts to fluoridize the water for his poor performance in bed (Sepulveda, 2019). Once his masculinity is threatened, he decides to blame the enemy, which reflects the political climate of the 1960s perfectly. Despite exaggerations, it is apparent that Dr. Strangelove manages to highlight the sexist reality of male-dominated politics.
Reference
Sepulveda, G. (2019). Dr. Strangelove and the male ego. The Medium. Web.