History Film / DrStrangelove

* DirtyCommunists: Only Ripper and Turgidson loathe, most of the characters treat the soviets with pragmatism or respect.

* MrExposition: General Turgidson and Doctor Strangelove advisors and explain most of the strategical and technicals details to the President, and to the audience by extension.

* NoYouHangUpFirst: The conversation between the American and the Russian presidents is modeled this way. It projects a ridicule image of Muffley.

* AluminiumChristmasTrees / TruthInTelevision: Ripper's paranoia about water fluoridation.

* AssInAmbassador: "Try one of these Jamaican cigars, Ambassador, they're pretty good." "No, I do not support the work of imperialist stooges."

* FreudWasRight: Invoked if not by the characters then by the film itself. A central theme of the movie is the portrayal of sexual symbolism as more than symbolism, Kubrick paraphrases Clausewitz "war is the continuation of sex by other means" without much room for interpretation. The opening refueling scene of two bombers "coupling", Mandrake attempting "preversion" with a vending machine coin return slot, the not-sot-veiled sexual references that drive the madness of General Ripper and the very meaningful names of the two warmongerings (him and Turgidson) who push against the peaceful one (Muffey). Near the end there is yet another MoodDissonance when the characters are happily planning a postnuclear scenario where the male to female ratio would land them with their own harems to repopulate the world.

** The target for the bomber is Laputa. La puta is Spanish for "the whore".

* RefugeInAudacity: Remember, this movie was made at the near-height of the Cold War, when the fear of nuclear apocalypse was cruelly plausible -- and it's PlayedForLaughs.

* GeneralRipper: TropeNamer, obviously.

** The Russian ambassador's name Sadesky refers to the outrageous MarquisDeSade , trope namer of the sexual tendency.

* FreudWasRight: Invoked if not by the characters then by the film itself. A central theme of the movie is the portrayal of sexual symbolism as more than symbolism, Kubrick paraphrases Clausewitz "war is the continuation of sex by other means" without much room for interpreation. The opening refueling scene of two bombers "coupling", Mandrake attempting "preversion" with a vending machine coin return slot, the not-sot-veiled sexual references that drive the madness of General Ripper and the very meaningful names of the two warmongerings (him and Turgidson) who push against the peaceful one (Muffey).

'''This film includes examples of:'''

* ApocalypseHow: "Obviously, you've never heard of Cobalt-Thorium G. When the bombs detonate, they'll create a radioactive cloud, that would circle the earth for a hundred years!"

* OrchestralBombing: And [[MoneyShot what a bombing]].

* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Ripper's fate.
** Although he mainly did it because he wasn't sure he could trust himself to not give up the code to call The Wing back if he was in fact given "[[EnhancedInterrogationTechniques a pretty good working over]]."

** Actually, while he looks and speaks like a loony tunes character, everything he says is coldly rational. See his Doomsday Device analysis quoted above.

*** "The [[CrypticConversation string in my leg's gone]]..."
*** FridgeBrilliance: Sellers' character Bluebottle in TheGoonShow was allegedly made of cardboard and string!
*** Being said in the context of his WWII capture and torture, he is almost certainly referring to the hamstring muscle, which captors sometimes cut to cripple a prisoner and prevent escape.

* FreudWasRight: The opening refueling scene of two bombers "coupling" (see above) is most famous; Mandrake attempting "preversion" with a vending machine coin return slot.

* ProtagonistTitleFallacy

** Also, George C. Scott was unwilling to go over the top in his portrayal of General Turgidson, so Kubrick tricked him by telling him to do a few over the top takes as "practice" and that they would never be put into the real movie. Kubrick lied, creating one of the best [[LargeHam Large Hams]] ever but also causing Scott to swear he'd never work with Kubrick again.

** Other scientists upon whom the character was based were Herman Kahn, Edwin Teller and John von Neumann. Contrary to popular belief, Strangelove was not based on Henry Kissinger, who at the time was not well known outside of academic circles.

* BombersOnTheScreen: The primary purpose of TheBigBoard.
* ColonelBadass: Averted; Group Captain is the RAF equivalent of Colonel, and Mandrake is somewhat prissy in the face of the American soldiers around him. Colonel Guano, for his part, is a dimwitted "prevert" hunter.

* SexySecretary: Turgidson's secretary, Miss Scott.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Plenty of familiar faces.
** Funnyman Peter Sellers will be best known as [[{{ThePinkPanther a bumbling French inspector who picks fights with his Chinese assistant...]][[KungShui property damage non-withstanding.]]
** Sterling Hayden will go on to be [[{{TheGodfather a crooked police captain who broke Michael Corleone's jaw.]]
** George C. Scott will play [[{{Patton}} one of the most badass generals in history.]]
** This was James Earl Jones's film debut. [[{{StarWars}} He will go on to voice the most memorable villains in movie history.]]

* ShownTheirWork: The movie is filled with references to military life and then quite obscure research. Also subverted, what the cockpit of a B-52 looked like was classified so Kubrick and crew just made what a B-29 would look if the plane was shaped like a B-52. They were so close to correct that they were briefly investigated to make sure there was no spying going on!

** Arthur C Clarke, who knew both Stanley Kubrick and Werner von Braun, reported that Kubrick once asked him to "tell Werner I wasn't getting at him". Clarke adds, "I never did because, firstly, I didn't believe him, and secondly, even if Stanley wasn't, Peter Sellers certainly was."