From the scene when Mandrake enters Ripper’s office to the end of Ripper’s monologue. It became clear who the villain was. These two characters display good vs. evil in a non typical role. General Jack Ripper is the American villain with a befitting name, since the pseudonym “Jack the Ripper “was a serial killer, and his unwillingness to give up the code caused the Americans to attack the Russians. Also, he himself was killing the other Americans that were attacking his base while saying to Mandrake “the red coats are coming”. Mandrake was the British hero who cracked the code in his attempt to save the Americans. It was intriguing to see a British trying to save the Americans from themselves when the Americans were the ones fighting the British during the American Revolution.
Isn’t this interesting?
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i also found this to be interesting and odd at the same time. Mandrake was trying to get Ripper to give him the code by sucking up to him. this did not work seeing that ripper killed himself. i also found it interesting when he actually did crack the code, the other american general did not care at all. he almost didn't want to help Mandrake give the President the code because of all of his wounded soldiers outside. i didn't like how the american soldiers listened to Ripper and fired upon their own men because ripper brain washed them with his speech. just weird how one person could cause so much destruction to Russia and his own country.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting, but this is a prime example of how stressful/difficult situations can cause people to believe anything. It is also an example of how power can control people. Just as in today's society- we revolve around power. Power can make us believe almost anything and in turn act in unjust ways. Many times hearing or seeing people with power makes us feel safe and confortable. Did the Rippers speech really brainwash the men? Did the Ripper really cause all this destruction? Or was it just power in the hands of a villian. In the end, one without much power (Mandrake) saved the people. Is power the culprit?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that Ripper's speech brainwashed them. He was their commanding officer, they had to listen to his orders. Disobeying a direct order is punishable by a courts-martial. They would have the right to disobey these orders because they were unlawful. They did not realize this though. So, I guess you could say that power is the culprit. Ripper had the power and used it to trick his command into carrying out his own personal mission.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maddi that this is an example of how power can control people. Jack Ripper had the power, he gave the order, and was obeyed. I also think that power is the culprit.. Mandrake on the other hand didn't have as much power as Ripper did, however, after Ripper had shot himself in the bathroom, Mandrake sat there trying to crack the code. He truly did care about the Americans and tried so hard to get the President on the phone and tell him his great idea.
ReplyDeleteIt very interesting how it would be so easy for one person to order a such a powerful mission. I also do believe that the base was under a certain alert that mean they had to fire upon anything that was coming their way. It probably wouldn't go through any of the minds of the soldiers that the other side would be the same side. Everything shows how the abuse of power can unfold by one single person. Also to note that things haven't changed too much with the threat of Nuclear outbreak, since the cold war. The U.S is currently trying to replace Nuclear warheads with a warhead that cuts through caves that they made for the Afghanistan War. Instead of using regular bases they will use Patriot missile base so it would launch like a Nuclear Warhead, but of course many countries are worried because it would come up on radars as looking like a Nuclear missile.
ReplyDeleteI agree in the sense that unregulated power can lead to chaos and madness. This scene struck me as more of commentary on people, not politics, as the politics were the premise for the insanity, not the insanity itself.
ReplyDeleteThis film seems to perfectly demonstrate the widespread fear and paranoia of nuclear annihilation and of a communist conspiracy. Mandrake proved throughout to be faithful to his cause no matter where he originally came from. He knew what was right and tried his hardest to succeed. The fact that Ripper came up with this plan and ended up killing himself due to his fear of communist infiltration is crazy to me. This shows what it must of been like to live during this chaotic time.
ReplyDeleteIt was very ironic that a British man was doing so much to help America and Russia, but the big picture was to save the world from the radiation. I also found it odd that Ripper killed himself because of all the chaos and destruction around him.
ReplyDeletei also agree by saying that everyone was controlled by the power. With it, you could go down the wrong path and eventually self destruct. I think that it was the power in the hands of the wrong person that caused all of this to happen
ReplyDeleteI never really thought of it that way, but yes it is interesting. I thought that Dr. Strangelove had all these great ideas to saving the people by placing them in the mines and then the bomb goes off, very ironic. The film also showed how scared people were of the nuclear power back then. When Dr. Strangelove was talking about the plans to hide everyone, the US was worried about the Russian's hiding bombs and attacking them later.
ReplyDeleteThe film was a little hard to grasp at first. You can see how even in the military they don"t trust each other in the statment over the loud speaker you are to trust no one. This includede your fellow man. I could see how one mistake can cause paranoia and makes people do crazy things. The best part was the end when the man road the bomb to his death just like Idependance day there always has to be the hero who gave his life. Unlike Ripper who killed himself because he was a coward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brad. The scene was mocking people rather than politics and how easily the society was infulenced by those in power. The film itself is mocking the Red Scare and this scene represented how American citizens during that time were driven toward this sort of insanity because of what those in power were leading them to believe.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Anderson
This whole situation came about with the assumsion that the Soviet Union was becing communists and that it would happen to the US if we didn't stop it. There was no real reason to bombing them exept our assumptions, which should never be the reasons for a solution so big as the one we planned. I agree that is is very scary how one person can control so many people, and how many times it has happened thoughout history.
ReplyDeletei agree with many of the comments, i found this to be very interesting. Mandrakes attemptd to get he code by being nice and brown nosing were a good attempt although they failed. It wasnt all mandrakes fault that he failed since ripper did kill himself. When the code was finally cracked however he didn't want to help give the President the code because of all of his wounded men. Also the me listened to Ripper and fired upon their own men because of the speech given by ripper. So many problems and death caused by the persuasiveness of one man is unbelievable. It is an example of how power can control people. Power can make us believe almost anything and do awful things. Many times hearing or seeing people with power makes us feel secure. The men were taught to obey orders from a superior officer, no questions asked. So should they have disobeyed a direct order even though it was clearly evil...
ReplyDeleteIt is very typical that the American "gun-ho" General Ripper would be portrayed as a closed-minded meat-head. This stereotype has some truths to it, but at the same time, it makes for great comedy.
ReplyDelete