Zach Braff names the “masterpiece” movie that set a “high bar” for cinema
Zach Braff might now be a seasoned indie filmmaker, creating the likes of the critically acclaimed noughties rom-com Garden State and last year’s A Good Person, but for many people he remains JD from Scrubs.
The sitcom followed the employees of the fictional medical teaching facility, Sacred Heart Hospital and remains one of the most beloved comedies of the 2000s. It might not be up there with Friends, but it certainly had a similar ubiquitous appeal for years. For a time, there wasn’t a high school hallway screaming “Eagle” or pretending to like any other song by The Fray. And so, no matter what Braff does, the legacy of the show will continue to follow him around.
And so, it’s not overly shocking to find out that the movie that he cites as one of his favourites is a comedy. Plus, the fact it was directed by Stanley Kubrick gives a little insight into his aspirations as a filmmaker. Although the comedy genre follows him around, his appreciation of film is anything but frivolous and humorous.
After all, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the greatest satirical films of all time. And Braff agrees, “It set a very high bar for brilliant satire,” he told Criterion. And not only for satire, but according to the actor for “acting, cinematography, production design, everything.”
It could seem like Dr. Strangelove is one of those films that pretentious filmmakers and actors include on their list, alongside the likes of Citizen Kane, just to seem knowledgeable and important. But really, it actually is just that good. Unlike Citizen Kane, which can be a tiresome watch for the contemporary viewer, Dr. Strangelove remains funny, astute and entirely watchable.
And that’s coming from someone (me) who is allergic to the kinds of bro films that people think they have to like to be into film. I never was able to get through 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yeah, sure, it’s technically astounding and groundbreaking, but my lord: What. A. Drag. Sorry, I’ll shut up now and promise to give it one more chance before the film police come for me.
“Well, I mean, come on. This is a masterpiece,” Braff said of the film, “I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said by many people way smarter than me.” Here, the filmmaker could be quoting what I want to say here, because Dr. Strangelove really is one of those films, much like the rest of Kubrick’s filmography, that has so much said about it already.
But on the off chance you are one of those weirdos who hasn’t seen it, it’s a political satire about an insane US army general who orders a pre-emptive nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, and the response of those in the US government who attempt to stop it. It was released in 1964, right in the midst of the Cold War and parodied much of the nuclear fear that was abounding at the time.
Hilariously, it was originally intended to be a serious Cold War drama based on Peter George’s novel Red Alert, but Kubrick found the concept of humans dreaming of self-annihilation via the bomb so funny, he ended up with one of the best satires ever made. Of course, this was made possible not only by Kubrick and co-writer Terry Southern’s talent behind the camera and pen, but by a brilliant cast mostly made up of Peter Sellers. Playing three, nearly four characters, Sellers truly mastered the comedic art of playing multiple characters and the German accent.
It’s pure comedic genius from start to finish, and as Braff says, it sets the bar high. So high that my only complaint is that it makes most other comedies pale in comparison, but don’t let that put you off.
