Technology and War In Film

Technological developments have characterized the modern world and play a critical role in communications. Given their impact on communications, these advancements has also influenced the creation of war movies. However, war movies have existed for a long period of time. While modern technological developments are significantly different, technology has also been traditionally linked with war. One of the ways with which technology has been linked to war is through film. This is evident in the fact that various movies or films have been created to depict and emphasize the relationship between technology and war. This paper seeks to examine this relationship through evaluating films that have attempted to link the two concepts. This evaluation is based on a comparison of two films i.e. Dr. Strangelove and WarGames.
Brief Overview of Dr. Strangelove and WarGames
Dr. Strangelove and WarGames are examples to films or movies that have been made to demonstrate the what-ifs of a nuclear war. These two Cold War American films portray the Cold War era in terms of the probability of a nuclear war. The producers made these films at a time when it was unclear if and when a nuclear fallout could emerge. The creation of these films came at a time when there were fears that the Cold War era could result in a nuclear war that would ultimately trigger the Third World War. During this period, there were concerns and fears that a nuclear war could emerge between the United States and the Soviet Union and potentially kill millions of people and destroy properties across the globe without advance warning.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was produced in 1964 by Stanley Kubrick following the Cuban missile crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union.[footnoteRef:1] Army General Jack Ripper commands B-52 troops to bomb Russia on the believe that the Soviets contaminated American water supply using fluoride. The commander believed that this contamination of American water supply was a plot by the Soviets to destroy the American populace through poisoning. General Ripper seeks to deploy a clandestine nuclear attack on Soviet Union without his superiors’ knowledge and approval. To protect his attack, General Ripper shut down communication within Burpelson. However, RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake believes he knows the recall codes if he can communicate to the outside world. On the other hand, key people in the Pentagon War Room including Dr. Strangelove are looking for avenues to stop the attack or mitigate its ability to blow-up into a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. As Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov is brought into the Pentagon War Room, Americans in this room learn that the Soviet Union has an unannounced Doomsday Device to detonate nuclear weapons if any of their major targets are hit. The Americans decide to work on the situation to their ultimate objective whereas one of the B-52 bomber pilots seeks to deploy his bomb to any enemy territory if he can’t reach his target. [1: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, directed by Stanley Kubrick, performed by Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden, Columbia Pictures, 1964, film.]
WarGames was written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and produced in 1983. This American Cold War science fiction film portrays how a young man finds access to a military central computer through the back door.[footnoteRef:2] After gaining access, the young computer savvy kid inadvertently connects into a classified super-computer that completely controls America’s nuclear arsenal. He decides to use this for a game between the United States and Russia to an extent that he even starts the countdown to the Third World War. However, the young computer wizard faces a challenge of attempting to convince the computer that it was a game rather than a reality. When he was arrested by FBI on suspicion of working with Russia, the threat of global nuclear war and destruction was still evident as the War Operation Plan Response continues with this strange game. [2: WarGames, directed by John Badham, performed by Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy and John Wood, ProtoVision, 1983, film.]
Technology and War in these Two Films
As shown in the brief overview, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and WarGames emphasize the relationship between war and technology. This films depict the relationship by demonstrating problems in the link between human society and technological systems. Through this process, these movies or films successful raise plausible and pertinent questions on the relationship between technology and society. In this regard, the two films show how technology can be a bad thing to the society if used negatively despite its obvious advantages, especially in relation to improving communications. As part of emphasizing on the relationship between war and technology, each of these films have similar and different means of highlighting this link. While the films were produced at relatively different times with varying geopolitical events, they have some similarities and differences in their portrayal of how war and technology is linked.
Similarities in the Two Films
Automated Response
One of the similarities in how these two films emphasize the relationship between war and technology is automated response. During the Cold War era, the extent with which human meddling could contribute annihilation of millions of people across the globe became evident. As a result, nations started to look for automated response or retaliation in the event of an attack. Making response automatic was regarded as an important measure toward removing human error or meddling in war. This process resulted in the adoption of scientific and technical resources by the U.S. federal government during and after World War II.[footnoteRef:3] The mobilization by the federal government contributed to the development of nuclear weapons, space and radar, which represented new technologies. The use of technology as a means for automatic response or attack is depicted in Dr. Strangelove. Nuclear weapons are developed and used as the premise for attacking the enemy soil or territory. [3: Alvin M. Weinberg, “Can Technology Replace Social Engineering?” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1966):41.]
On one hand, American troops had planned to use nuclear weapons for automatic attacks against the Soviets who accused of attempts to poison the U.S. populace through contaminating American water supply. For Commander Ripper, nuclear weapons or technology provided a suitable means for carrying out an automatic, clandestine attack against the Soviets. On the contrary, the Soviets had capitalized on technological advancements to develop a Doomsday Device that would detonate any attack on its soil and its target. Through this process, the Soviets would release their entire nuclear arsenal that could not be stopped once triggered. President Muffley even wondered “But, how is it possible for this thing to be triggered automatically, and at the same time impossible to untrigger?”[footnoteRef:4] [4: Ibid., 1]
The Doomsday Device and other nuclear weapons in the film highlighted how technology would help automate war i.e. both attack and response. Dr. Strangelove notes,
“It is not only possible - it is essential. That is the whole idea of this machine, you know. Deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy the fear to attack. And so, because of the automated and irrevocable decision-making process, which rules out human meddling, the Doomsday Machine is terrifying. It's simple to understand. And completely credible and convincing.”[footnoteRef:5] [5: Ibid., 1]
WarGames depicts the use of technology for automated attack and response by showing how computers control nuclear arsenal. The top-secret super computer was linked to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and could be used to launch automatic attacks and response. For example, when playing the strange war games, David, the tech savvy young man, innocently started a countdown to World War III. This was an indication of how technology can be used to automate war that could end up killing millions of people and destroying properties worldwide. The super computer was part of War Operation Plan Response, which was established after the failure by two missile controllers to initiate or launch a missile during a test launch. McKittrick, a government officer resorted to use technology to launch missiles because of its capability to initiate a missile, which would result in war. When talking to General Beringer, Major notes, “Sir, the WOPR indicates initial impact points as the 43rd Bomb Wing at Loring, the 319th at Grand Forks, and Alaskan Air Command headquarters at Elmendorf.”[footnoteRef:6] [6: Ibid., 2]
Unauthorized Access or Use
The other similarity shown in the movie is how technology can result in war through unauthorized access or use of technological devices. During the Cold War era, the danger of unauthorized use of a nuclear weapon became apparent following the adoption of technological systems. As shown in the two films, the fears of a probable nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union became apparent after the two countries adopted technological systems in their military operations. The advent of nuclear weapons during this period was regarded as one of the most critical technological innovations that changed the face of war.
In Dr. Strangelove, the unauthorized use of technology for war is evident in General Ripper’s plan to deploy a clandestine nuclear attack against the Soviets without the approval of his bosses. Technology provided a means with which this commander could carry out his plans undetected. This implies that technology enhances the likelihood of unauthorized use of weapons including nuclear arsenal to launch an attack. In WarGames, unauthorized access of technological weapons to launch an attack against an intended or unintended target is evident in David’s access to the super-computer created by McKittrick as part of War Operation Plan Response (WOPR). David’s utilized his competence in technology to start a strange war game where he chooses to be Russia. While to him this is a game, WOPR is thinking it’s a reality. Through this, the film highlights how humanity can be replaced by machines as evident in the created countdown to World War III. Therefore, unauthorized access to machines can result in war, especially at a time when the threat of a global nuclear war is apparent.
By demonstrating how unauthorized access to technological systems can result in war such as nuclear war, WarGames highlights the role of public, private, and secret spaces. In this case, private and secret spaces need to be protected to avoid the danger of unauthorized access to classified information and technology systems. Public places are accessible to everyone while private and secret places should be guarded and prevented from unauthorized access, especially when there is a threat of war. However, the use of technological systems complicates the process of protecting private or secret places since some of these systems can be accessed remotely.
Technologies
These two films are similar in terms of items that could be considered as technologies, which could result in war. Some of these similar technologies include nuclear weapons and computers. In Strangelove, nuclear weapons are at the heart of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union while computers control the entire American nuclear arsenal. Similarly, the super-computer is at the heart of the WOPR while nuclear weapons are at the core of the Global Thermonuclear War in WarGames.[footnoteRef:7] However, Strangelove includes an additional technology i.e. Doomsday Device developed by Soviets to automatically detonate any American nuclear attack through shrouding the Earth in a cloud of radioactivity. [7: Ibid., 2.]
Differences in the Two Films
Despite the similarities between the two films, there are obvious differences in their depiction or emphasis on the relationship between war and technology.
Relations between the Sexes
Dr. Strangelove and WarGames portrays the relationships between men and women different with respect to the link between war and technology. One of the women in Dr. Strangelove is General Buck Turgidson’s girlfriend whose appears relaxing in a bikini when the general is taking a dump offscreen. Her relatively small role in this part sets the foundation for the successive sexual innuendos. Sexual allegory and imagery follows throughout the rest of the film and demonstrates the relations between sexes. The film portrays the idea of male aggression and seemingly suggest that the use of technology for war is brought by the overblown masculinity of male leaders across the globe. The film seemingly suggests that the pursuit of establishing the most sophisticated technologies for nuclear war are relatively similar to the male competition for sexual conquests. On the contrary, WarGames does not incorporate lots of interactions or relations between men and women. However, male dominance in technology and war game is evident in this film. This suggests that male aggression is at the heart of technological developments and use of these systems in war.
Functions and Location of Technologies
Even though these two films portray similar technologies that can be used for war, they differ in the location and function of these technologies. In Dr. Strangelove, technologies are located in the military camp and used for control of nuclear arsenal by the Army. Therefore, the location of these technologies is exclusively in areas that are only accessible by the military and primarily used for war. Given this location, the people represented as having to do with computer technologies in Strangelove are the military and political leaders like presidents and prime ministers. On the contrary, WarGames portray the idea that technologies are not located in secret places where they cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals. In this regard, the technologies are located in private rather than secret places and used for controlling nuclear weapons. While WarGames depicts the military as people represented as having to do with computer technologies, it demonstrates that these systems are accessible and used by young people through computer games unlike Strangelove.
Relations between Technology and Trust
In Dr. Strangelove, trust influences the kind of technologies developed and their capabilities in the emergence of a war. General Ripper’s attempt to launch a clandestine nuclear attack on the Soviets was influenced by mistrust. He did not trust Soviets as he believed that they sought to poison the entire American populace through contaminating the American water supply. On the other hand, the Soviets’ decision to develop Doomsday Device was influenced by their lack of trust for Americans. Therefore, these technologies were developed and established on the premise of who will push the button first given the lack of trust between the two countries.
In WarGames, trust plays a critical role in the commencement of the computer game between David and his girlfriend. However, the was a level of mistrust between the United States and other countries, which becomes evident when David’s computer game reaches WOPR. Lack of trust becomes the premise with which a countdown to World War III is started. Additionally, due to lack of trust, David was arrested on suspicions that he was working with Russians. This implies that the decision to establish WOPR and its potential use in war was influenced by mistrust between the United States and Russia.
Evaluation
Strangelove successfully raises plausible and pertinent questions regarding the relationship between technology and society by highlighting the potential negative impacts of technology on the society. Technological systems can be used as tools for war, which in turn causes significant negative impacts on the society. The film highlights this through demonstrating the dynamics of the arms race. Even though the armament race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was initially a preventive measure, development of technological-based weapons for mass destruction highlighted the potential negative effects of technology on the society. Technology further fueled the arms race and generated numerous security risks as evident in the modern society. As shown in this film, proliferation of arms through capitalizing on technological developments is a threat to societal wellbeing because arms enhance security risks or concerns.[footnoteRef:8] [8: Albert Einstein, “Arms Can Bring No Security”, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1950):71]
WarGames successfully raises this questions by demonstrating the inherent security threats to the society brought by technology. In this case, the film shows how machines can be dangerous to the society when allowed to make their own decisions. The fate of the human race would be subjected to the mercy of technological systems if such systems are permitted to make their own decisions.[footnoteRef:9] Even though machine-made decisions could help lessen man-made errors, they could end up being detrimental to the society. This is primarily because technological systems are prone to hacking, which could result in changes to the kinds of decisions made by machines. This film shows how unauthorized access to the super-computer could have resulted in war because such access contributed to poor decision-making by the machine. Therefore, the film shows the need to create restrictions in human-computer interaction in order to avoid the potential negative impacts of technology on the society. Technology enhances security threats by promoting proliferation of arms rather than a retreat from weapon systems.[footnoteRef:10] These security risks are worsened by the ability of technology to automate war processes and weapons. [9: Bill Joy, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”, Wired (2000):245] [10: Thomas P. Hughes, American Genesis (New York, NY: The University of Chicago Press), 2003:x]
In conclusion, the link between technology and war is an issue that has traditionally attracted considerable attention. This issue has been the subject of films that emphasize on the relations between these two concepts. Dr. Strangelove and WarGames are examples of films that emphasize the relationship between technology and war. As shown in this discussion, these films have some similarities and differences in terms of how they portray this issue. By highlighting the fears of a nuclear weapon between the United States and U.S.S.R., these films successfully raise plausible and pertinent questions on the relationship between technology and society. Therefore, human-computer-interaction can be enhanced through establishing guidelines that prevent unauthorized access and address the inherent security risks associated with technology.


Bibliography
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Performed by Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. Columbia Pictures, 1964. Film.
Einstein, A. “Arms Can Bring No Security.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1950).
Hughes, T.P. American Genesis. New York, NY: The University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Joy, B. “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.” Wired (2000).
WarGames. Directed by John Badham. Performed by Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy and John Wood. ProtoVision, 1983. Film.
Weinberg, A.M. “Can Technology Replace Social Engineering?” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1966).