It's a good movie but a bit dated. In 1959, most people in the US didn't believed we would not make it to 2000 without a nuclear war. Today few are concerned. I think a better movie addressing the same subject is "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb". It's also a nuclear doomsday movie but it's a black comedy that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict. Peter Sellers plays multiple roles and he is great as are Sterling Hayden and George C. Scott.
It was certainly not an antiwar or anti nuc rant. As I said, it's a dark comedy that satirizes fear of a nuclear attack. Once production started, the producer and director, Stanley Kubrick began getting questions such as is it anti-America, is it anti-military. Columbia became so concerned that it issued a press release calling the film "just a zany, novelty flick which did not reflect the views of the corporation in any way. However, once released very few people considered it just a zany novelty flick. Both film critics and audiences seem to agree that it was the best political satire every filmed and in my opinion it still still is today. Strangely the pollical establishment at the time didn't seem have many comment on the movie.
George C. Scott turned down the lead role of MacArthur. Although Peck's portrayal is probably closer to that of MacArthur than Scott would have played it, I think, the movie would have been more entertaining with Scott. Although I'm a fan of Gregory Peck, his performance of MacArthur seemed rather dull and stilted. Peck was also unhappy with the movie. He complained about script and was unhappy with the production. Peck agreed to do the movie based on Universal's plans to make it a bigger budget movie that Patton. However, Universal budgeted a third less than Patton, downscaling the whole production.
MacArthur was a WW1 strategist who was criticized at the time for his lack of aggressiveness. He was rather dull and stilted himself after FDR recalled him from retirement and placed him for some reason in the area most likely to be attacked in the opening of WW2 hostilities. He did not do well and Peck played him to a tee as a pompous media personality. Patton was a hard charger and for my money Scott played him as a clown.
