Stanley Kubrick, who died at the age of 70, made only thirteen feature films in his fifty-year career. From melodrama (Eyes Closed) to science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey) to horror (The Flash), war films (Roads of Glory and Full Metal Jacket) or from his era (Barry Lyndon), Stanley Kubrick offered an indisputable gem to each genre. The seventh art.
Even the comedy register was explored by the master. In 1964, he released the minor masterpiece Doctor Strangelove. A brutal satire of the secrets of power, against the backdrop of the Cold War and the nuclear threat.
After the success of Lolita, thanks in part to Peter Sellers’ performance, according to Columbia Pictures, the production company agreed to finance Doctor Strangelove Provided that a British actor portrays four characters. He will end up playing “only” three, for a very comfortable salary. one million dollars; That is, 55% of the film’s budget. Hence Kubrick’s famous sentence on the subject: “I got 3 for the price of 6!”
“Mein Fürher, I can walk!”
To say the acting is brilliant is an understatement. In particular, his delusional incarnation of the famous Dr. Strangelove, a former Nazi scientist captured by the American army. A director of weapons research and development, he uses a wheelchair and has trouble controlling his right arm, which sometimes, unbeknownst to him, tries to strangle him or continues to give a Nazi salute without correcting it.
Answer “Mein Fürher, I can walk!” A sequence where the actor extends his arm to give the Nazi salute was also improvised. Brilliant improvisations, which largely contributed to the memorability of the character, which Kubrick decided to include in the script, which was revised during filming.
Here’s the sequence again, just for fun…
Imagine that the pathology that Dr. Strangelove suffers from exists. He suffers from diagonal apraxia, also called alien hand syndrome. Medical Dictionary of the Academy of Medicine Defines it as a “A disorder in which the left hand typically appears to act on its own behalf and opposes the right hand’s induced gesture or alters the realization of a bimanual gesture.”
When researchers at the University of Aberdeen first identified this neurological condition, they called it “Dr. Strangelove Syndrome.” We couldn’t have given a better tribute to this character and his brilliant actor.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
