Rating of
4/4
Have a Happy Holocaust
SIngli6 - wrote on 09/03/11
"Like all good comedies, (the) basic theme is serious" - David Stratton
This aphorism is no better exemplified than in Stanley Kubrick's madcap satire 'Dr. Strangelove'. Indeed, I cannot imagine a more sombre theme than nuclear holocaust. It seems to be shorn of any convivial aspect, presuming it had any buoyant elements in the first place. With absurd characters delivering doubly absurd lines (my favourite being "you can't fight in here, this is the war room") and very controlled and studied B&W photography showing scenes of gelastic insanity, Kubrick creates the cinematic equivalent of Jonathan Swift's satirical essay 'A Modest Proposal'; and much like with 'A Modest Proposal', once you start laughing you simply: Do. Not. Stop.
