The movie
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Loved the Bomb is a 1964 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. The cast includes Peter Sellers (he plays three different roles), George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. It enjoys a very high IMDB score of 8.4.
The film was released at a time when the Cold War was at its peak and the fear of a nuclear attack was obvious. Kubrick managed to make a satire on this very serious subject. The film describes what could happen if the wrong person pushes the wrong button.
The US Air Force General Jack Ripper (played by Hayden) thinks that the Soviets are polluting the ‘precious bodily fluids’ (!) of the American people. Thus, he orders the patrolling bombers under his command to attack the USSR.
What follows is one of the most successful parodies in cinema history. Yet, the catastrophe is not avoided. The earth would remain under radioactive dust for at least 93 years, making the surface of the planet uninhabitable.
The scene
The scene, which is at the end of the movie, takes place in the War Room. Dr. Strangelove (played by Sellers) is a former Nazi scientist. He sits on a wheelchair and acts as a scientific advisor to the US President.
He recommends that the President (also played by Sellers) would gather a few people in underground mines. They would repopulate the planet when the radiation subsides.
While there is a debate on whether the Soviets would prevail after implementing a similar program, Dr. Strangelove suddenly rises from his wheelchair saying ‘Sir, I have a plan’ and continues shouting to the president: “Mein Fuehrer, I can walk”!
At this point we see a few atomic explosions, while at the same time we hear the popular song of World War II ‘We’ll Meet Again’ by Vera Lynn.
Dr. Strangelove certainly deserves a leading place in any cinephile library.
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