War of Man Against Himself
In order to grasp the socio-political culture of the 20th century, we must look at the artifacts of that period since they are the ultimate reflections of their time. It's impossible to breath the air of the cold war and measure the tensions of that period so what we can do is to read books, watch films and documentaries regarding the cold war. Dr. Strangelove directed by Kubrick, reflects the anxieties, values, and beliefs of the Cold War culture. In its context of the Cold War and nuclear proliferation, Dr. Strangelove represents to the United States a Cold War rhetoric and anxiety and the beginning of the wave of political and cultural dissent that would climax in the late 1960s. It's a film that demonstrates many of the ways that the Cold War was a part of U.S. culture and everyday life.
On the other hand, in order to compare and contrast the era of the cold war and the contemporary period we should also analyse our lives since we are witnessing the ultimate effects of today's socio-cultural context.
English: Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove from Sta...
English: US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Gen...
English: Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley...Furthermore, we must also look at today's artifacts because our life experiences may not be enough to grasp the general picture with its details, we need other views. Fight Club directed by Fincher, is the reflection of the post-modern era and the 21st century. The culture of consumerism, capitalism and the discourse of globalization shapes the contemporary world.
What I will do before analysing Dr. Stangelove is to give theoretical information about the "big picture" of world and human affairs during the cold war to make easier for understanding the irony and satire in the movie, since Dr. Strangelove is criticising the context while showing the actual and possible shortcomings of the tensions of the...