Translator's note: In May of this year, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "Dr. Strange Love" was re-screened in the British theaters and the British Film Association in 4K restoration format. The British Film Association invited Stanley Kubrick’s daughter, Katerina Kubrick, for a dialogue. Katerina recalled many anecdotes on the set, which may help movie fans to better understand Kubrick’s creation.
When her father was filming "Doctor Strange Love," Katerina Kubrick was only nine years old, a black humor film about nuclear bombs and Cold War military strategy. Catherine mentioned that she remembered going to the studio after school and playing in the garden of Shepperton Studios. However, her father did not explain to her the imminent nuclear threat.
"Doctor Strange Love" (1964)
He didn't want to scare her. When she finally saw the film, as a teenager who understood the harsh reality, the film made her feel deeply disturbed. Think of Slim Perkins who sits on a nuclear bomb, or Sterling Hayden, who dangles a cigar and says "War is too important to be solved by politicians." Military idiots are full of deep anxiety.
Of course, there is also a terrible hypothetical scenario: what if we are all blown up into mushroom clouds and floated into the sky, just because a militant soldier collapses? (This is not as unbelievable as it sounds, in fact it is happening.)
is exactly because of the shocking and eternal theme-coupled with the iconic war room scenes and cartoon-like characters, it is close to reality to worryingly The extent of-making it an enduring classic. Just like any Kubrick movie, you can watch it over and over and still discover something new.
To learn more about the film, we interviewed Katerina Kubrick and talked about the film her father made, including her memories of visiting the set, and why the film is more meaningful today than ever.
Regarding her father's decision to shoot a comedy about nuclear threats
"This is a kind of cemetery humor, isn't it?" Catalina said, her father cut into this topic in the form of a comedy. "This is too bad, you can just laugh it off, hope it doesn’t happen, what else can you do?"
she said, her father didn’t actually tell her about the dark reality that enveloped them, because He didn't want to scare a nine-year-old child. It wasn't until she was a teenager that she understood the seriousness of this threat, which naturally made the film more disturbing. "Until the dust settles, you won’t think, “It’s so risky, it almost happened.”
About visiting the war room as a student
Although Katrina didn’t watch "Dr. Strange Love" until she was a teenager, she I still clearly remember the scene of visiting the studio at the age of nine. She explained that going to the Shepperton Studios after school is part of her life.
"What impressed me most was the war room," she added, talking about its shiny and smooth floors and solid architectural forms. "We have to wear felt-soled shoes like everyone else, so that we don’t scratch the floor. Shepperton is also a great studio for children. It has a big garden and some small facilities. I can Play there."
Regarding Peter Sellers's decision to play the triangle alone
Catalina said: "He originally wanted to play four roles, but then he thought it was too much." Sellers had originally planned. To play Major Kang, but then Kubrick and Sellers may have reached a consensus, and ultimately decided that Sellers will only play three roles.
"Peter is a great multifaceted man who can bring us a lot of joy. So, if you have a multifaceted, talented, and very brave actor, why not make the most of him? The greatness of Peter Sellers It’s that he is a chameleon, he puts himself into the character, you would not think that what you see is Peter Sellers."
about the deleted "extremely interesting" custard pie fighting scene
There was originally a custard pie fight scene in "Dr. Love", and there are stills to prove it. Kubrick changed the scene in the war room at the last minute and cut it out in the final edited version.
"During the pie war, my mother and I joinedThe pie-throwing fight scene," Katerina said. "For a child, this is so fun!" She even remembered what they were made of: "They are actually pastry foam boxes coated with shaving cream."
took a lot of shots about Kubrick Katerina's choice
Katerina also recalled a conversation she had with her father about his reputation for taking a lot of shots. "I asked him, "So many people say you took too many shots, don't you feel bored?" He replied, "That's it. I have many big stars, many big scenes, and a large group of staff. It takes a huge sum of money; film is the cheapest part of it. Why doesn’t
keep the camera shooting? Because when the actors relax, when they think they’re rehearsing, if you keep the camera running, you I don't know what picture I will get." This habit also gave her father more choices in the editing room.
She said that this is his favorite part, just like a painter mixing paint before approaching the canvas. "It's as if all the shots Stanley took were in paint cans and he put them into the editing room. Those were all mixed together and prepared to paint. So what he did in the editing room was dealing with paint."
about what makes this film a powerful critique of the Cold War military strategy
"First, I think this shows how ridiculous the current situation is. Second, the lives of us innocent ordinary people are completely in the hands of lunatics. , And we are all victims of politicians.” For her, there is a key question at the core of this movie: “If there is a madman, if he doesn’t care about anything, if he doesn’t consider the consequences of what he does, What to do then? This is the real fear: there are some lunatics-I can think of two of them now-it is possible to do this."
on the film’s appalling timeliness
"Unfortunately, it’s better than ever. It's closer to reality at any time," Katerina said. "I think some people should be forced to wear a restriction lock and stare at it every day until the truth is revealed. Unfortunately, powerful and corrupt people don't understand. They don't care, they don't have a long-term vision." She That said, like any great work of movie art, people will always discuss this movie.
"As long as human beings are as terrible as we are now, this issue and fear will never disappear. The Third World War will not be a war that only occurs on land, it will be a war of mutual destruction. "The equivalent of a suicide?" "That's why "We Will Meet Again" at the end of the film (the episode sung by Vera Lynn, accompanied by the picture of the mushroom cloud) is the most ironic."
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