The pioneering photographer who inspired Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’
Before Stanley Kubrick became one of the most prominent figures in the film industry, he made a living by working as a photographer and playing chess in Washington Square Park. During those formative years, Kubrick furthered his film education by studying the works of masters such as Erich von Stroheim at the Museum of Modern Art.
While those filmmakers left an indelible impact on Kubrick, his experience as a photographer also helped shape his cinematic style. Along with his neighbour Marvin Traub, Kubrick roamed the streets of New York while searching for subjects that caught his eye. Due to his location and his interest in street photography, the works of one particular photographer caught Kubrick’s attention – Weegee (Arthur Fellig).
One of the most influential photojournalists of the 20th century, Weegee made a name for himself by capturing unflinching and morbid snapshots of crime and death in New York City. By following the activities of emergency services, Weegee was never far from the action. His method became an integral part of his reputation, eventually serving as the subject of Jake Gyllenhaal’s 2014 film Nightcrawler.
Kubrick was deeply inspired by Weegee’s artistic sensibilities and his pioneering techniques, which helped him capture the brutality of modernity. The filmmaker always remembered Weegee’s influence on his work, even after he became famous. That’s why Kubrick asked the photographer to be the special stills photographer for his 1964 masterpiece Dr. Strangelove.
One of the greatest black comedies ever made, Dr. Strangelove is now cited as the definitive satirical treatment of the cold war. An incisive critique of cold war paranoia and the political incompetence at the highest levels of government, Kubrick’s 1964 gem has inspired generations of artists and comedians.
“The only way to tell the story was as a black comedy or, better, a nightmare comedy, where the things you laugh at most are really the heart of the paradoxical postures that make a nuclear war possible. Most of the humour in Strangelove arises from the depiction of everyday human behaviour in a nightmarish situation,” Kubrick once explained (via Scraps from the Loft).
Interestingly, photography wasn’t the only way in which Weegee impacted the production of Dr. Strangelove. According to multiple reports, Peter Sellers’ German accent for the titular character was also influenced by Weegee’s unique voice.
