Seminar: Dr. Strangelove

Stanley Kubrick's satirical masterpiece captures the anxieties of Cold War America, nihilistically laughing in the face of nuclear brinkmanship.

What can the film tell us about our current political climate, as the United States approaches another critical juncture? This talk will examine the historical context of Kubrick's film, including the debates about the efficacy of nuclear deterrence, and place the film in conversation with the present to ask: has anything really changed?

About the Instructor

Jason K. Henson is a PhD candidate in American and New England Studies at Boston University. He is currently working on his dissertation, "Mutant Amazon Soldier Spy: The Post-9/11 Superhero Film and U.S. Politics." He currently lives in Arlington with his partner and their two cats, and spends way too much money on Criterion Collection Blu-Rays.