Oh, I know what you’ll say. The World isn’t a monument! But consider this – every single monument, iconic building and human achievement past and present – not to mention the achievements of nature – is wiped out of existence in this film. That’s pretty remarkable destruction.
In Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick brings the world to a shattering conclusion, to the tune of ‘What A Wonderful World’. The mushroom cloud represents total destruction, annihilation, and there are going to be very few monuments left standing after all of this. And even if there are, who would really care? No one even makes it into the mine shafts – despite George C. Scott’s concern about a mine-shaft gap. It all just ends. Can’t get much more destructive than that.
Please note that this article was a collaborative effort between Christian Law and Lauren Humphries-Brooks.