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Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade is a novel by best-selling author Kurt Vonnegut. His most popular work and widely regarded as a classic, it combines science fiction elements with an analysis of the human condition from an uncommon perspective, using time travel as a plot device and the bombing of Dresden in World War II, which Vonnegut witnessed, as a starting point.
At the time of the book's release, the Dresden bombing was not a widely known historical event and rarely discussed by veterans and historians. The book helped to increase world awareness of the massacre and led to a reevaluation of the attack's justification.
A motion picture of the same title was made in 1972. The film was directed by George Roy Hill and starred Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, and Valerie Perrine.
American soldier Billy Pilgrim is captured by German soldiers and is forced to live in a makeshift prison. Pilgrim is "unstuck in time" and randomly visits different parts of his life. He is also taken by aliens from the planet Tralfamador who see in four dimensions, the fourth dimension being time, which allows them to examine any moment in time that they wish. While on Tralfamadore, Billy is exhibited in a zoo, naked with a movie star from earth, Montana Wildhack. The book examines many events in Billy's life including his death, and the infamous bombing of Dresden, the inspiration for the book.Film
Plot
