2001: A Space Odyssey

I cannot believe that I have never watched this film the whole way through before. I watched it the other night and it literally blew my mind. It’s two and a half hours long, but it has to be. The film is a tour-de-force and is now my new favorite Kubrick film. By just watching the first 15 minutes you really do not get an accurate flavor for what the entire film has in store. That was my mistake in the past. I would always make it to the first sighting of the monolith and then I would get distracted doing something else and never come back to it. Not this time I told myself. I was going to charge through it and take it all in. Watching it on blu-ray definitely was a better choice too. The visuals really do *pop* in many of the space and futuristic scenes. During the caveman scenes it doesn’t look all that much better until we see close-ups of the bones or sand.

Watch 2001:ASO Here

The film follows a span of millions of years (I don’t believe in that timeframe though. Sorry, Creationism all the way) from the dawn of man (when we were savage ape men) to the future and beyond. One key element that holds consistency throughout the film is the presence of the monoliths that we/they find. First the apes find it, then one shows up on the moon, and then finally on Jupiter her encounters one more. Throughout the film, and especially in the first 25-minutes, there is no dialogue. It is used very sparingly and is only used when needed to contribute to the film as a whole. It reminds me of the first act of WALL-E, one of the best animated films ever.

I want to talk about “Hal” for a second. What an amazing villain, and he truly is a scary one at that. With his slow and steadied voice and persistence – he really is frightening. Especially when you know he’s reading their lips when they are in the pod conspiring against him. Another truly frightening moment is when he is trapped outside the space ship and Hal won’t open the pod bay doors. So intense.

The musical score for this film plays a crucial role because there is very sparse dialogue throughout. Alex North and Jerry Goldmsith were the composers and producers behind the magic. As you watch the film you cannot help but meditate upon the familiarity of the music and powerfulness of the images. They tie together perfectly to create a wonderful experience.

Of course this film was extremely groundbreaking. Kubrick theorized about futuristic technologies that at the time seemed wildly far-fetched (voice recognition, etc). And then not too many years later a lot of those technologies started to pop up in real life, so he wasn’t too far off after all. And it revolutionized a ton of filming techniques and production standards. Kubrick utilized in camera effects to make it seem extremely lifelike and realistic, as opposed to green screening the special visual effects afterwards.

The ending still leaves me thinking and questioning. And after some research I found that Kubrick never commented on what actually happened when the space child came back to earth. Kubrick shares the same mindset as director David Lynch, where film should be interpreted by the viewer, instead of being told what it means. It means something different for everyone who sees it. To tell you what it meant for me would be a task. At the onset, to me, it has something to do with the innocence involved in the creation of life and the failure of man to relate to nature (other beings). I know, I’m probably way off. Either way, I definitely recommend this film highly. It’s an extraordinary journey. Don’t experience it alone.

Rating: 10/10