2001: A Space Odyssey

Starring: Keir Dullea, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain
Written by: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clark
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1968

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Stanley Kubick's masterpiece is arguably the greatest science-fiction film to date, and among the greatest films of all time. Yet over 40 years later, it is still an often misunderstood film.

Stanley's pacing and artistic senses craft a tale of human evolution. The first twenty minutes of the film contains no dialogue. We follow a group of primates as they survive in a deserted wilderness. Dangerous wildlife and a tribe of enemy primates make the struggle for life difficult. Then one morning, the monolith shows up. A tall, black rectangle instills fear and curiosity into the tribe till one is brave enough to touch it. Evolution is given a nudge as this man-ape learns how to turn a large bone into a weapon. With this weapon, he is able to conquer the enemy tribe and secure the water hole, thus insuring the survival of his tribe. The monolith vanishes as mysteriously as it arrived.

Fast forward a million years to the year 2001. Mankind has achieved advanced technology. Commercial space travel and a base on the Moon are common things in this age. That is, until a dig on the moon discovers an artificial monolith. Once touched, it sends a signal to Jupiter.  Now, Dr. Dave Bowman and crew race to Jupiter to learn if there is a recipient to the signal. Aiding Dr. Bowman is HAL9000, a super intelligent computer that begins to obsess over the mission, at the expense of human life.

Those looking for an action-packed sci-fi adventure full of lasers and robots need to move on. But those looking for a legitimate narrative that is poignant and ambiguous, bringing respectability to a genre regarded for camp and low-brow entertainment need go no further. Adapted from one of sci-fi's greatest writers, Arthur C. Clarke, Kubrick handles the source material with great care. His methodical pacing allows for audiences to appreciate both the dramatic moments as well as marvel to the special effects, top notch during its day and still holds up now. But the special effects aren't meant to dazzle, but to illustrate the realities of space travel. The ship docking with the space station, for example, is played rather long, and would just be a quick establishing shot today. Yet it illustrates the nuances of space flight as the ship syncs up with the rotation of the station's docking port in order to board. In fact, much of this science fiction is based on science fact. Perhaps the most accurate from an astrophysicist's point of view. Stanley Kubrick had several technical advisers on board, some even recommended by Arthur C. Clark to oversee scenes involving aerospace dynamics.  Scenes involving astronauts in spacesuits outside their vessels re-enforces the notion of complete silence in space. In fact the only sound one would hear is his own breathing. Kubrick makes use of this in several scenes, where the breathing is loud and builds tension. The increased breathing rates relay the sense of fear and isolation as the character is literally floating in the void of infinity.

The monolith is complex in its simplicity. It is as much a physical presence as it is an esoteric metaphor. It is a shape to something without form. It is a thought, a will, possibly the hand of God. It's ambiguity is its strength as Kubrick leaves it up to the audience what it represents. A God, an advanced alien race, an intelligent force of nature? It could be anything. What it does is act as a marker in the milestones in human evolution. It both nudges, and reports on, the progress of the human race.

Another powerful element to this film is the HAL9000 computer. It is regarded as an absolute flawless computer with artificial intelligence. Yet the computer develops paranoia during the space flight and begins to have a breakdown. The problem stems from being ordered to withhold information from crewmen until they reach Jupiter. This goes against his core programming, as HAL interprets it as a lie, and thus he is imperfect. Hence its decent into madness. The Odyssey is inspired by the classic tale Homer's Odyssey, in which Homer struggles with the Cyclops. The one eyed monster opposes Homer much in the same way that HAL9000, represented by a single red eye, stands in opposition to Dave.  

Kubrick once again digs deep into his musical repertoire creating a synergy of classical music with  the grand visual landscape of the cosmos. In fact, the score that plays during the stargate sequence is Legiti's Atmosphere, coupled with the events on screen. create a completely unnerving experience. In fact, at over 2 hours and 19 minutes, there is less than 40 minutes of dialogue. Kubrick intended to create a visual experience that bypasses the verbal narrative and directly penetrates the subconscious with philosophical and emotional content. 

The most confusing aspect of the film deals with the end. We see Bowman in a pristine, all white, grand hotel room, aging from one scene to the next. Like the beginning, these final minutes have no dialogue, and the ambiguous nature is left up to interpretation. Most feel he is kept in a sort of human zoo. He is cared for and observed by that, or those, who made the monolith. Other interpretations view the hotel as a sort of cosmic womb, where he experiences life, death and rebirth. Indeed, even the Monolith appears at the foot of the bed at the moment he dies, which then the scene cuts to a fetus in a womb, a cosmic starchild. This represents the next stage in human evolution.

While some may feel this film is long and slow paced, it is recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress as being, "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." They selected it for preservation in their national film registry. 

Seeing the film now does present an interesting juxtaposition. In scenes like the space station, we are treated to scenery that is supposed to be set in the future, yet the art deco furniture is a throwback to the 1960's.

SEE THE TRAILER: 2001: A Space Odyssey