Year: 1968
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Country: U.S
Language: English
Among the general public George Lucas' Star Wars is widely considered the greatest Science fiction film of all time. Personally I think there are many films that are better, such as Blade Runner, Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Indeed 2001 is amazing, but it took four viewings for me to realize it. The first few times I became frustrated at how slow it was, then I began to enjoy the pace and melt into the futuristic symphony of cinema.
2001 is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth in an area populated by apes. Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found. There is a third monolith around Jupiter, but computer error (HAL) makes the trip nearly impossible.
2001 is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of mind. It transcends entertainment and becomes a film bigger than itself. It's a film that's hard to describe, there's an entire website dedicated to picking apart this one film. It is incredibly slow, yet well paced for this particular film. The direction & cinematography is awe-inspiring, the sets look so beautiful that they are sometimes used in the "fake moon landing" conspiracy discussions. It is technically more advanced that any film of its generation, it even has better special effects than Star Wars which was made nine years later. The soundrack is mesmerizing and creates the adventurous space atmosphere. The acting and dialouge aren't that great, but I wonder, do they need to be?
In a world of machines & vast technology, does dialouge really mean much? Nowadays there is great emphasis on texting and emails, indirect communication seems quite efficient. 2001 is a world where humans are reduced to babies due to technology, there are even instructions on how to use the toilet. Machines appear to have human emotions, but this is a disadvantage. Paranoia, fear and anxiety are all prominent in HAL and they lead to his/its ultimate demise.
In conclusion, 2001 is a multi-layered film that cannot be understood in one, two or even a dozen viewings. It is an intense exploration of technology, of evolution and time. Can anybody really express what it's about? Not in less than one hundred pages. This film breaks all technological boundaries and expands the imagination. Even if you don't "get it" you will find yourself incredibly inspired at this breathtaking motion picture. Praise it! 5/5
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