A Journey Beyond Imagination

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2000)

The versatility of Stanley Kubrick still amazes me. Each time I watch one of his movies, I feel as if I'm being taken on some epic journey, regardless of the subject matter. And while The Shining, Barry Lyndon, Full Metal Jacket, and A Clockwork Orange all fly far beyond their various genres, 2001 is without a doubt the most incredible single film work I have ever seen. Very few movies leave enough to the imagination, acting as narratives from which you derive a precise opinion concerning whatever subject matter. 2001 is beyond explanation, exactly what it means to film and a universal viewpoint cannot be expressed. So many topics, evolution, the infinite beyond, the perils of technology, the cycle of life, resurrection, the future of mankind - and that's just thematically. As a movie it's flawless, despite complaints about its pace(not enough action for some apparently). The music ranges from space ballet to unearthly eerieness, the special effects changed film, and it has my favorite villain, man's own technology gone awry, HAL. I don't think there will ever be a movie quite like 2001, and that it stands as a shining example of what film ought to be. 10/10 (but deserving of higher)