A masterpiece is an understatement

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2014)

2001 A Space Odyssey is a enigmatic and captivating journey into space, as Stanley Kubrick blasts his audience with the full force of his meticulous genius. 2001 is an abstract movie, with various segments (Covering the dawn of man to the far future) linked only by a mysterious black monolith. This is a pretentious film admittedly, and some will find it dull. That's absolutely fine. This is a classic, but one not everyone will enjoy. With its long running time, lack of narrative coherence and dialogue and refusal to give answers, why is 2001 regarded as one of the best films ever made? Because it is one of the best displays of the power of the cinematic medium ever created and it is an extremely deep movie, with a multitude of interpretations and explanations. It's a cinematic master at the absolute peak of his power; with unforgettable, hypnotic, almost hallucinatory imagery which takes us into straight into the abyss, combined with hauntingly powerful themes which question mankind's place in the universe and effective sound, this is what cinema was made for.
2001 is rarely dull, and its slowness and emotional distance make it even more fascinating. As a visual experience there are quite possibly no parallels whatsoever, but there are some strangely moving scenes in the film as well, and the entire sequence featuring the legendary HAL 9000 is suspenseful and gripping. The part with the apes is less interesting, but it does end with the best transition ever: The amazing match cut where a bone turns into a spaceship. 2001 is a difficult film to describe and the extent of its power, both emotional and sensory, is difficult to explain. It is simply one of the most entrancing- and maddeningly cryptic- movies ever made and since there are so many interpretations, the film carries on even after it finishes. Some may prefer more action packed and less elusive science fiction films, and it could easily take a couple of viewings to fully get 2001. However obscure and mysterious it is, or however pretentious, the truth cannot be avoided: 2001 is a masterpiece and one of the best cinematic experiences in the history of the medium.
10/10