mythic tale of death and rebirth

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2006)

I have watched this movie more times than I can remember. The first time I saw it I was in seventh grade and I didn't understand it at all. It's one of those films, like Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo," that grows on you the more you see it. My favorite part (although I used to hate it) is the "Dawn of Man" sequence. The African photography is beautiful, and the apes (australopithecus?) are so convincing it's hard to believe they're really actors in ape suits. The acting in this movie is often underrated; Keir Dullea's boyish good looks and calm, reassuring demeanor bring to mind real-life astronauts such as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, and William Sylvester is perfect as the glad-handing bureaucrat Dr. Heywood Floyd. I think Kubrick meant for the film to be enjoyed as a visual experience rather than analyzed for any deeper meaning, but for what it's worth, I see it as a Buddhist(or possibly Hindu) myth of birth, death, and rebirth. But the best way to watch the movie is to just sit back and enjoy the music and photography without worrying too much about the plot.