The finest example of the art

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2006)

I can't remember when or where I first saw 2001: A Space Odyssey, probably because it is just so stunning. It epitomises grace, both visually and intellectually, and more than any other film it perfectly articulates the true purpose of science fiction.
Every film (if not art in general) is ultimately an exploration of the human condition; but whereas so much Sci-Fi is simply a stylistic treatment of another genre (typically the Western) 2001 explores concepts that no other genre could - and that is what Science Fiction is for, stepping beyond what we have in order to better understand it. Exactly what 2001 explores is unclear, as the endless debates and its notorious ending make, well, perfectly clear; but if it is meant to do no more than stimulate thought then it achieves greatly.
If Fantasy and Horror represent the imaginative then Science Fiction is the philosophic, but only the greatest examples rise to the challenge and that happens too rarely. Blade Runner (Sci-Noir, but anyway) is one of the few, questioning another facet of human nature, again doing so without resorting to blunt explanation when eloquent ambiguity communicates much more powerfully. So too Metropolis, the Citizen Kane of Sci-Fi; but compare these with The Matrix Trilogy (Kung-Fi), which had the potential to be both accessible and thought provoking but finally delivered only glossy nonsense.
As well as breaking technological boundaries in its production, 2001 remains the strongest example of "hard" Sci-Fi for its scientific realism and the wholly convincing portrayal of future technology - human level, of course. Not just in the obvious hardware of the space age but also for HAL 9000, undoubtedly the most authentic representation of AI in either film or reality.
I love this film. Over the years I read Arthur C. Clarke's Odyssey novels and found them more or less enjoyable, but the original film remains the pinnacle. When much younger I liked 2010 (A Space Idiocy...) which can only be regarded as a children's primer and was out-grown long ago, but there really can be no comparison between them, maybe with any other film at all. Stanley Kubrick was painterly in his style, but I think 2001 more than any other demonstrates the purest work of his imagination. A masterpiece unconstrained by the world that spawned it.
As I write these words, 1040 other people have already had their say and I can only assume that no-one else will ever read this. Sadly I'm not patient enough to wait for another 960 to do the same, so the ultimate 2001: A Space Odyssey commentary will have to go to someone else. I hope they like it very much.