A Cosmic Waltz

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2005)

Arthur C. Clarke stated once in an interview that you should read the book first and watch the film after and then read the book again and watch the film to understand the story. Clarke's novel does not follow every scope of the screenplay, every one shall understand the open and totally interpretation worthy ending of the film like he wants to - you wouldn't come up with two consistent opinions. Is it about spiritualized aliens that keep the humans or about the termination of humans' evolution or has it a religious background - maybe all three aspects together?
Without reference to that, '2001: A Space Odyssey' became a milestone of the science fiction genre. Clarke said rightly that those genial special effects could have been made more impressively only 'on location', means directly in outer space. The weightlessness, the workings of the technology, the levitating monolith - it's all a grand, breathtaking symphony for your eyes! After decades of thundering and roaring spaceship engines in a cosmos without sonic comes now an absolute silence into the outer space - perfectly highlighted with the music of Richard Strauss.