Strikes Incredible Emotional Highs

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 2004)

There are two hugely popular, slowly paced science fictions films that fascinatingly question what makes humanity: Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris. The difference between the former film and the latter one is that Solaris is slowly paced because Tarkovsky feels no need to rush the film's story whereas 2001 is slowly paced to cram in as many beautiful visuals as possible and that Solaris's musings on what is human are done touchingly where as 2001's are done in a knock-you-off-your-feat fashion. It is easy to see why Tarkovsky does not like 2001 (Solaris is infinitely better), but it is not so easy to agree with Tarkovsky. The film is a little alienating in its constant flashiness, filled with annoying shots that seem like they were filmed for the soul purpose of being included in the previews, but the film also strikes incredible emotional highs from its sheer boldness and its beautiful use of the wide-angle lens. The film also impresses me in the way it managed to connect with so many people. However, it seems, from what I've heard from fans of the film, that the film's appeal is as superficial as, say, Star War's appeal; it is packed with exiting plot elements: The opening at 'The Dawn of Man', the magnificently filmed spaceships, the killer computer, the eye-popping voyage into the future, and so on. I never will forget the star child, the first use of a tool, Hal 9000 (the red eye with the yellow dot is one of the most terrifying images in cinema), Hal's death (filmed with such incredible power). The film's gimmicks die down towards the end, the questions of man's place in the universe become more complex, and the film becomes a much more meaty, lively experience. It is a cinematic treasure, though it isn't the pop-culture landmark it is made out to be.