A 20th century thought-epoch paves the way for Kubrick to demonstrate how progress will always change us - for better, for worse, for necessity.

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2012)

Kubrick's masterpiece cannot truly be appreciated without looking at this film from a number of dimensions. The context, history and future of the evolution of man and the constant interplay with the evolution of thought really need to be accounted for in order to this film to be appreciated to the full extent.
The Kubrick experience is enriched by the tactile mastery of visual experimentation in the film. The attention to detail is second to none. Kubrick's perfectionist tendencies are visibly transparent; the sets and visuals flow like clock-work - perhaps even smoother. The simple transition from primal man to the exemplified space pioneer - delivered in a defining cinematic cut - typifies the cinematic ingenuity that went in to this film.
At first, '2001: A space odyssey' may come across Kubrick's critique of modernism. I personally feel as though it's to the contrary. In defending this stance, I use the example of the recurring 'monolith'. From recesses of primal man to the frontiers of the modern, intelligent man, the awe and fascination with the 'monolith' remain unchanged. It is my take that it, the 'monolith', symbolized change. An invitation to breach the unknown - both a fascinating and undoubtedly sobering experience for man in all eras past and present.
This film was beyond its time.