A profound, philosophical vision

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 1999)

Ironically there are only a few science fiction films that have the ability to inspire us and not thrill us, Stanley Kubrick´s masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" is one of those few. It tells the story of our evolution from ape to man, human beings first encounter with never seen aliens, and the eventual chaos of human dependence on machines. Bringing an almost absurd narrative style into modern cinema, Kubrick created the perhaps most daring film ever, special, still today, for the lack of dialog and apparent story. Instead of thrilling our minds the director made a bold and profound philosophical statement, not only on man and the existence of other beings in the universe, but on a higher entity guiding and controlling our evolution. It never becomes clear what the strange monolith that appears every time man evolves, stands for, nor what it is. It could just as well be a religious allegory but unfortunately Kubrick´s tragic death will prevent us from ever knowing. Nor is it in anyway clear what the last 15 minutes represents, and where the astronaut goes can in no way be answered. Many theories has and will be written down, but I say let it be, let there be one moment in film history that baffles and confuses more than gives any explanation. For I think that was Kubrick´s goal, to inspire our minds to think, to wonder and to let us get a glimpse beyond infinity.