Quietly loud message

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 2014)

The best sci-fi films explore human nature, not just technology advancement. 2001: a Space Odyssey expertly shows the human need to interpret our world. The film warns us to be cautious about advancing and makes us say, "Maybe we should slow down. After all, humans can be frighteningly stupid." Instead of screaming the message, Kubrick uses a long, long quiet that makes us uncomfortable. We are smart enough to know we're going too fast in our pursuit of change, but we like the idea of new; we want to know what's next. But if there's constant change, there's no time to reflect and measure the worth of change. We humans are uncomfortable with too much quiet because our nature is the need to advance, to change, to make noise. This movie makes you wonder--during all that quiet--if change is actually good for us. Watch this film to be reminded that no matter how much we evolve in technology, we need to constantly look at who we have become. And that's where it gets uncomfortable, because while we recognize that we must get better, being human means we won't be without flaws.