A twisting tale where man faces the task of understanding time itself

Rating: 10/10 (6 October 2016)

2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick's 1968 release, 2001: A Space Odyssey, truly revolutionized the film industry by creating something never before seen on camera. Kubrick, with the help of writer, Arthur C. Clarke, was able to create a mind-bending tale completely left open to interpretation thanks to an inconclusive ending that provides more questions than answers. It has to be considered as the movie that shaped cinematic sci-fi as it is know today as well as one of the best movies ever made. Due to the film's thought provoking characters, lack of dialogue, cinematography, and incredible score as well as many other positives, 2001 is lifted to new heights in comparison to many other movies of the genre. The film takes place over millions of years, beginning with apes and the "dawn of man." A mysterious black box appears that can connect all of time. This progresses to man at the beginning of the 21st century where they are attempting to conquer space. Several astronauts and a form of artificial intelligence are sent on an unknown mission. The astronauts begin to discover that the A.I., HAL 9000, cannot be trusted and enter the duel between man and machine. This leads to a twisting tale where man faces the task of understanding time itself. From the beginning, Kubrick knew he wanted to make a very intellectual film. In order to achieve this, he knew he had to have thought provoking characters whether they were human or an advanced form of artificial intelligence. He succeeds. Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) quickly become intriguing to the audience when they begin their mysterious mission into space. Through characterization and empathy, viewers can connect to the two astronauts and are able to put themselves in the astronauts' seemingly hopeless position. However, the character that completely changes the game is not even human. HAL, the computer system on the ship, is the most complexing personality in the entire film. At first, the viewer does not know what to think of the machine. His goal is to help the astronauts achieve the mission but at the same time, it seems like HAL is hiding something. Throughout the rest of the film, the viewer attempts to understand HAL and his actions. BY doing this, audiences are drawn straight into the movie from start to finish. It has been calculated that 2001 has roughly eighty minutes of film that contains absolutely no dialogue. Although this seems strange and unappealing, it actually enhances the viewing experience. In multiple scenes, the only thing audiences can hear is the heavy breathing of the astronauts when they are in their suits. They do not say a single word. This creates a sense of austerity as the astronauts fulfill their mission traveling through space. Humans are completely out of their comfort zone and must even learn how to breathe again. Dialogue is only used when absolutely necessary and leaves a lot to up to the audiences' inferences. This, in turn, creates a very intelligent film that requires a viewer to be thinking throughout the movie. The audience is in a sense, required to solve problems and understand issues just like the astronauts are. The cinematography in 2001 is simply breathtaking to put it frankly. Geoffrey Unsworth, the cinematographer, and Kubrick were able to film things that nobody at the time could even imagine to film. As Kubrick put it, "If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed." The weightless motion of a pen is able to be created and filmed in a studio affected by gravity. A point-of-view shot is used to show the audience how HAL views the world. A "stargate sequence" is created and somehow filmed superbly (much of the info on how that sequence was filmed is still unknown due to it being kept confidential by Kubrick). The musical score in 2001 successfully creates the world in which the characters interact. Kubrick uses classical pieces written by Richard Strauss and several others throughout the film that make space seem vast yet mysterious. These pieces set the mood for each scene whether they are suspenseful and tense, or just simply present so the viewer can observe the wonders of space. 2001: A Space Odyssey is simply incredible and contains very few, if any, flaws. At times, specifically the beginning, the movie can be a little slow and takes time to develop. This makes it somewhat challenging for the average movie- goer to "get into" the movie. However, this is a matter of opinion and can be different depending on who is watching the movie. Kubrick's thriller through space and time is not for everyone. As stated earlier, some viewers may find it challenging to enjoy a movie that takes time to develop while containing less dialogue than most other films. However, for all other audiences, it is a must-see film that leaves the viewer looking for answers and pondering the ending for days. 2001: A Space Odyssey is simply put, an incredible viewing experience that deservedly earns a 10 out of 10 rating.