Kubrick's dazzling and intriguing masterpiece. Quite simply, the best film ever made

Rating: Null/10 (8 March 2008)

I have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey quite a couple of times over the years, and each viewing never fails to amaze me. Ever since I saw it back in 2008, I fell in love on first viewing.
Stanley Kubrick is one of Cinema's most legendary directors, so it goes without saying that he has an impressive resume. However, I have never seen a director quite as ambitious or daring as Kubrick here. The opening of 2001 demands attention in the first second, and amazingly the film reaches out and grabs you with it's amazing use of music, cinematography, and images. The film has no dialogue until after the 20- minute mark, yet it always remains completely mesmerizing. The film is a journey, an exploration that only those who are really willing to will experience. The film's atmosphere and mood is what sets it apart. It is true that a film's plot is very important, but I think what comes before that is how a film makes you feel. Of course, what you feel might come from the plot, characters, or writing, but it also comes from the direction, the use of music, and the abstract structure that a film might have. In that aspect, the film has many memorable scenes, scenes that are sure to blow your mind away, despite you never really knowing what they actually mean. That is the definition of a true artistic achievement.
I do not want to say more, simply because a film like this is meant to be discussed based on your own personal feelings and theories after your viewing. It is not meant to be explained before watching. Of course, a film like this is also warranted to attract a large number of criticism, maybe on the level of ambition or 'pretension' as many will like to call it. Yet, the fact remains that 2001: A Space Odyssey has fared well over time, and is one of the most influential films of all time with good reason. It still stands to this day as the best film I have ever seen, and I strongly doubt that any film will ever take that title away from it.