A film for the ages

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 1999)

In March, 1999, one of the masters of the cinema died. Stanley Kubrick will be principally remembered for his science fiction classic, "2001: A Space Odyssey." Kubrick's impact on motion pictures will be felt for years to come. I will never forget seeing "2001" for the first time in 1968 on the giant Cinerama screen in New York. The unbelievable use of music and sound effects emanating from all around the theater was mind blowing. The special effects have not been really improved upon very much, "Star Wars:The Phantom Menace," not withstanding, and Kubrick didn't have the later advances of computer controlled cameras and digital effects. The amazing thing is he devised most of the special effects himself. It didn't matter that some of the plot was confusing. The idea was to get the moviegoer to think and talk about the meaning of it all. What film of today spurs its audience on to ruminate about the meaning of life, our place in the universe, and the future of the human race. Most of Kubrick's films had much more to say than their surface entertainment value.
When it was announced that "2001" was going to be shown on network television for the first time, the film was shown for a limited run on the giant Cinerama screen at the UA Syosset Cinema on Long Island. I went to see it because I knew it would be a long time before it would be shown in its original version as it was meant to be seen. Now it is relegated to video. Make sure to see a letterboxed (widescreen) version. MGM/UA has a new version on DVD with a few extras. The laserdisc incarnations on Criterion and MGM/UA also have decent supplements. Don't miss this classic if you haven't seen it. If you have, watch it with a friend who has never seen it,just to watch his/her reactions. then talk about it. Most of today's films can be summed up briefly. Hours can be spent discussing "2001". It is hard to believe Kubrick is gone. But his film legacy remains to entertain (even "Eyes Wide Shut") and enrich us long past 2001.