"Hal & Dave, That's A Good One." - Anyone Get This Reference?

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2013)

I'll destroy my credibility here and now by saying my dream job would be becoming a film-maker, the other would've been to become an astronaut.
"2001: A Space Odyssey", surprisingly remains my favourite Science-Fiction movie of all time, and would definitely remain one of my top three favourite movies should I ever have to make a list. Steven Spielberg mentioned that Kubrick was very eager to somewhat "change the form" of film. When Steven asked "Didn't you already do that with 2001?", he said that Kubrick replied "A little bit". Stanley began making something that would change the face of the movie going experience, and represent a growth in the industry that only comes every few years if were lucky.
Ambitions began by hoping to offer more than the genre previously did such as the large majority of campy fun 1950's "Atomic" age of American Sci-Fi movies. Teaming up with Sci-Fi author Arthur C. Clarke, they began to write a screenplay adapted from Clarke's short story "The Sentinel". The result would be a project that was deliberately meant to be unique for everyone who saw it, and Clarke would somewhat continue "2001" with his version of the narrative in a series of four novels (Whether or not it was canon I do not know). "2001" has many themes present, but in its style and approach of the unknown I will also admit it doesn't really engage fully throughout its running length. Famous Soviet Director Andrei Tarkovsky criticised the film as too enamoured with spectacle, and would go on to create the phenomenal "Solaris" in 1972 (Which offers far more in existentialism, and definitely worth your time if you enjoyed "2001").
It's obvious to say that nothing looked like this before in 1968. Star Trek season 2 was underway, the moon landing was still a year away and no one knew what our planet looked like from up there. The model space station orbiting around the painting of earth is burned into my brain, and perfectly transcends beyond the scope of any average Hollywood movie. The first 20 minutes alone is a silent masterpiece, at a time when the world and medium was growing so rapidly. Time is rewound to reveal something prehistoric, and suddenly the famous match cut shoots us thousands of years into space where it becomes obvious that the visuals are there just to accompany some incredibly large scale music pieces by the likes of Richard Strauss, and Johann Strauss II.
To this day, "The Monolith" is still shrouded in mystery. Does it grant knowledge, or just appear at pivotal events? Regardless, the mystery has endured the objects charm and legacy. Towards the second act, we see how far mankind has come with a certain Artificial Intelligence called the HAL 9000. In a harrowing display of humanity's reliance on computers, cold responses and interactions mean anything could happen when taking the "Turing Test" of hell. With symmetrical rooms and unnerving silence, all of it eventually builds towards the trippy "Jupiter and Beyond" sequence. Employing revolutionary slit scan photography that became an interesting marketing tool to the 1960's drug culture.
Despised on release, but later praised by so many critics. This film can be analysed to death, but will probably never be fully understood. In a Playboy magazine interview Kubrick said LSD didn't inspire any of the films visuals, he has also been connected to this quote: "How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover.' This would shackle the viewer to reality, and I don't want this to happen to 2001." Themes of human evolution, technology, and extraterrestrial life are present. But more and more it becomes harder to pinpoint as we journey towards the unknown. Whatever "2001" is suppose to be it certainly feels like something mysterious and beautiful, much like the idea of space exploration itself. It's so obvious that the film to me is built to accompany classical music than storytelling, but does watching "2001: A Space Odyssey" prove respect can be brought to the genre even without definitive conclusions?
Unfortunately I don't have those answers, and I feel most people may be turned off with the idea of having to make up their own interpretations even when such a conclusion opens up many possible outcomes (A scary idea, I know). Spielberg once defined it as "Less Science-Fiction and more Science-Eventuality", if anything I always enjoy discussing with people how they felt about this movie more than most others. Kubrick is a master of his craft, and even ideas of space isn't beyond his camera lens.
Final Verdict: To me, "2001: A Space Odyssey" remains powerful through sheer spectacle, beautiful music and stunning visuals set throughout the years and stars. Only Kubrick could have pulled this off so well. 10/10.