The Pinnicle of Evolution

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2006)

Masterful, exquisite, breath-taking, captivating, provoking. For as Kubrick proves words are not integral to a film, so these words I use cannot do this film justice, nor can they adequately encapsulate the vast landscape which the director has painted.
Undoubtedly the greatest science fiction film to have ever graced cinematic screens, "2001" dwarfs anything I have ever viewed in terms of grandiose imagery to deep philosophical notions. What is next? Who are we? Why are we here? The film touches all concepts. It is intrinsically scientific yet carries spiritual connotations. The evolutionary cycle of mankind from manape through to "star-child", this film tackles such a notion in such a simple, yet effective manner, it is difficult for many to comprehend or enjoy.
Those with limited attention spans will surely switch this film off come the early "docking" sequence, and the fact that words are not spoken til twenty-five minutes into the film, will stun many. This film has no blazing space battles, nor does it contain complicated dialogue involving hyperdrives and mangling with quantum mechanics. Kubrick stays true to reality. This film is certainly not for those under the age of 18, not due to violence or graphic content, but because young minds are not prepared for such a film as this.
Many complain (as fore-mentioned) about the docking sequence, being "sooo" long, this is done purposefully not to test ones patience, nor has it even been done for the aesthetic value, it is done to highlight the expanse that is space. The never ending vastness. The film is not about how fast we can go, but how much we can learn.
The presence of the domineering black monolith, here signifies moments of mans evolution. The touching, and exposure to sunlight, of the monolith triggers sparks of progression, the apes realisation of a tool/weapon, the revelation of the monoliths connection to Jupiter, the wonderfully hypnotic "beyond the infinite", it becomes the guideline, the pacemaker, the parent that holds a child's hand as they cross the road, so that they may continue their journey.
This film brings forth the notion of humanity in its purest form. The Monolith provides the manapes with the knowledge of "craftsmanship" yet shows technology to be our greatest asset and our greatest weakness. We place our humanity into a non-entities, metallic bolts, and leave none for ourselves, HAL in turn proves to be a mirroring of humanity showing in parts the darker sides of humanity. The reliance on technology is our downfall, yet we cannot progress without it, and it would be almost criminal to write a review and not at least nod to what is, perhaps, the greatest scene-cut ever conceived in the history of cinema.Kubrick has created a film mirroring the life cycle using creative and deep symbolism, while the sights and sounds fills our heads with wonder, feeding our instinctive, inquisitive nature, that makes us, as a race, what we are.