2001: Space Odyssey

Rating: 10/10 (22 May 2011)

It is hard to review your favorite movie of all time, especially one that relies heavily on existentialism. Kubrick's beautiful 2001 is a bold movie. Opening with many minutes of darkness, with Also Sprach Zarathustra creeping in, the viewer realizes there in for a unique journey.
The movie opens with the evolution of man kind; a group of apes that discover tools; the beginning of war, two groups of apes that fight with there newly discovered weapons over a watering hole. This is a thirty minute sequence with no talking, no voice over. The movie is split into four different parts, with Dr. Bowman's group of astronaut's going on a mysterious journey being the main part of the story.
As previously stated, there is very little talking. There is many scenes in space that will have classical music playing, classical songs that are very well known because of this movie. At one point a astronaut goes to fix a ship with The Blue Danube Waltz playing, and it almost narrates what the astronaut is doing. The top comments on " The Blue Danube Waltz" video on youtube are both about 2001, and almost all videos for Also Sprach Zarathustra are the scenes from 2001.
On a technical level there is almost no arguing that this is the most technically sophisticated movie ever. Space looks extraordinary and the sets are marvelous. In Parts Two and Three you can't help but just be amazed by the spaceship, the black void outside, even small things, like the space suits. The camera angles are amazing, especially in the climax in Part Three.
For what little talking there is, the actors and script are some of the finest in the history of cinema. HAL is an amazing character and acted with such a monotone voice it almost has the opposite effect of monotone. Keir did a great job with Bowman, but is giving very little chances to sign, due to the nature of the movie.