Possibly the greatest artistic achievement of this century

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 1999)

Not only is 2001: A Space Odyssey possibly the greatest film of the 20th Century, it may well be considered the greatest artistic achievement of this century as well. There has never been a film that has sparked the imagination quite like Kubrick's 1968 masterpiece. He used elements found in art house films up to the time he stared to direct 2001 and made them more commercial. 2001: A Space Odyssey is indeed a definitive mark in both film and science fiction, simultaneously reinforcing in the minds of the audience of what film is and rewriting the rules of filmmaking in general. In essence, Kubrick created a new standard of filmmaking found only within his own unorthodox approach. Some have criticized 2001, as being tedious, boring, dumb, etc. In reality, 2001, unlike most sci-fi before it, makes its own - less obvious - statement concerning Mankind's relationship with God and the Universe. The people of 2001 are just what their technology has made them. The apparent dullness of the future is only magnified by the way the humans interact with each other. One gets the sense that these people have reduced space travel to something that is uninteresting and, in fact, boring. This is necessary in order to show how the humans have become so much like the machines. That is why the relationship between the crew of the Discovery spacecraft and HAL 9000 is such an important part of the movie. This all culminates in the haunting final scenes which may show that despite mankind's successes with technology, man still has much to learn. It is no surprise that Kubrick's style of filmmaking is not as appealing as that of other directors. It's not supposed to. His films are intended to make the audience do one thing that many of today's modern films do not permit them to do, and that is think. As a result, Kubrick's style has resulted in one of the most loyal followings around one single director in this century.