Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is the only film of its kind. Science fiction films have been made before it, and God knows there have been science fiction films since, but not one film of any genre even resembles what was made here. The pace is almost maddeningly slow, dialogue nearly nonexistent, and there is not one name actor in the film. Why, then, is it regarded as one of the great films of all time? I finally sat down to watch it today in its entirety, and now I shall report back.
This is not a film one watches once and walks away comprehending everything they just saw. I am no exception. How a critic could have made an instantaneous judgment on this film is beyond me. I quote Roger Ebert in the next section, because I wish not to plagiarize. This is his description of the film’s first screening in 1968:
“To describe that first screening as a disaster would be wrong, for many of those who remained until the end knew they had seen one of the greatest films ever made. But not everyone remained. Rock Hudson stalked down the aisle, complaining, “Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?'' There were many other walkouts, and some restlessness at the film's slow pace (Kubrick immediately cut about 17 minutes, including a pod sequence that essentially repeated another one).”
That surprises me not, but my advantage was that I was experiencing this film knowing its standing in the film community, and that it moved in such a pace. My disadvantage was that I was watching it on a much smaller screen than was intended. 2001: A Space Odyssey is not supposed to be watched, but experienced. Unfortunately, I was watching.
Today’s raised-on-Michael Bay moviegoers would probably be screaming at the screen here, as there is not a line of intelligible dialogue until 25 minutes in, unless you understand the screeches of ape men. Minutes upon minutes are spent meditating on a single action, and the music can alternate between majestic and intentionally grating (There is no original soundtrack, just classical music and the occasional maddening choir. This might be news to people who know Richard Strauss' "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" as the 2001: A Space Odyssey Theme). Those who need emotions spoon-fed to them in film will be yawning, and they might end up joining Rock Hudson in the walk out party.
The special effects here are remarkable in the way they have held up. Not once in this movie did it occur to me this film was made in the late sixties. This is as good as special effects can look, in my opinion. This is because they look real, and at times CGI can just look like CGI. 2001 to this day has some of the best visuals I’ve seen in a film. This is no surprise, because in each of his films Stanley Kubrick seems obsessed with making each shot an all-timer. In my opinion Stanley Kubrick is one of the best artists who has ever made a film, and like all the best artists he would never rest until everything was perfect. He would often push his actors until their performances strayed into “over-the-top” territory. That’s how he liked it. Only the most striking images would be kept.
This film is incredible in its arrogance, and brilliantly so. It knows what it is doing is amazing, and it forces you to sit back and deal with it. Every scene includes a shot that had not been done before. I can only imagine the experience upon its release, when nothing even approaching it had been done before. What I was seeing would have been so out of this world my only reaction might be negativity.
For many the turn-off might be the sheer complexity of the narrative, if there even is a distinct one. In fact, it’s only so complex because nothing is explained. Any confusion the viewer feels often occurs in the first chapter “The Dawn of Man” or (mostly) the final chapter “Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite”. Is it any coincidence these are the two chapters without dialogue? I think not. The first chapter is at least relatively easy to interpret, but the final chapter… Yikes. There are seemingly millions of interpretations on what the Sam Hill is going on in the final sequences, and I am not even going to begin to try right now. This is a film that requires another viewing, which I will likely do. I will not attempt to describe what appears on the screen in the final chapter. If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, strap in as soon as possible.
Simply put, this is one of the most important films of all time, and likely the most important science fiction film of all time. In fact, this film probably fits the definition of “science fiction” better than pretty much any film I’ve seen in the genre. Many have a tendency to see people in space with laser guns and cry “science fiction!” By its nature science fiction is supposed to be based in actual science, and must show us where we are headed. 2001: A Space Odyssey speaks to universal themes from the obvious (the potential dangers of advancing technology) to the obscure (just what IS this monolith, anyway?). Stanley Kubrick loved the fact that the film could be interpreted so many different ways:
“You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film — and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level — but I don't want to spell out a verbal road map for 2001 that every viewer will feel obligated to pursue or else fear he's missed the point”
That’s some real magic right there. It’s a film that allows people to feel smart WHILE feeling dumb. Indeed, it is an indication that Kubrick succeeded, as he did in just about all of his films. The fact that to this day people are debating it and studying it is a testament to its importance and the skill of its maker, Stanley Kubrick. The film may have influenced many, but no one has dared to duplicate it. The same goes for Kubrick. Both before his era and after his death, there never was or will ever be another Stanley Kubrick. There has never been or will ever be another 2001: A Space Odyssey.
P.S.- I will not rate this film. It’s pointless.
