Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Brian B — 26 Jul 2016

For over a year, "2001: A Space Odyssey" has been my favorite movie ever made. It is one of the films which got me into reviewing films, and it still holds up just as much as it did on my first viewing. There are many people who say that it is one of the best movies ever made. I'd probably put it somewhere in the top 10. It has accomplished so much, and it's pretty hard for me to think of other films which could top it.

This movie has a few storylines. The "Dawn of Man" sequence shows man-apes developing the first tool, and taking a big step forward in evolution. The next storyline shows a group of astronauts on an expedition to the moon. The third storyline shows astronauts investigating an object on Jupiter with the help of an intelligent computer named HAL. The final part of the film shows the famous Stargate sequence, and this is when the film gets really complicated.

I really love ambiguity. Some of my favorite films have ambiguity. However, I feel like this film does the best job at ambiguity. What sets it apart from all the other films? The reason I say it's the best is because I feel like it has the most interpretations to it. Kubrick didn't leave any clues whatsoever in the film, and by doing so, he opened up the film to many answers. I feel like no matter how many times I watch it, there will still be more interpretations that could come out of it. I have not seen any film before which gave me the same feeling towards its ambiguous moments. Usually when films gets complicated, the transitions will impress me. However, 2001 impressed me a lot more by its visuals. The visuals of the Stargate sequence were hypnotic and impressive. It was made entirely through practical effects. It may seem easy to create it nowadays, but this film was from the 1960's. That was when computers still used magnetic tape storage. If that scene doesn't impress you, nothing will.

Speaking of the visuals, they looked brilliant. In fact, more than brilliant. I already mentioned how the Stargate sequence looked really good. However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. There is hardly a single frame in this film which doesn't seem intricately designed, flawlessly composed, and superbly lit. It also has impressive framing and symmetrical compositions which makes many of its shots stick out even more. Even if the viewer gets confused by it at first, the amazing visuals will keep you coming back until you do. In my opinion, "2001: A Space Odyssey" has the best cinematography in history. No film has ever topped it before, and this films' visuals feel untouchable. The only film which has come close to topping this one before is Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life". However, not even that film can top this. I have a feeling that it's going to remain at #1 for a long time.

HAL was a really good villain. When you watch the movie, you have a little confidence that HAL won't be able to overpower the crew of the ship. However, when you're able to figure out what HAL's plan is, it's already too late. The lines he uses in the film are really good. Even when his life is in danger, he tries to use a normal voice to calm the astronaut down. Some portions of the film with him can be really unnerving for that reason. However, I think that the biggest reason why he works so good is that it's debatable whether he is actually evil or not. It's possible that his actions are all a part of self-defense. Because of this, the viewer would likely be unsure whether they're supposed to sympathize or despise his character. In my opinion, these kinds of villains (The Revenant for example) are the best kinds of villains. Also, let's not forget the hidden secret where if you replace every letter in "HAL" with the letter after it, you get IBM, an American multinational technology and consulting corporation.

This films' soundtrack is brilliant. It is very iconic and it's easily recognizable today. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is not only iconic, but it feels very grand. Every time it's played in the film, important breakthroughs in evolution are occurring. The song perfectly lets you know that something spectacular is occurring. When you go back to try and interpret the film, the soundtrack is a good clue to figuring it out. Its also fun to listen to on your own. It never gets bland, and it always feels just as amazing as when you originally heard it in the movie. There are other songs which feel haunting. Those songs perfectly represent all of the weird parts in the film. They also work very good in the background, because they immerse you with many parts of the film. The iconic "Stargate sequence" is made even better by its ominous score. The soundtrack perfectly represents the movie.

In conclusion, this movie is a masterpiece, and it's one of the greatest films ever. It accomplishes a lot such as handling ambiguity better than any other movie I've ever seen has, containing the best visuals out of every movie I've seen, containing one of the best villains ever, and containing one of the best soundtracks ever. Every time when I re-watch it, I feel like I pick up on a lot of new things, and it still feels fresh and original. The reason why it's my favorite film of all time is because I'd rather watch it than all other movies I've seen. A few of my favorites came close to topping it before, but none were successful, and it still sits at #1. This is Kubrick's magnum opus.