Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Will P — 19 Dec 2017

One of the greatest films of all time. 2001: A Space Odyssey is visual poetry. The heart of the medium of film is images which are often forgotten in many movies. This is quite possibly the most visual film of all time.

Of course, Kubrick's direction is immaculate, and none of the effects have aged a day. Would one expect anything less from Hollywood's most prolific perfectionist? Kubrick conjures up iconic and unforgettable images (i.

E., the monolith, HAL 9000, going through the wormhole, the star child) that tell the entirety of the story. The film isn't concerned with its characters. The performances are purposefully reserved and robotic in fact the only interesting character is HAL 9000 who is not even human yet displays the most human characteristics in the movie.

2001 instead focuses on the broader implications that space travel and evolution has on the human species as a whole. The film is also perhaps one of the most cryptic of all time. Almost all of its important questions are left unanswered, and many scenes are left open to interpretation.

2001 is again like poetry in that nothing is concrete and the audience must come away with their own meaning. 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most visually stunning, influential and studied films in cinema history.

Without a doubt, it is a perfect film. 5/5.