Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Alasdair B — 10 Mar 2015

There have been many iconic space scifi films made over the decades. Close Encounters of a Third Kind and Star Wars are examples of popular science fiction films that have made their mark on cinema. However, they all had to start somewhere. "2001 A Space Odyssey" is not the first science fiction film, but it is the most iconic. Brilliantly directed by the masterful Stanley Kubrick, 2001 paved the way for all future science fiction films to come. The cast includes Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.

Explaining the plot of this film is rather difficult. The film starts with the dawn of man. Early ancestors of humans discover colossal black monolith standing erect on the ground. The apes learn to fight and use tools, flinging a bone into the air. As it twists and turns it cuts to space. A great space ship lands inside the international space station. On board is Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester). This is only a brief part of the story. The film later follows two astronauts on a space mission. The rest of their team lays in hibernation. Running the ship is an AI system named Hal.

This film has been praised over the years as the best science fiction movie ever. Quite honestly, it is the best. This is not a performance driven movie. This is an idea and visual driven film. What is most memorable about 2001 are the space sequences. During this time, there were no computers. Green screen and CGI did not exist. Practical effects, sets, and models were used instead. Every effect, every set, and every model is phenomenal. This is film-making at its finest. Involved with the fantastic special effects was Douglas Trumbull, who directed his own film, Silent Running. The cinematography is done by Geoffrey Unsworth, and it is astounding. Every shot is gorgeous and well framed.

Stanley Kubrick is a masterful ambitious director. His work has left a gigantic thumbprint on cinema. Kubrick's direction here is fantastic. It's easily his best film. Hos thought provoking ideas and imagery are some of the best ever put to screen. I don't think I can quite explain all of the imagery and the meaning behind things such as the monolith just yet. I will not share my take on it in this review. Rather I would prefer you to see this film and think. Draw your own conclusions.

The film does suffer from a couple of minor flaws. It should be said this is a very dark, gloomy, and cold film. It is completely void of any human emotion. This isn't necessarily a flaw, it just the way the film is. I think the coldness and bleakness works very well. Others may be put off by it.

"2001 A Space Odyssey" is one of the greatest films of all time. Aside from its beautiful effects, the imagery used here is fantastic. The script is bold, it's ambitious, it's haunting, it's thought provoking, and it's score is one of the best film scores I have ever heard. Aside from the cold emotionless nature of the film, it's beautiful spectacle and haunting imagery make up for whatever small "flaws" it may have. It will forever stay with me to the grave. The last twenty minutes are so captivating. It's the most jaw dropping mind boggling sequence ever put to screen.