2001: A Space Odyssey has the distinction of being, even today, an unusually original film. Although some of its plot points (such as artificial intelligence gone awry) have become commonplace story concepts, the film's narrative structure and portrayal of space travel remain unique when compared to other movies about outer space. In addition to that, it seems director Stanley Kubrick worked hard to instill the film with a grand sense of wonder. Though I confess to never having been chucked into zero gravity by enough explosives to blow the top off Mount Kilimanjaro, I submit to readers that Kubrick effectively captures the awe-inspiring experience of exploring the infinite void -- or at least sparks viewers' imagination to ponder the possibilities therein. 2001 serves as a reminder of a vast universe beyond the blue sheet of sky, a vast universe that crushes the flimsy filament of our atmosphere under the weight of its great nothing. 2001 forces you to confront the implications of your minuscule island of existence in the expanse of infinity. This idea, this film, both frightens and excites me.
I mentioned the narrative structure of the film, something I consider to be one of 2001's most compelling features. Switching across time and space from character to character, event to event, with seemingly no connection between them makes for wonderfully freeing and enthralling cinema. It starts at the beginning --the very beginning --"The Dawn of Man" to be exact, and following one of the farthest flash-forwards in movie history (of over at least 2001 years), the plot meanders to a scientist in a shuttle en route to the moon to investigate a mysterious discovery. This discovery is what ties the multiple segments of the film together, the discovery being a large, black, rectangular slab of something called a "monolith" that emits an ever-intensifying chorus of "oooooooh's." Earlier in the film, we see a similar object on prehistoric planet Earth as an object of reverence for our furry ancestors. The discovery of a "monolith" on the moon is the impetus for the third part of the film, the centerpiece, which focuses on the Jupiter Mission shuttle and attempts to sabotage it by the famously malevolent computer entity named HAL 9000. I will not describe where the movie goes after that. But rest assured, it is a strange, psychedelic journey.
One of the other remarkable aspects of 2001 is Kubrick's portrayal of space travel. Made in 1968, just one year before the first moon landing, the film features stunningly well-crafted special effects in its space scenes, long before the Millennium Falcon flew through Star Wars in 1977. I would argue that the Oscar-winning effects look even more realistic than films today, which eschew real-life models for video gamey computer graphics. Kubrick knew how good his movie looked, and gave the viewer time to admire his amazing visuals in lengthy and elaborate sequences where spaceships slowly, serenely, float across the screen. What is emphasized is the inherent grace and beauty of these technological marvels, and relaxing classical music frequently plays over these scenes. And to note, as in real life, the outer space of 2001 is completely silent. We never hear the hum of a spaceship or clanking metal when things collide, but only the heavy breathing of an astronaut or an elegant waltz to underscore a scene. To get a good idea of what 2001 is like, just take the opening sequence of Star Wars: Episode III, with its chaotic action, computer effects, audible laser blasts and explosions, and try to imagine its polar opposite.
While 2001 at times seems to glorify humankind's technological advancements, it also questions them through the character of HAL 9000. HAL is represented by a series of red lenses installed throughout the ship and a monotonous, low-keyed voice that only accentuates the horror of HAL through the incongruity of its destructive behavior and cold demeanor. What the film investigates here are issues surrounding artificial intelligence. One wouldn't put a space shuttle and the lives of five men in the hands of a sociopath. 2001 makes one wonder what exactly the difference is between that sociopath and a cold, calculating robot's lack of a conscience and indifference to human life.
2001 is not a film for everyone, but I would urge everyone to see it. One critic at the time of the film's release bemoaned the fact that it "only conveys suspense after the halfway mark." While the suspense is good, do not come to 2001 looking for suspense. It is a piece of cinema to be experienced, to have the images wash over your retinas and evoke a state of hypnotic reverie that inspires the imagination. It is one of my favorite films of all time, a visually arresting meditation on man's place in the universe. Discovering and truly appreciating this film is like ascertaining the existence of a distant star, brilliant and brimming with mysterious possibilities.
Join us for a free screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey on Thursday, 12/6, at 7:00pm in the MUB Theatre I. Be well, FU
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