2001: A Space Odyssey Review

   

    During these extraordinary times of a pandemic and police reforms, I have decided to review my entire Blu-Ray Collection. Since I have received my Film Studies minor, I think it is best to put it to good use. For instance, when I am in a predicament in my life, a knowledge of different camera angles can't bail me out for avoiding a speeding ticket. Regardless, the first film to review in this new endeavor is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

    

    This film, along with Fritz Lang's Metropolis are the quintessential science fiction movies to really put the genre into the mainstream consciousness. The classic theme to the film is used in any television show or commercial to emphasize the grand and scale. Nevertheless, without the films that I have mentioned, many ambitious directors would not create the sci-fi classics that are beloved such as Star Trek and Star Wars.

    What is particularly interesting about the film is that it feels like an anthology. Three separate films standing alone but while maintaining a bridge or in this case a monolith to keep the narrative tied. Overall, the main plot of the film is to show humans advancement into space exploration. Given the fact that it was made during the Space Race between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the film might be a propaganda film or a celebration of human achievement. 

    The first section details early hominids having a turf battle with a rival group. The hominids that we see are visited by a black monolith. What I love about this sequence is that the hominids are afraid of the object and they gradually get closer to it where they feel comfortable. Eventually, the idea comes up that using an animal bone as a weapon makes the hominids feel evolved. From there, the classic shot where one of them flings the bone to the sky and the shot cuts to a satellite. I love that it cuts to years in the future where we finally achieved space flight. 

    The second sequence is such a depressing view of how much space exploration has now become. In an ideal world, there would be cooperation between nations where they would put aside their differences for the greater good but alas, it's not the case. It still highlights that there are divisions between the United States and Soviets when there is a monolith being discovered on the moon. I feel that out of all three sequences, this might be considered the weakest since there is way too much going on. Such as the gaslight by the two countries, the monolith discovery and showing just how luxuriously boring space flight has been. It could have just been about the monolith as the framing story.  Which is since the scientist see it as a photo op which prompts the object to emit a high pitch sound that hurts the astronauts.

    Lastly, the final act is the one that is prominently featured in every promotional advertisement for the film. The main star for the film is without a doubt HAL the supercomputer. This piece of artificial intelligence is the most scariest antagonist ever put into film. More so is that the shape of HAL mirrors the monolith, albeit with its one ever seeing eye apparatus. What makes the program so intimidating is that it is willing to kill just to meet its objective. Since another set of astronauts have received orders that another monolith has been spotted on Jupiter. It feels that it is worthy to make first contact with the object. I feel that the tone of the sequence changes when the astronaut Dave decides to take control of the ship away from HAL. 

    I feel that the moment where Dave makes contact with the monolith is the most visual stunning and otherworldly experience where you absolutely have to see it in the biggest screen.

   

    Overall, the film is easily one of the best Stanley Kubrick films, I find it a shame that when his name is uttered the only films he is known for are The Shining and Full Metal Jacket. I can understand that it is not a standard science fiction film, but a thorough quest to see what happens when mankind exceeds the means of space travel to a point where we encounter an alien object. Sometimes the plot in the other two acts are bloated but I feel it is to build a hypothetical world where tensions from the Space Race is still relevant in the future. 

The rating I give the film is 4 out of 5.

*Every review will be coming out every Wednesday!