2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Image From IMDB

Full discloser, there is zero chance of me ever saying anything particularly bad about this movie. Stanley Kubrick is easily one of my favourite directors, and Arthur C. Clarke one of my favourite authors, with their powers combined, I am conditioned to love their work. For me, 2001: A Space Odyssey is an absolute Masterpiece, and pure cinematic art of the absolute highest order.

With that said, let’s get the main criticism out the way nice and early. Yes… it is a little slow. Well… a lot slow. The movie is not in any rush at any point during the whole narrative from the Dawn of Man, to the discovery on the moon, to the events aboard the Discovery One, and around Jupiter. 2001 never alters its slow deliberate pace.

That pace isn’t for everyone, and I fully understand that. If you tell me the movies too slow for you, I wouldn’t argue back. But… I love the pace of this movie. Every shot is so perfectly framed and executed. The music throughout gives the film a feel like no other. The in camera effects seamlessly blend into the actions on screen. It’s all masterful, and the deliberate pace gives you a chance to take all that in. To absorb every beautiful moment. It’s incredibly elegant.

The sets and effects for the time are something special. The moon base and Discovery One look stunning. I love all the stuff involving the stewardess on the various flights. The camera trickery as they float or move upside down with their ‘grip shoes.’ The whole introduction to the Discovery One from the look of the ship to running around inside it. It’s amazing, and stands the test of time. I have no clue, other than the fact that it’s Kubrick, as to how they achieved any of this in the 60s. It’s truly mind-blowing.

The story is ambiguous and there’s plenty of jumping forward in time. The ending is trippy, and Hal’s motives are not exactly spelt out to you, but that’s all part of the experience of the movie. It’s art, and pure cinema, rather than a rollercoaster ride. Pretentious, definitely, but I never feel like the film is looking down its nose at me, it’s just the way they decided to present it. It’s closer to an art exhibition than a Bay movie.

So many incredible shots have come from this film too. You forget at times just how iconic it is. Nearly every film book i’ve ever read––and i’ve read a lot––have at least one standout image for 2001 in it.

I’ll always considered 2001 a masterpiece. It’s definitely not the sort of movie you could watch everyday, back-to-back, or when you need to just relax and switch off your brain. It is something you need to be in the mood for, but it’s an incredible rewarding movie when you are ready for it. I love it.