2001: A Space Odyssey

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Written by: Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke
Year: 1968
Genre: Science fiction
My rating: 5 out of 5

The epic journey that is "2001: A Space Odyssey" begins with several minutes of a blank screen and theme music called "Atmospheres." Then there is a sequence showing the Earth rising above the moon and the sun rising above the Earth while we hear Richard Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra." The film then moves into part one, titled "The Dawn of Man," which follows a group of pre-human apes who discover an ominous black monolith in front of their shelter. Soon after, one of the apes picks up a bone and uses it as a weapon; history's first tool, representing the birth of abstract thought and the beginning of man. Part two begins, in the year 2000. Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester) arrives at a space station on the moon. He makes a quick speech at a meeting, apologizing for the "poor cover story" for the discovery that has been made. We follow him as he travels to a lunar digsite, where a mysterious, highly magnetic artifact has been dug up. Confirmed to have been deliberately buried, it is a monolith identical to the one found by the apes, and as the astronauts pose for a photo, it emits an unbearable screech. Forward again, 18 months, to part three. We join the crew of the Discovery One, en route to Jupiter. Three members have been in cryogenic hibernation since the beginning of the voyage. The two disgruntled scientists that remain awake are Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Dr. Frank Poole (Gary Lockman). Also in their company is the ship's computer, HAL 9000. HAL proclaims that the 9000 series is the most flawless artificial intelligence design ever created. However, he begins to act strangely, causing concern in Dr. Bowman and Dr. Poole. They find that HAL cannot hear them when they are in one of the ship's pods, and they discuss their concerns and plan to disrupt HAL's higher brain functions. Little do they know, HAL can read lips, and after an intermission with more blank screen and "Atmospheres," we return to the Discovery One to find that HAL has turned against Bowman and Poole, and attempts to kill them.

The quintessential part four, aptly called "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite," is a spectacle of color and horror and awe-inspiring sights unlike anything that has ever been seen. It casts a spell on the viewer and leaves them in a state of shock. Kubrick must have known all along that he was making either the best or the worst film ever. When it was originally shown in theaters, audiences were split. I personally came out of the shock several minutes after the film's end knowing that it was the best film ever. Second-best to "Pulp Fiction," anyway. The movie is perfect, not to mention revolutionary, on so many levels. Stanley Kubrick has made the ultimate directorial achievement. By sustaining each image and each sound for the perfect amount of time, he gains complete control over the viewer, and yet he doesn't take advantage of it. He takes us on a disorienting and mindblowing adventure, yes, but he leaves so much up to our imagination. Whether he understands the philosophical message or not, he's aware of it, and aware of its importance. He doesn't explain things that need to be left ambiguous, like the origin of the monolith. The film is meant to inspire our imaginations, and help us grow as human beings. Furthermore, Kubrick's special effects are beyond marvelous. To quote an unrelated "Saturday Night Live" sketch, "There is no word to describe its perfection, so I am forced to make one up. And I'm going to do so right now. Scrumtrilescent." Indeed, they are so scrumtrilescent that he deserves not only the Academy Award that he did win for Best Special Effects (his only personal win ever), but also residual Oscars. There are those who would say that the acting is on the bland side, but this is just another of Kubrick's ingenious ideas. At one point, we see a BBC interview with Dr. Bowman and Dr. Poole, in which Bowman states that no one can truthfully say whether or not HAL has real human feelings or just programmed ones. Yet throughout the whole film, HAL is the only character who shows emotion in his speech. This works brilliantly in support of the movie's theme of providing a philosophical perspective on the evolution and future of man.

Today, most critics believe that "2001: A Space Odyssey" is not only the greatest sci-fi movie ever made, but one of the top ten films of any genre. I agree wholeheartedly, and feel confident in calling it my second favorite movie of all time.


Structure/Form:
What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?
The working title was "Journey Beyond the Stars," but Kubrick thought that it didn't capture the magnitude of the film, so he drew inspiration from Homer's "The Odyssey," and added 2001.

How are the opening credits presented?
They are very minimal.

Why does the film start in the way that it does?
To set the tone of the film, and establish it as a largely non-verbal movie.

Are there any repeated scenes, images, dialogue, etc.?
At a couple points, the screen is blank several minutes and music and/or ambient space-related sounds are played.

Is sound used in any vivid ways to enhance the film?
Oh my, yes. The movie has possibly the most famous soundtrack of all time, and sound is of major importance.

How does the film use color or light/dark to suggest tone and mood in different scenes?
Color is used extremely vividly to disorient the viewer and cause tension and inspiration and even terror.

What specific scene constitutes the film's climax?
A climax can't really be defined because the plot isn't very stable.


Theme:
How does this film relate to the issues presented or developed? What questions are evoked by the film? Does the film present a clear point of view on an issue? How?
The film is a philosophical perspective on the evolution of man and our place in the universe.

How does this film relate to other films you have viewed or literary texts you have read?
Thematically, it is very unique. The special effects, however, have been very influential and most sci-fi films seem to take at least some inspiration from it.


Editing:
How much cutting is there and why?
Almost none. Cutting would disrupt the viewer's chain of thought and analysis.

What is the point of the cutting in each scene?
Usually, by the time a cut comes along, we are wrapped up in the last shot, and it catches us off-guard. This allows Kubrick to further shock us, or unexpectedly introduce something new.

Is editing a major language system of the movie or does the editor relegate cutting to a relatively minor fraction?
Everything is a major language system in this movie.


Mise en Scene:
Dr. Bowman and Dr. Poole discuss their concerns about HAL inside the pod.

Dominant: Where is our eye attracted first? Why?
Whoever is speaking at the time. We still haven't figured out which is the "main" character.

Lighting key: High key? Low key? High contrast? Some combination of these?
There's a pretty good contrast.

Shot and camera distance: What type of shot? How far away is the camera from the action?
The camera sits in the doorway and is able to see both Bowman and Poole speaking.

Angle: Are we (and the camera) looking up or down on the subject? Or is the camera eye level?
Eye level.

Color values: What is the dominant color? Are there contrasting foils? Is there color symbolism?
There seems to be a lot of red and black. I don't think it's symbolic at this point in the film, though.

Subsidiary contrasts: What are the main eye-stops after taking in the dominant?
We see HAL outside the pod window and wonder if he can actually hear them or not.

Composition: How is the two-dimensional space segmented and organized?
Poole is on the left and Bowman on the right, and they are both sort of leaning in towards the center of the pod. In the middle, we can see HAL outside of the window.