2001: A Space Odyssey thoughts
I finally got a chance to watch the acclaimed "masterpiece", 2001: A Space Odyssey directed by a personal favorite of mine, Stanley Kubrick. Before I begin, I'll just say this: either this movie is too smart to be interpreted, or I'm not smart enough to interpret it.
I really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. These special effects are impressive even for now. I can only imagine what 1968 audiences thought. The space ship that our main characters are in is gorgeous to look at. Seeing space in this movie is just amazing. It's so big and grand and looks very real. I don't feel like I'm seeing a special effect. I feel like I'm really seeing space. And for a film from the 1960's to fool me into thinking its special effects are real (when movies these days can't even do that), it's an impressive feat.
I also liked HAL9000, or just Hal. People go on and on about him, but I was really shaken by his character and his voice, and everything about him. I was especially creeped out by how he never has vocal inflections. How he tells Dave "I'm afraid," without any hint of fear, anger, or sadness in his voice makes my skin crawl. When he starts to lose his intelligence as Dave takes him apart is also chilling, not to mention the "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that," scene. He's just frightening. I found this film more frightening than I do some intentionally scary films because Hal was man's invention. Hal was actually smarter than a human, and was incapable of error. A machine having such power, even in a film, is scary. He was the highlight of the film for me.
I also LOVED the Star Gate sequence. I could barely blink, I was so fascinated by what I was seeing. Again, seeing a film made in this era with special effects that weren't corny or even laughable is astonishing to me. This scene is enchanting with its colors and designs. And the way that the camera cuts back to Frank as his eye changes color each time he blinks is magnificent.
Finally, the music was great. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is perhaps the most majestic piece of music ever written, and the use of it in this film keeps you on the edge of your seat each time it plays. The use of the Blue Danube Waltz while first showing us the space craft is also ingenious, giving us a graceful, elegant first view of the complex piece of machinery. And the frightening "Requiem" music that plays with the legitimately haunting choir could send chills up anyone's spine. The music in this did just what music in a film should do: enhance the atmosphere and make us feel something. Oh, does this music make you feel something when you hear it. This is one of the most effective scores I've ever heard in a film.
This film does have a few flaws, though I wouldn't even call them flaws; they're more just things that I personally don't care for. The long moments of silence, while effective in giving us an "empty" feeling, can become a bit excessive. (I read that approximately 88 minutes of this film is spent with no dialouge whatsoever.) Also, this is a very deep plot. It shows how advanced mankind may get. We may start going on business trips to the moon. We may invent a computer smarter than ourselves. The ending is wild. I couldn't spoil it for you even if I tried, because I'm still confused. But it still got me thinking, despite my confusion.
In short, this film is definitely worth a look at. It's perhaps the biggest, craziest, most stunning film I've ever seen. Watch for no other reason than just the visuals, and you'd be satisfied. Watch only for the commentary on man's adaptation, and you'd be satisfied. It's a grand spectacle of a film, one that can't even be properly described. It must be seen. Check it out! Thanks for reading!
