I once had a film professor who called all of his favorite movies that he screened for the class “gloriously gorgeous.” That phrase is the pitch-perfect description of Stanley Kubrick’s unchallenged masterpiece, 1968’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“2001” is unquestionably a cinematic landmark, a film that continues to define and influence the science fiction genre to this day. Does it tell a compelling story? By standard measures, the answer is no. But the standard measures miss the point (the word “odyssey” was used for a reason). Using breathtaking images, sublime musical selections and a methodical pace, Kubrick tells a broader story about the origins and evolution of mankind. It’s a majestic tale, a film that will continue to challenge and move viewers for generations to come.
(Courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.)
“2001” is divided into four distinct movements, to borrow a term from the classical music that shapes so much of the film. The first movement takes the audience back to “The Dawn of Man” and looks at a tribe of apes as they learn to use tools with the help of a mysterious black monolith. After a slightly jarring cut, the scene shifts to the year 2001 as man discovers another monolith on the moon that’s sending out a message to Jupiter. The film then follows the crew of the spaceship “Discovery One” as they set out for Jupiter. What comes after this could be likened to an intense acid trip if it was put on film.
The only portion of the film that contains any significant plot is the Discovery mission, which is the first complaint many people have with “2001.” Even here however Kubrick managed to create something memorable in the form of HAL 9000, an intelligent supercomputer that’s supposed to aid the astronauts in their mission but ends up killing most of them. Voiced with an uncannily cool demeanor by Douglas Rain, HAL is a terrific villain because he sounds totally at ease as he goes on a killing spree. When he calmly states, “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” after one of the astronauts asks for help, chills run up your spine.
The second complaint that’s often brought up is the movie’s tempo. Even by 1960s standards “2001” is a slow movie, but to paraphrase The Bard: there’s a method to the madness. The long shots allow for a sense of grandeur as the characters move through the vastness of space. By giving the film time to breathe, Kubrick invites viewers to actually engage their brains and ponder man’s place in a gargantuan universe.
If “2001” is known for anything by those who haven’t seen it, it’s the film’s musical score. While there was an original score written for the movie, Kubrick tossed it out in the editing process because he liked his classical music placeholders better. The decision was a good one on his part, and it resulted in the creation of several sequences that have become permanently embedded in our cultural consciousness. Even people who have never heard of “2001” will recognize “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” and anyone who has seen the film will never hear Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” the same way again.
Last but not least, the actual images themselves in “2001” are startling in their scope and detail. They are the result of master craftsmen at the peak of their powers, lead by Kubrick himself, Wally Veevers, Con Pederson, Tom Howard and Douglas Trumbull. The level of intricate detail in the sets, props and shots is almost unparalleled, down to what the characters eat in space and the complexity of flushing a toilet in vacuum. The composition of the grandiose shots of space is also noteworthy. The iconic images of the earth silhouetted by a sunrise in parallel with the moon and a spaceship docking in orbit are just a pair of the stunning visual moments “2001” offers.
This feast for the eyes and ears would make “2001” pretty remarkable on its own, but what truly distinguishes it from the likes of lesser sci-fi films is that it has a point to make and challenges viewers to actually think about what they’re seeing. So many films are dumbed down these days to cater to the least common denominator, but Kubrick decided to take a chance and put some intelligent thought into the film. The result is, well, gloriously gorgeous.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rob Ryan at Rryan@colorado.edu
