2001 - A Space Odyssey
Hello Dave.
My wife hates this movie. Dull, dull and dull is her verdict. I can’t get enough of it. I have three copies; one on VHS and two DVD. I watch it at least once every six months. It still inspires me by its grandeur.
My first viewing was at the ABC Cinema Hull circa 1978 with about 10 other patrons. The couple in the back row had no interest in Kubrick’s classic as they went through various stages of arousal. Her noises marked the transition of each phase. By the time the monkey launched the bone skyward for the longest cross-cut in cinema history, her at the back was also going to heaven. After that, they remained quiet. My viewing no longer interrupted by twanging knicker elastic and moaning. But I digress.
On one level the 2001 story is straightforward. Some monkeys get visited by a black monolith that educates them. They defeat their rivals to set in motion the appearance of humans. Centuries later these humans are on the Moon to discover another buried monolith. When exposed to sunlight the monolith whistles off a signal of sorts in the direction of Jupiter. Next, the human follow the signal in a spaceship controlled by a computer. The super smart, empathic Hal 9000. Except that the humans on the spaceship don’t know the real reason for their mission and Hal goes mental on them.
He kills four crew members before being taken offline by the one remaining crew member, Dave Bowman. The truth behind the mission is then revealed to Bowman in a pre-recorded message. Things then get kinda weird. Bowman ventures outside the spaceship to investigate a monolith floating in space. It turns out to be a portal to either another place or dimension. Anyway, Bowman takes a ride through it to awaken in a neoclassical hotel room with a few modern touches. He then morphs through various ages before encountering the monolith again. Bowman reaches from his death bed to touch the monolith. As he does he is transformed into a fetus suspended in an orb of light above the Earth. Roll credits.
What does all this mean? Well, your guess is as good as mine. 2001 is a visual feast. Fantastic production values and stunning cinematography, are augmented by the flawless soundtrack. These achievements alone would make 2001 an astonishing achievement. Yet, it is the underlying themes and sub-text that make the movie truly fascinating. Kubrick himself invited the audience to speculate and interpret what the themes are.
Some opine the movie is about man's search for God, whilst others see a conception allegory. A long sperm like spaceship fertilising space with the next iteration of humans. Hence the foetus at the end they claim. These are all possible I suppose.
My intrigue lies with Hal. He is the lead character for much of the movie and the most human of all the entities we encounter. He appreciates art, expresses concern for crew members and then does the most human of things. He discovers dishonesty. Fearing the crew intend to shut him down and mindful to complete the mission, he starts killing off the crew. He even pleads like a child as Bowman takes down his memory and non-essential systems.
Some have sought to portray Hal as a Frankenstein, who turns on his creators. I’m more sympathetic. Instructed to deceive the astronauts, he gets confused. The conflicting demands of attaining the mission as the astronauts seek to close him down creates paranoia. Hal lies and then starts killing. Hal is the victim of his human programming, which has introduced all the frailties of man.
I could go on, but enough. 2001 offers the reviewer endless possibilities. It is still the subject of deliberations today 30 years after its premiered. Go and see it, preferably without a copulating couple providing an alternative soundtrack.
My first viewing was at the ABC Cinema Hull circa 1978 with about 10 other patrons. The couple in the back row had no interest in Kubrick’s classic as they went through various stages of arousal. Her noises marked the transition of each phase. By the time the monkey launched the bone skyward for the longest cross-cut in cinema history, her at the back was also going to heaven. After that, they remained quiet. My viewing no longer interrupted by twanging knicker elastic and moaning. But I digress.
On one level the 2001 story is straightforward. Some monkeys get visited by a black monolith that educates them. They defeat their rivals to set in motion the appearance of humans. Centuries later these humans are on the Moon to discover another buried monolith. When exposed to sunlight the monolith whistles off a signal of sorts in the direction of Jupiter. Next, the human follow the signal in a spaceship controlled by a computer. The super smart, empathic Hal 9000. Except that the humans on the spaceship don’t know the real reason for their mission and Hal goes mental on them.
He kills four crew members before being taken offline by the one remaining crew member, Dave Bowman. The truth behind the mission is then revealed to Bowman in a pre-recorded message. Things then get kinda weird. Bowman ventures outside the spaceship to investigate a monolith floating in space. It turns out to be a portal to either another place or dimension. Anyway, Bowman takes a ride through it to awaken in a neoclassical hotel room with a few modern touches. He then morphs through various ages before encountering the monolith again. Bowman reaches from his death bed to touch the monolith. As he does he is transformed into a fetus suspended in an orb of light above the Earth. Roll credits.
What does all this mean? Well, your guess is as good as mine. 2001 is a visual feast. Fantastic production values and stunning cinematography, are augmented by the flawless soundtrack. These achievements alone would make 2001 an astonishing achievement. Yet, it is the underlying themes and sub-text that make the movie truly fascinating. Kubrick himself invited the audience to speculate and interpret what the themes are.
Some opine the movie is about man's search for God, whilst others see a conception allegory. A long sperm like spaceship fertilising space with the next iteration of humans. Hence the foetus at the end they claim. These are all possible I suppose.
My intrigue lies with Hal. He is the lead character for much of the movie and the most human of all the entities we encounter. He appreciates art, expresses concern for crew members and then does the most human of things. He discovers dishonesty. Fearing the crew intend to shut him down and mindful to complete the mission, he starts killing off the crew. He even pleads like a child as Bowman takes down his memory and non-essential systems.
Some have sought to portray Hal as a Frankenstein, who turns on his creators. I’m more sympathetic. Instructed to deceive the astronauts, he gets confused. The conflicting demands of attaining the mission as the astronauts seek to close him down creates paranoia. Hal lies and then starts killing. Hal is the victim of his human programming, which has introduced all the frailties of man.
I could go on, but enough. 2001 offers the reviewer endless possibilities. It is still the subject of deliberations today 30 years after its premiered. Go and see it, preferably without a copulating couple providing an alternative soundtrack.