2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick.
It’s been a little over a decade since I last viewed 2001: A Space Odyssey, so I thought it would be interesting to see if my experience has changed. Here are my thoughts after another greatly enhanced watch….
THE SENSORY OVERLOAD
I’ve either forgotten, never realized or plain skipped over the movie’s first few minutes. Either all that or maybe I have a better TV in my life now….The opening moments creates a jarring, ear-splitting experience – a pattern continued throughout the movie. The sound of shrieking apes gathered around the monolith builds to a frenzy, taking you to the edge of sanity before yielding to the beautiful silence of Kubrick’s legendary jump cut. Later, the sonic intensity builds as the crew approaches the monolith before cutting through the screen.
EVOLUTION THROUGH THE BONE
In my peculiar head space, I couldn’t escape the thought of how relatively peaceful the apes’ existence appeared. There is a wonderful comfort in the simplicity of their lives – gathering as a family, playing – their life’s objective to find food. Compared to our evolved existence, their lives are the greater expression of freedom. However, the introduction of the bone and the violence that it implies forever alters their lives – as well as ours.
THE STEWARDESS PLAYS A HUGE ROLE
The genius of Kubrick’s movie is that he allows his scenes seemingly infinite time to expand, yet they somehow contain no waste. Everything on screen matters. The stewardess walking on what appears to be an endless circle brilliantly demonstrates the beauty of the surroundings. Such a simple act perfectly establishes the setting. And of course, the movements are synchronized to a gorgeous instrumental.
TREATING YOUR AUDIENCE LIKE ADULTS
The intensity of Kubrick’s dialogue is matched by its efficiency. There are long stretches where no words are spoken – simply because they don’t need to exist. When the narrative needs propelled by dialogue, Kubrick trusts that the audience will accept the situation. Floyd’s speech to his colleagues regarding the government cover-up is such an example.
HAL’s DISCUSSION OF PSYCHOLOGY
One of the more intriguing moments comes when HAL discusses the possibly flawed psychology and secrecy of the mission. He reveals his concerns to Dave and you feel a moment of intellectual bonding occurring – that is until HAL reveals a critical flaw. It’s worth asking if HAL’s preamble was planned or could have somehow triggered his error.
THE SOUNDTRACK OF BREATHING
I found myself connected to Dave’s breathing pattern as he floats in space to repair a damaged unit. The breaths contained a sort of musical rhythm but also served as a terrifying reminder of the vast danger represented by space. At any point, a change in this rhythm could have signaled disaster.
THE INTENSITY OF POLITE CONVERSATION
I greatly admire the decency Kubrick employs in his characters. The movie features competent professionals – highly trained, educated, fit, intellectually gifted individuals – who essentially do their jobs, which are not always ideal. The scene where Dr. Hayward Floyd has to continually deflect questions about the secrecy of his mission is a powerful scene. His affable nature gives way to the politics of the situation and he is forced to repeat the sterile line: “I am really not at liberty to discuss.”
SILENT TERROR
It takes other science fiction movies literal hours to achieve the terror Kubrick creates in a single moment. After HAL learns of Dave and Frank’s potential disconnection plan, he establishes himself as a force of evil. The helpless, frozen look in Dave’s eyes as he realizes he has no control over HAL is one of the most chilling moments in movie history.
DAVE FLOATING INSIDE HAL’s BRAIN
This entire scene is spectacular as HAL’s memory is disconnected. Kubrick establishes the urgency of the moment – flooding the screen in buzzing red. HAL senses the urgency – “would you stop, Dave?” Dave’s manner is resolved but the earlier panic still hangs on him. HAL sings the first song he was taught as his voice melts away to metallic sludge.
DAVE’s EYES
As he travels through the light of Jupiter, Dave’s eyes absorb the unknown of not only space – but the entirety of the monolith’s existence. It’s an extraordinary moment considering that Dave’s human evolution is not capable of handling such an infinite volume.
A NEW RATIONALE FOR THE ENDING
The beauty of movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey is that you can tie your evolution – or at least personal growth – to them. I can now see that an aged Dave is basically held in a zoo-like environment, examined for the benefit of the energy beings tending to him. This could explain why he is sent back to the Earth as a fetal super being – seemingly to either teach or become a deity.
However, my original explanation for the movie’s ending still holds up. Our own human advancements – building a weapon from a bone, traveling through space – are still minuscule compared to the beings Dave encounters. Perhaps the “star child” is more representative of the infancy of our evolution – at least compared to the infinite and unknown possibilities that exist.
