Great Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Where did the human race begin? Where have we been? Where are we going? These are the profound questions tackled by Stanley Kubrik in "2001: A Space Odyssey," which in my opinion is the most intelligent and best directed film ever made. It is no secret that Kubrik films are dense and sometimes difficult to watch. He has a different conception of storytelling which deals more with themes and emotion rather than straight plot. The secret to watching 2001 or any Kubrik film is twofold. First, make sure you are relaxed and ready to commit 2-3 hours to the movie. If you are rushed or have other things on your mind, you will be distracted and bored. Second, and more importantly, watch Kubrik movies at least twice. I cannot recall a Kubrik movie that I liked the first time that I saw it. The style and story needs time to grow on you. Additionally, you will need time to process all of the complex themes thrown at you. That said, when you see 2001 for the second time, you will leave your seat appreciating both the grandeur and emptiness of the universe.

2001 is more than a science-fiction film. It is Kubrik's masterpiece that deals with his greatest fear: death, lonliness, and humanity's overwhelming need to create meaning. Moreover, it is a comment on evolution. Even though tools have helped us develop and create life, they have also either lead to death and destruction or have been useless in our greatest battle against death. In 2001, Kubrik shows us the dual nature and interconnectedness of all things.

Stanley Kubrik is the only person who could have conceived and directed this film. The task is daunting to say the least. Kubrik must show us our roots and a world we have never seen. Additionally, later in the film, he must show us a future that we have not yet experienced. Finally, he must create an emotional attachment to both of these worlds. This ambitious project along with the fact that it is successful is why 2001 is probably the best film in the history of cinema.

It is important to note that Stanley Kubrik has stated publically that there is no central interpretation of "2001: A Space Odyssey." Like any true artist, Kubrik wanted to create a vague canvass vibrant with ambiguities and strong symbolism. Our task as an audience is to take away from 2001 what we want to; that is the beauty of art. Below, I offer my own interpretation.

The movie begins with an overture, which could symbolize the big bang or the mysterious circumstances in which the universe was created. We are shown beautiful images of an empty planet earth. After a few moments (symbolic for world history), our ape ancestors suddenly appear. They are small tribes of herbivores that fight each other for other resources like water and high ground. This state of nature is difficult and dangerous; constant predators and other tribes threaten life and security. As the apes seem to be dying of a poor diet and threats from all around, they are awakened by the sound and presence of a mysterious black monolith. The apes approach the monolith with awe and fear. They finally touch the stone, which points up the moon.

The directing in this part of the film, as well as the other monolith scenes, is outstanding. The use of bizarre music (Legetti concierto) and the images instill a sense of urgency and wonder within the audience. The monoliths are placed in the universe by an alien intelligence or God. Kubrik does not answer the question of where the monoliths came from, a choice that allows us to speculate about our own origins. The monolith symbolizes an evolutionary obstacle. The apes must find a way to sustain life and grow as a species or they will die. In the next scene, an ape figures out how to use a bone as a tool. As he smashes the bone onto other bones, we can see the future consequence: animals fall to the earth and are devoured for protein. Meat allows apes to sustain themselves more efficiently and increase the size of their brains. However, the bones also becomes weapons which lead to death and destruction.

As the ape throws the bone into the air, it stunningly morphs into a spaceship, showing man's progression to the present day. The audience is taken on a short tour of earth's surrounding space set to Strauss' waltz. We are able to see the uniform and rational beauty of the universe. The spacecrafts seem to glide elegantly. Humanity finds another monolith on the moon (where the other one was pointing). This time, the stone is pointing toward Jupiter.

Following the directions of the monolith, man sets out on an ambitious voyage to Jupiter, which composes of 2 crew members, 4 members in hibernation, and the HAL 9000 computer, which runs the basic controls of the ship. It is worth a pause to reflect on the nature of the HAL 9000 computer. He is the most advanced tool ever created by humanity. HAL has many attributes of a human being: he has emotions, the capacity for thought, and most importantly, the capacity for good and evil. The question remains what gave HAL these attributes? Is he reflective of humanity (especially in the capacity for good and evil)? Is rational machinery inherently evil? Kubrik creates an interesting enemy with HAL. As the result of automated machinery, man is weakened into an almost nonexistent state. The men sit around and exercise for no reason other than to maintain their health.

Despite HAL"s similiarity to human beings, he still does not possess what makes humanity special: curiousity, artistry, ingenuity, and the ability to tell right from wrong. Halfway into the voyage, HAL reasons that the crew can only impede the mission given their frail form. HAL hatches a plot to lure the astronauts out of the ship with talk of a broken antenna. In a fantastically shot scene, HAL kills one of the crew members and leaves him floating in space. The other crew member tries to save him, but HAL prohibits both of them from returning to the ship. What HAL could not reason was man's bravery, persistence, and ingenuity. The crew member, who has no helmet, opens an emergency hatch and gains entrance. He then disconnects HAL, who pleads for mercy. This scene is odd and further questions how human HAL was. Furthermore, it is another example of how technology can bring life and death. In any case, the lone crew member reaches Jupiter and beholds the third monolith.

Without the use of tools, the third monolith takes the last crew member on a journey into the infinite. In order to show this voyage, Kubrik develops a new technique of shooting lasers and light into the camera to give a three dimensional effect. Combined with the music, the light journey is one of the most beautiful scenes ever captured on film.

The crew member is taken to a well adorned room. This space is largely symbolic and is meant to portray Kubrik's final point. The man sees a montage of his life from astronaut to old age and then to death. There is a part where a wine glass falls over and breaks, which symbolizes the separation between container and substance, or spirit and body. The man is on his deathbed and reaches again for a fourth monolith. He is then transformed into a star child who hovers in space almost like a celestial body. This scene is the most abstract one in the movie and is open to the most interpretation. Perhaps our next evolutionary step is to return to the awe and wonder of a human child. For me, the star child is a spiritual existence that is at one with the universe. Most importantly, the star child is a triumph over death, a feat that tools could not help humanity achieve. It is postulated by Arthur Clarke, the author of 2001, that for every star in the sky could lie the spirit of a past human being.

There are many reasons why "2001: A Space Odyssey" can be called a masterpiece or the best movie ever made, the writing, the directing, the special effects, the progressive structure of the story. However, I think it remains the best living film because it deals with the most important subject possible: humanity's odyssey through time, space, and one day, form.

5.0 (American Farmer's Pick for Best Picture)