2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) is based on a short story by Arthur C. Clarke who co-wrote the screenplay with the film’s director Stanley Kubrick. Known for his meticulous (indeed obsessive compulsive) research during pre-production there is not a single nut or bolt in a Kubrick film that is not placed there for a reason (OK that’s an overstatement but not by much). 2001 has been described by Martin Scorsese as ‘at once a super-production, an experimental film, and a visionary poem.’ The film begins in primordial times and suggests that alien technology may have contributed to the jump in human evolution that led to tool making. In one of the most famous jump cuts in cinema history an ape throws a bone into the air and we leap from the beginning of human technology to its apex in orbiting space stations. When a signal is discerned emanating from Jupiter, astronauts set out to trace the origins of the signal and upon arrival experience the next phase in human evolution. In a world beyond this world humanity must face its destiny and the meaning of its existence. Or is that what really occurs? You will have to decide for yourself. The climax of the film refuses to explain itself leaving open a multitude of possible meanings. The film also raises questions about the limits and dangers of technology. The famous ‘open the pod bay doors HAL’ sequence that occurred in cinema screenings just before the intermission of the film (brilliantly creating suspense) is a chilling example of the well trodden science fiction motif in which malevolent technology finally turns against its human creator. The trailer itself deserves an Oscar! https://youtube/watch?v=Z2UWOeBcsJI
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 04:43:29 +0000
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