2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

I love art that arrests me-- Art that grabs my attention, demands that I focus, and rewards me for my indulgence.  

I prefer my art needy, you see; I like it when a movie, a song, a book, or a painting outright screams at me to engage with it, willing me to obsess over it. I live for art that makes me feel things stirring inside my heart, and spurs thoughts to run amok inside my head. I want art that triggers me, for better or for worse.

For me, the greatest feeling in the world is encountering knowledge that was previously unknown to me, and which prompts me to ask questions I would have otherwise never even thought to ask.

I am a believer in art that sparks curiosity just as much as it entertains, if not more so. It is clear to me that artistic, scientific, and philosophical pursuits are in an eternal menage a trois, and I am here for all of it.

2001: A Space Odyssey, is exactly my kind of art. I have watched quite conceivably thousands of movies since I first saw my icon Robin Williams gracing our screen at home as Mrs. Doubtfire, and I have to say, it is hard to argue that 2001: A Space Odyssey is not the best one.

I am genuinely disappointed that I missed the theatrical release 55 years ago, and gutted I could never write a letter to Kubrick thanking him for this masterpiece of a contribution to film history. 2001: A Space Odyssey is inspirational from an aspiring filmmaker’s perspective, enthralling from a viewer's perspective, and virtually flawless from a critic’s perspective; the movie is as aesthetically pleasing as it is thought provoking.

Also, yes, just like A Tribe Called Quest and A Pimp Named Slickback, you have to say 2001: A Space Odyssey. The whole goddamn name every single time. 2001: A Space Odyssey has earned every single syllable of respect.

The first thing about 2001: A Space Odyssey is that you have to go in mentally and physically prepared-- I won't say ready because no one can ever be ready for this mindbender from Kubrick. First, I don't recommend being drunk while watching this movie, it'll only take away from the experience, trust me.

I do, however, recommend getting completely baked or imbibing certain fungi known for their trippy properties. I'm not so sure about nasal glucose because you'll probably be too excited or agitated to finish the whole thing, but I bet if you took whatever Mike Posner did in Ibiza it should work out particularly well for you.

The bottom-line is: if you are going to partake, pick your substances carefully because you are setting yourself up for the ride of a lifetime, off to the stars and beyond.

Full disclosure, I only managed to finish 2001: A Space Odyssey on my third attempt at watching. The first time I tried, two years ago at least, I didn't even get past the 30 second mark because in that moment it suddenly hit me that I was more in the mood for an easygoing 1hr 30min Romcom type of thing, as opposed to the cerebral 2001: A Space Odyssey's 2hrs 28 min runtime.

The second time I really was in the mood for 2001: A Space Odyssey but 3min in I realized that I was a bit too drunk for it, and would most probably fall asleep along the way just because of the sheer length. I shelved it for another day and, in hindsight, wisely so.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not averse to watching movies drunk, in fact, I am quite fond of it; there are indeed a great number of movies suitable for watching whilst drunk, but I will not mention any of them here since this here is an ode to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and 2001: A Space Odyssey only.

One last thing, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of those movies that you preferably watch by yourself. If you're going to Netflix & Chill it, it would be best to get the fucking and cuddling over with first before you press play. Concentration is important, it is. If you’re planning on watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in a more PG13 setting, with friends, or with family (I think this movie’s rating should be GE to be quite honest), then it's best to agree not to speak to each other during the movie.

I mean it when I say 2001: A Space Odyssey is not a film you want to keep pausing and rewinding, because doing so only detracts from the experience in every sense. Be silent and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth; you will have a lot of time to talk after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I promise, you will have something to talk about– but only if you were keen enough in the first place. If you're a dimwit, or if TikTok has sufficiently burnt your braincells and attention span to a crisp, this really is not the film for you, but I bet there is much content out there that is churned consistently to cater for your needs.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a Science Fiction Adventure film that was written and directed by the late great filmmaker Stanley Kubrick alongside Arthur C. Clarke, and directed by Kubrick. The movie, released in 1968, stars Keir Dullea (Dr. Dave Bowman), Gary Lockwood (Dr. Frank Poole), William Sylvester (Dr. Heywood Floyd), Margaret Tyzack (Elena) and Douglas Rain (voice of HAL 9000).

2001: A Space Odyssey is a story of human evolution, and starts off 4 million years ago at when a mysterious monolith appeared on Earth and seemingly nudged evolution forward. The movie tracks the effects of the monolith during two particular time periods, one being the dawn of man when the appearance of the first monolith caused the apes start to exhibit new behaviour such as tool making, weapon making, and possibly birthing the notion of wars conquest and domination.

Fast forward to the future, in 2001, and there are five astronauts aboard a spaceship on a mission to Jupiter. Three of the astronauts are in hibernation, leaving Dr. Bowman and Dr. Poole to man the spacecraft. There is a “sixth” astronaut on board, the computer HAL 9000-- a computer running on Artificial Intelligence which controls the spaceship’s functions, including life-support for the three hibernating crew members. At this point, I think it best to not delve any deeper into the plot, and let you go find out for yourself.

Every single shot, every single frame in 2001: A Space Odyssey is what I can only describe as perfection. In particular, the scenes that do not involve humans but feature landscapes, celestial bodies, space, or visualisations instead, reach powerfully into your eyes and extend inwards touching your mind, your memories, your dreams...your humanity.

Kubrick also uses sound cleverly in 2001: A Space Odyssey to serve the development of the story in the film. The score, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” was composed by Richard Strauss and features prominently in the opening sequence of the film. You are nearly an hour into the film before the encountering first dialogue, and the movie overall has very little speech which is carefully placed as to inform the viewer of just enough to progress the plot.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was released in the late 1960s, a decade which featured major technological advancements. The 1960s are responsible for among other things: the launch of the first commercial satellite (Telstar) in 1962, the invention of the now ubiquitous LED lights, and the launch of the first direct long-distance calls. The movie, on the other hand, features technology like video calling, a Space Station, and Artificial Intelligence– concepts that we scoff at and take for granted now, but which were well and truly in the realm of science fiction at the time.

Stanley Kubrick won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 1969 Oscars for 2001: A Space Odyssey, in addition to receiving nominations for Best Director, and Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay alongside Arthur C. Clarke. Notably, and I might add shockingly, this Oscar would be the only one Kubrick won his entire career. The film also received nominations from both the Oscars and the BAFTA Awards in 1969 for Best Art Direction, winning in the latter. Additionally, 2001: A Space Odyssey was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Track, and Best Film at the BAFTA Awards, and won in all but the latter category.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a 9.8/10 film and I would 100% recommend.

~D

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