2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey is either, depending on how you view it, a cinematic masterpiece or pretentious twaddle. Most people these days go for masterpiece, but on it’s initial release the poorer opinion prevailed – indeed the film was only rescued on initial release by exploitative marketing it to hippies as “the ultimate trip” (for the psychedelic Star Gate sequence).

But this film is indeed a masterpiece, arguably the closest mainstream cinema has ever come to being a piece of classical art. It’s leisurely pace disguises provocative themes and raises questions about our existence on this planet, the dehumanising effect of technology and the nature of evolution. For those on the “creationist” side of the evolution debate, it should be noted that this film does in no way exclude the concept of God (if you can accept God to be a black monolith).

The film itself is a staggering achievement, both technically and emotionally – the detail in the special effects as astounding now as they were 40 years ago, the rotating living quarters of the Discovery. The ballet of space-ships to Strauss is powerful, joyful, exuberant cinema.

The film exudes eeriness from ever pore, a key Kubrick trait – the humans are dehumanised by all their technology: birthday greetings and video telephone calls are imbued with a sense of melancholy and despair and the most emotional scene in the film is a man unplugging a computer.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece - a film of immense scale and perception perfectly realised.