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2001: A Space Odyssey - DVD
Director: Stanley KubrickWriters: Arthur C. Clarke, Stanley Kubrick Producer: Stanley Kubrick Studio: MGM / UA Characters: Gary Lockwood - Frank Poole Keir Dullea - David Bowman William Sylvester - Heywood Floyd Douglas Rain - HAL 9000 Features: Letterbox format, Interview with Arthur C. Clarke, Theatrical Trailers for 2001 and 2010. Review: 2001: A Space Odyssey is a classic, by now. Its successor 2010 is not, however. The difference? Stanley Kubrick. I think I read that 2001, a 2 hour movie, has less than 45 minutes of dialogue. The rest of the movie is full of the coolest visuals ever seen prior to 1968. When I was growing up, I think I might have seen the movie once or twice but it was never something I could appreciate because I was too busy being infatuated with movies like Ghostbusters and Return of the Jedi. I watched the DVD version recently and was amazed how differently I absorbed it. The movie starts thousands of years in the past -- caveman days. They weren't even cavemen, they were monkeys with sticks. Kubrick fast-forwards (with a single simple cut) to the year 2001, and the "story" (is there one?) begins. Man has found a giant black "monolith" on the moon, and sets out on a quest to discover its meaning. Kubrick loads the crew onto the ship, introduces us to HAL9000, and they fly out towards Jupiter. They discover something that, while very cool, is simply beyond human comprehension. And that's it. The movie's over. Since nothing really happens, since there is no planet to save or aliens to blow up, people are unanimously left wondering "Well what the hell is this movie about?". There is no explanation in the end, there is no resolution. I'm perfectly happy not knowing what exactly Kubrick was trying to say. Part of the fun is deciding what it means to you. For some it calls into question the difference between computational and human intelligence. For others it's about the evolution of man - how far have we really come, as a species? It's also safe to assume that the movie has just been a simple source of entertainment for stoners and acid freaks, particularly in the era before digital effects. If you haven't seen it recently, you definitely should. In fact, I've found that tons of movies take on a different meaning if I go many years without watching them. Perhaps I should even watch Ghostbusters again soon. One thing about the DVD version of 2001: A Space Odyssey -- it was the first DVD I'd watched start to finish. My friend who saw it with me said it had the worst compression artifacts he'd seen on any DVD. I noticed it too, particularly when fading out or into black. So be warned. Perhaps the laserdisc might be a better investment. However you do it, give this one another look. -- Trey |
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