Movie – 2001, a Space Odyssey

Movie – 2001, a Space Odyssey

Score : 9.5/10

Year : 1968

Director : Stanley Kubrick 

Country : USA. UK
Language : English . Russian

Duration : 2h40  / 2h21 cut / 2h26 TCM print. Certain scences have been lost and refound. Dvd and bluray edition durations may varry. My copy is 2h29 total duration.

Writers: Arthur C.Clarke & Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)

This science-fiction masterpiece is an art movie which has to be viewed patiently, and with an open mind. The movie relies on cryptic, thought provoking imagery which you may discuss at length after viewing; minimal dialogue (under 40 minutes),  silence or classical music such as the Blue Danube or Also sprach Zarathustra by the Strauss (father and son) , and is known for its scientific realism (including space travel) and pioneering special effects – especially for 1968- and which withstands the test of time.  

‘’2001...’’will remind you that science-fiction movies aren’t necessarily about explosions all over the place and action in every single minute, but that it can be a steady and slow storytelling as well. 

It  is the fruit of several years of collaboration between director Kubrick and author Clarke, adapting the latter's short story ''the sentinel'' into a novel, and screenplay for this film. 

Kubrick wanted to make this film about humans relationship to the universe, and just as he wished, this artistic movie stirs one's imagination, wonder and awe, through ambiguous imagery - which is sometimes downright psychedelic. 

‘’2001...’’ tells of the Human Evolution, starting in our distant past, and into a future, space travelling humanity. 

It starts with a 3 minutes silent black screen, before famous musical notes actually begin the story, in the Dawn of humanity, and at this point : no dialogues whatsoever. It's a logical choice to rely on imagery and no voice-over to tell us what is going on : it is very clear, and I am very glad for this.

The movie explores topics ranging from existentialism to technology and artificial intelligence, and human interactions with each of these elements.

It is rich in symbolism, and you must watch it until the end -I personally skip one short scene, about 15 minutes into the movie, because it portrays the man-apes becoming violent, killing an animal and eating it, which grosses me out.

The next chapter skips a whole giant period of our evolution - millions of years, actually. 

We are now in our future (future from 1968, that is). Humans are in space, and the plot grows with secrecy around a discovery which could create panic for all humans... and this is where dialogues start. From this point on, pay attention to these minimal dialogues, as clues are given from time to time. 

The acting is very good, I my opinion. Actors had to convey certain emotions in silent (musical scenes where dialogues weren't an option - and they did a good job at that. 

The ending may jar certain people, but to me it is a source of imagination, speculation and philosophical debate. 

The cinematography is gorgeous; simply put : the restoration for the bluray shows a movie which could be modern, nothing less. In this regard, Kubrick's movie stands the test of time, and is still relevant in all it's subject matters - which explains its cult classic status.

In short, ‘’2001...’’ excels in opening questions, and letting you, and me, to ponder what their answers might be… It was written both as a novel by Arthur C. Clarke, and Stanley Kubrick’s film, both produced in 1968 and partially based on the former’s 1948 short story ‘’the Sentinel’’, but each diverge from it, and each in its own way. Expect blog entries once I read them. 

The main cast: Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, supported by other actors, both in ape form for the first portion of the movie, and others during the space area, but are far less present.

On a side note, Stanely Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian, appears, un-credited and in a small role.

2001, a space odysseey... in the media

I'll start reviewing only the BD edition that I have for the moment, and when I can, I'll compare it to other editions whenever possible. This is a bit tricky, because dvd and bd sleeves announce a certain duration, but they don't seem to be accurate.  

My French edition EAN 7321950798384 (released in 2007) announces 148 minutes approx. It's precisely 148 minutes and 51 seconds, including the 2 minutes 57 seconds black screen and music only intro, and 8 minutes 18 of end credits.

The movie is presented in full HD 1080p, and 2.2:1 aspect ratio and is divided in 34 chapters, with direct access at any time.  

Languages:

English, French, German, Castilian, Italian and Spanish, all in 5.1 Dolby Digital, with an additional 5.1 PCM English track.

Subtitles in 11 languages: French, English, German, Danish, Finish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Swedish.  

This BD is rich in bonus material, all presented in 2.0 and standard definitions of 480i or 480p.  

• An audio commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood,
• 2001: the making of a Myth (43 minutes 08s)
• Standing on the shoulders of Kubrick : the legacy of 2001 (21m25)
• Vision of a future passed: the prophecy of 2001 (21m31s) 
• 2001: A Space Odyssey -- A Look Behind the Future (23m11s)
• What is Out There? (20m42s)
• 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork (9m27s) –we probably all wish this one would be much longer and reveal the secrets in more details…
• Look: Stanley Kubrick! (3m15s)
• Audio Interview with Stanley Kubrick from 27th of November 1966 (1 hour 16 m30s), this one comes with a ‘’2001’’ image as we listen to the interview. No video footage.
• Theatrical trailer (1m51) 

Access to the bonus material a bit clunky, and each time I change, there's a slight delay during which the screen turns black. 

Although this isn't 'the special edition'', with this many bonuses for a relatively older movie, this could very well be ''the special edition'', and in spite of the small flaw, I'm quite pleased with it - especially since I found it second hand, for 6,90 € ! 

This same content is announced for the nect BD edition here in France, with an EAN 5051889552048, it'll be release on 1st of September 2015 and will offer an Ultraviolet digital copy. The initial price is 15,05 € (don't ask me why those 0,05 €)