Trying to imagine how big the universe truly is a hard task. Imagining how lonely it would be is easier. There’s something about empty spaces that should have individuals in them but don’t. The true nightmare of being absolutely alone is what hits the hardest in this film. Only a few projects have been able to produce the fear of utter loneliness and 2001 is one of them. Last Night, I was in the mood for a Kubrick film but I wanted to take the experience to the next level. I decided to get greened and watch 2001: A Space Odyssey and it opened up something for me. Most of the time (at least when I use it), weed slows down time and makes you feel every second of every moment. That’s something that actually worked in favour of the film. Being in that heightened space with time slower made me feel every single second of this film.
2001: A Space Odyssey follows a group of astronauts as they are heading to Jupiter to find the origins of a strange artifact that has been discovered. The crew is aboard a high tech spaceship that is being controlled entirely by a robot named HAL. Crazy things start to occur leading the crew to be suspicious of this helpful computer. 2001 is probably the most abstract film that Kubrick directed and it’s more of a vibe film than a plot film. Not much happened in the runtime of the film as it’s segments at random parts of time and space. The first twenty minutes is the dawn of man while the rest of the film is during two futuristic time periods. The movie spends more time leaving you in a moment and letting you marinate in it, which is probably Kubrick’s strength as a filmmaker. His scenes don’t rush but they don’t drag as well.
The film is around 2 hours and 30 minutes and the pacing is slower. That concept is an enemy to many. Add on top the fact that I was experiencing time at a different pace as well, this film definitely feels like a magnum opus. That fact is not actually a problem as the setting of the film is so fun to be in and look at. Certain prolonged sequences occur outside the spaceship, which is nicely accompanied by silence. The scene where one of the astronauts got lost in space is raw in this state. You feel every breath that the astronaut takes in trying to help his crew member. Kubrick even takes time and lets a full classical composition play as he shows you some of the most beautiful cinematography put to screen. The first 20 minutes is the birth of man and the birth of violence. We see as the monkeys learn to kill each other which ties into a strong theme of the film. That being the dog eat dog nature of history. The idea that we once beat the previous versions of ourselves in terms of evolution and how technology plays into that. The idea that one day, technology will become smarter than us and take control as we once learned to in our beginning stages. These prolonged moments never feel unnecessary as they are deepening our connections with the vibes that Kubrick is trying to send us cinematically.
We watch the entire film as scenes include two individuals at the most and HAL, as these astronauts try to pass the time and fight the feeling of boredom and loneliness based upon how long their trip truly is. The first half of the film sees scenes with multiple people discussing and existing in each other’s company while the second half of the film showcases scenes of characters alone in the massive achievement that is their spacecraft. The only name for the feeling that slowly creeps up on you as you watch the movie is “Dreamlike Loneliness”. The film hits a spiritual level where you feel like you’re on another plane of existence. The locations are feel so isolated and empty. This film is way ahead of its time as it shows the codependency to technology that we now have as a society. Many wonder what the monolith in the film is. There have been many theories but I believe that the monolith is a metaphor for advancement in technology. It could also be a representation of the concept that some higher beings helped us create the technology we use now. The one element that utilizes the loneliness idea the best is the sound design. Every scene outside of the spacecraft is silent and sometimes it's accompanied by just breathing, which makes it more suspenseful. The score is in places that it needs to be to heighten a scene but the feeling of being stuck in a quiet spaceship alone is truly haunting.
The first chunk of the film is absolutely breathtaking. The scenes of ships docking at the station and specifically the scene with the pen is absolutely incredible. Most of the film you feel this element of awe and wonder. This is even felt with some of the shots that Kubrick got as some of them had me amazed seeing the decade that the film was made in. The film turns menacing and horrific once we start to get an inkling that HAL might be up to something. The scene of HAL singing Daisy as he’s being disconnected is unsetting. The last 30 minutes of the film is an absolute nightmare. Specifically the scene in the stargate was a highlight while being high. It feels like you’re dying almost, or what I would assume that feels like. The wave of colours and imagery is truly remarkable but also haunting. The end with him being trapped in the human zoo and losing track of time and space is masterfully done and you feel the disconnection from reality as a whole as this man withers away and dies spending his last moments of his life watched by those higher beings. From the visuals to the music, to even the placement of the camera, this is a film to behold. One of the scenes that stood out to me as utter mastery is the one where the astronauts find the monolith on the moon. The visuals mixed with the haunting beautiful score makes for what I would argue one of the greatest scenes in film history. It’s unfair to claim that one single scene is one of the greatest scenes in the history of cinema as every scene in this film could fit into that category. When this movie finished I let out a “Holy Shit”. This is probably one of the most enlightened and elevated experiences i’ve ever had with a film.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a film that many disregard as confusing and long. Through this recent heightened rewatch of mine, I feel that I fully get this film. It’s a look into a world that has a sort of symbiotic and codependent relationship with the technology that is created, or maybe even gifted to them by a higher power. The idea of technological development is not a negative one as in the beginning the monkeys learned to use tools and weapons, but as we progress through the film, we see a world that is completely controlled by technology. The use of this technology also limited the necessary people in a crew which leads to the overall loneliness of the film. Although technology can be used to connect us, this film shines a light on how technology can also isolate us. The fear of technology possibly overtaking us in terms of power like we once did with other species is also important to the film. The ultimate theme or idea of this film is evolution and the life cycle. The many ways that are society feels this evolution is felt in different aspects of the film. The evolution of technology as we go on as a society and the possibility that one day technologies will advance past us and not need us anymore leaving us in the dust. Also, the idea that we walk around thinking we’re the highest order on our planet hits me while watching this as the pure notion of that is quite silly. This film asks the question of if there’s something out there that is more technologically advanced than us and they’ve been helping us along the way throughout time. The overall concept of a higher power and what it could truly mean for us going into the future. The overall bow on the top being the examination of loneliness and how we will end up feeling it more as we advance technologically. Watching the film in this state, I felt like one of the guys stuck on the ship bored and lonely, hoping for a humanlike companion like HAL. Hoping that this symbiotic relationship with technology will help, but it actually just causes more isolation. That is the ideal way to fully experience this film that I can only classify as a trip. 2001: A Space Odyssey was way ahead of its time and it’s probably the greatest Sci-Fi picture that someone has ever created. The raw realism on the matter and the questions that it throws out is absolutely fascinating and the visuals are absolutely breathtaking. 2001: A Space Odyssey changed cinema forever and it remains as one of the most bold and enlightened pieces in all of cinema history.
(For the most heightened experience with this film, I recommend the 4k transfer with a bright 4k television, a strong strain of weed or strong edibles and airpods or a good soundsystem to get the full Dolby Atmos experience!)
The Rating
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