By Karthikeya Gautam
It is often with ease that one can watch a movie and make a guess as to how old it may be, each cinematic era carrying its own uniqueness which even novice eyes can detect. This, however, is not the case with 2001: A Space Odyssey. A person with no background information on it at all can make one of the following two guesses – either that it was released a couple of years back using 21st century technology, or that it is a Stanley Kubrick film. Well, they would be right if they choose the latter, as simply saying that the 1968 movie was “ahead of its time” would be a shame.
With breathtaking cinematography and visual effects, the movie checks all the boxes in terms of aestheticism. Complementing this is the realism added to the mix, which is a commendable achievement for a sci-fi set in space. With smooth transitions between scenes that allow the audience to meditate on what they are observing, this aesthetic masterpiece’s reflective nature sets a unique mood for all watchers. This, added to the thematic and cinematic brilliancy, makes the movie truly timeless.
The movie’s central characters are HAL 9000 (a computer whose progressive artificial intelligence crossed the barrier into a sentient territory, causing it to develop antagonistic features), and protagonists Dr. David “Dave” Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole, who are astronauts aboard the spacecraft “Discovery One”. The incredible performances by Douglas Rain, Keir Dullea, and Gary Lockwood as the protagonists have been commended by critics on numerous occasions. Having delivered performances that were so influential, the astronauts are remembered as some of the greatest fictional characters ever, even half a century later. Moreover, HAL’s gradual transition from being a reliable AI computer to an unprecedented villain with conflicting goals is one of the most well-crafted character developments to have ever been designed.
Instead of accepting the plot without consideration, the movie requires audiences to form personal interpretations of various scenes. This allows it to transcend into an almost philosophical realm if careful thought is given to details, making one question various aspects of life. The plot, in essence, is supposed to be based around an abstract framework, which allows it to provide audiences with interpretational freedom. This, however, may make it appear “slow” for some audiences due to limited dialogue and heavy reliance on music to convey emotion, and therefore those seeking a film to simply pass time may not enjoy it considering the unconventional approach to storytelling.
Setting a benchmark for all following sci-fi movies to live up to, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a brilliant work of art that needs to be watched with a clear and open mind to be appreciated as one of the best movies ever made.
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