Some Thoughts On…2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey isn’t necessarily my favorite Stanley Kubrick film, but it’s one that I go out of my way to see whenever it’s available on the big screen. I honestly don’t recall exactly when I first saw it, but it was sometime during my youth when my parents had their convenience store where they rented out VHS tapes, and I remember liking the cover for 2001 and going to the back room to see it one day after school. Despite a young age, I enjoyed it a lot because it’s one of the ultimate “how the hell did they do that?” movies.

I decided to write this because I saw the film during its 50th anniversary IMAX run, and I didn’t feel like writing a full, proper review because I don’t think I’m even close to prepared to tackle everything that’s going on here. So, a new “Some Thoughts On” post it is! I mean, so much has already been written about the film from in-depth analysis to insane theories about what it “really means” that I doubt I could really add anything else to the discourse other than my own experience with the film.

I’m actually not interested in all the theorizing and deep analysis that is often associated with this. Not to say that I don’t have my own thoughts on the themes and ideas in the film. However, what makes it strike such a chord with me is that it’s such a viscerally satisfying cinematic experience. It’s a thing I tend to notice in a lot of my favorite films and filmmakers. For example, I adore everything David Lynch has done (not including Dune, I know it has its defenders, but I ain’t one), and there’s a tendency for people to see his films as puzzles to be pieced together and solved. This is true to a degree in the way he presents his work, but it never struck me as something I needed to do to get any enjoyment out of it. He’s such a good filmmaker that he engages me with mood, imagery, excitement, horror, and various other tools, to the point where his films feel complete even if I don’t entirely know what happened on a basic plot level.

That’s what 2001 is like. The imagery is striking, the music is moody as hell, the various space sequences are deeply evocative, and it’s very suspenseful. It functions well as a complete experience without feeling like I have to go and do some homework, but I can if I want to, and that’s simply the cherry on top. It’s so hypnotic as well. There were moments when I was sitting in that IMAX theater, and I suddenly think to myself, “wait…have I not been blinking for the past minute?” because it grabs you from frame one and doesn’t let go, which might seem like a strange way to describe a film that moves as slow as this, but it definitely applies.

And like I mentioned before, 2001 is one of the ultimate “how the hell did they do that?” movies. Even to this day, I look at some of the shots and visual effects, and I’m trying to imagine how they pulled it off. Obviously, I can go look it up, and I’m sure I have at some point and simply forgot, but I like having it just be this really spectacular piece of craftsmanship that I can marvel at. That’s what movie magic is all about, after all. It’s also filled to the brim with details. Not surprising considering this is a Kubrick picture, but within the grand spectacle is so much minutiae that builds the world around the characters in fun and interesting and thoughtful ways. It also has a wicked sense of humor. From some of the awkward video calls, to HAL telling David to take a chill pill (he says stress pill, but it’s still kinda funny), to the astronauts first reaction to the monolith being to take a group picture with it, and of course, one of the greatest visual gags of all time, which you can see above.

Yeah, there’s not a lot I can really say that hasn’t been said already. I do want to bring up one thing, which was recently brought up out of nowhere. Someone unearthed a phone interview that a Japanese journalist had with Kubrick while he was making The Shining. At one point in the interview, the interviewer basically asks him what the deal is with the ending, and Kubrick…just…tells him. Like, straight up. Granted, it’s a very literal explanation as to what is happening in the climax of 2001, but that’s not nothing. I have it time stamped at the exact moment in the interview here. It’s so surreal seeing one of cinema’s most enigmatic figures just casually explaining away his masterpiece. It’s bonkers, and honestly, if you have the time, I do recommend checking out the rest of that video, it’s very interesting.

So, to close this off. I just want to say, if 2001 ever plays in a theater near you (since the IMAX run will be over by the time I publish this, sorry), I urge you to check it out. This movie is an achievement, not just in spectacle, but also tiny details that enhance the film, and seeing it on the big screen allows you to soak in all those details that might not be as easy to do on a smaller screen. Yeah, I know I’m not saying anything new by gushing about 2001: A Space Odyssey, but still…damn, what a movie.