No, we may be in 2009 and not have HALs yet, but still 2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinematic feat. Obviously made by Stanley Kubrick, the odd scientific journey through space doesn't even make sense. Still, it is one of the best movies ever. Though I have never read Arthur Clarke's novel, I can assure, it can't be as good as this.
2001 is about a group of people looking to begin a new life in space. Together, with a computer named HAL, they search for a monolith supposedly buried in a planet. Yes, this is the movie with the silent first 30 minutes in which the apes dance around the monolith.
The movie, to say the least, is very Kubrickian. Every single scene can have no meaning at all when looked at on just the surface. Every scene can also be seen as masked with metaphor. Though the movie is definitely hard to decipher, it is worth taking a stab at trying to find its true meaning.
There are certain stretches of the movie that do grow tiresome. People with epilepsy should watch out for the 10 minute long scene in which they travel through deep space. Flashing lights abound, the scene lasts way too long and makes me feel ill. Also, the nonsensical ending is completely open to interpretation which some hate. I am neither here or there on it, but I am certain the book doesn't have the same effect.
2001 is a monolith in and of itself. A masterpiece and a stroke of genius, it is the movie that is complex and perplexes. One of the many beauties of the film is that it makes the viewer think about what Kubrick is trying to say with the surrealistic imagery. Why does he do this? Why is it necessary for us to see this? One may never know, but just like Eyes Wide Shut, the film is ambiguous. Kubrick's masterpiece shall live on forever no matter how dated it becomes.
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