Film Review #75 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Space Odyssey is not a film that I emotionally enjoyed, but it's brilliant in its technical aspects. This movie came out before humans ever walked on the moon (!) and it shows us what the future of space travel might look like. It's full of amazing pictures and sounds that make you feel like you're really there. It was ahead of its time. 

The introduction didn't captivate me. The introduction of the film left me in a state of confusion because the movie starts in a way that is hard to understand. The lack of engagement led me to perceive the introduction as incredibly random. But in terms of technical aspects, I liked that the locations, of course, look very beautiful. Overall, the first 20 minutes of the movie were odd UNTIL I watched the near end of the film, which has a more mythical, philosophical, metaphorical, and deep meaning behind it that I don't really understand. 

Production design caught my attention first. I definitely like the futuristic production design. It is very detailed—just out of this world, very professional, detailed, and a bit blown away by how they did this in 1968.

I absolutely adore the soundtrack to this film. The soundtrack features a beautiful gospel melody, complemented by orchestral elements playing in the background. Some sound FX were annoying to the ears, but other sound FX like breathing in and out and some oxygen noise were great. In the second act, I liked the ambient sounds; those sounds make peace of mind, as do the carefully selected sound effects like rotation and clicking. The quick sound cuts and editing cuts were shocking and sudden, which left me curious and wondering. The use of silence was masterful. I noticed the similarities in terms of using the sound and edit cuts in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar in the second act of the film. This gives the film a sense of fear from the unknown.

The film's balanced approach to visual storytelling and dialogue was commendable. The slow-motion sequence was a deliberate choice at the same time. The film, for its time, is visually stunning. I like how static cinematography is, and sometimes it goes from the symmetric scene to going left or right on the camera and returning to the symmetrical center. How the cinematographer used various lenses, such as wide-angle lenses and regular lenses, was commendable.

There is a sense of horror in the third act, which is more intense and provoking. The editing was top-notch in this film. I can feel the sense of professionalism and well-timed cuts, just like with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014). The third act captivates me with its visually stunning and mind-blowing visual effects, evoking a sense of horror. Despite this, the film is quite lengthy and incorporates a plethora of horror-themed sound effects, creating a truly eerie atmosphere.

Overall, the whole film left me in a lot of confusion. Emotion-wise, I was not particularly impressed; I was more confused, but I adored the technical aspects of the film. Even though it didn't make me feel a lot of emotions, the stunning space scenes and smart ideas left me even more curious and gave me “aha” moments. Watching the film is MORE like solving a puzzle than a regular watch (!!); you might not get it the first time, but it's worth trying again. I think everyone should see it at least once. In cinematic history, it is a classic space movie that makes you think and wonder about the big questions and think beyond them. The film still remains significant due to its depiction of the rise of AI. Also, film directors like Christopher Nolan, known for Interstellar (2014), and Greta Gerwig, who made Barbie (2023) to this day, take some inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's works. Hence, it's crazy that this film was made in 1968.

Rating: 8/10