Another thing about this movie is that it is a favorite of the astronauts, because it gives a realistic vision of space travel, and from their viewpoint, they should know.
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Sorry, that's already been mentioned, and as I said, actually astronauts are rather picky, and the mistakes in it have been pointed out.
More realisitc than most, obviously. All the more impressive, then, that it was made before the moon landings. But not ACTAULLY realistic in a literal sense, from things they knew were mistakes but put in so as to not confuse the public- like twinkling stars- to mistakes of limitations in how travel works- way over-roomy spacecraft- to the thing they got plain wrong, which Clarke himself was annoyed about- Bowman breathing in before decompression.
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If you couldn't understand the ending of the movie, and I didn't at first, read the book. It isn't a huge novel or anything like that, and it completely explains what is happening and the end, what the monoliths are, etc. I believe that it actually makes the movie better.
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The movie was released a year before the moon landings, and the astronauts would comment that the experience of space travel was very much like what was shown in 2001. That's a high compliement for it's realism.
I generally consider this my favourite film, as I have watched it since I was a young teenager. And I am a big Star Wars fan, and also of LOTR, Blade Runner, Alien and the rest. No film has ever jumped so high in showing man's capacity for transcendence; intellectually and physically.
Watching it again recently, I have come up with new ideas. Despite what was explained in 2010 regarding Hal's programming conflict, the subtext of his eventual battle with Dave goes all the way back to the ape with the bone. The Monolith apears, and the seeds of intelligent growth come to one tribe. An ape sees a bone, and it becomes in his eyes something new - a weapon to hunt with. A tool. Jump forward thousands of years, and the most-cutting edge tool is a spacecraft with an A.I. computer, running things like any crew member. But then the conflict starts when the machine is fallable. Except, now the 'tool' is sentient (or is it mimickry?), and reasons that the lifeform would not have gotten anywhere in history without the tool. Who is more deserving of destiny, discovering their unseen benefactor somewhere around Jupiter? So Dave has to do the desperate move of re-boarding the ship without his space helmet, calling upon raw animal courage - something Hal does not have - coming all the way from his caveman ancestors, to defeat the machine.
Another idea - when the tribe of apes become more sentient, carrying clubs, and walking more upright, it is a stage for evolution. But then we see Dr. Floyd on the space station, refusing to give information to his Russian science colleagues; the idea of staying within your 'tribe' still exists.
And lastly - where does anyone think the circular section with the sleeping beds and eating area was? It was large enough to use as a running track; but could it have fit in the head bubble area? The cockpit and lower bay area seem to take up enough space that it couldn't be there; maybe the central section, under the antenna?
FX is as impressive as ever. Imaginitive use of in-camera tricks, mechanical rotating sets, and rear projection screens. All the Dawn Of Man sequence is under a studio roof - amazing.
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Over the decades, many have called 2001 The Best Science Fiction movie ever made, and one of The Best Movies ever made, period. Visually stunning, musically stirring and intellectually challenging, no other movie gives as realistic a sense as this one of First Contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. The fact that it is not easily understandable, at first, only adds to the realism of its content.
Star Wars, Independence Day, Close Encounters, etc, etc are all a lotta fun, great films in their own right. But they are afternoon matinee snacks compared to the full course dinner that is 2001.
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Try to get hold of AC clarke's short, The Sentinel.... this was the starting point for 2001..... and remember, Clarke himself said that there is no reason for anyone to assume that 2001, 2010, 2061 and 3001 are at all related to each other.... the Frank Poole of one may simply share a name and a few experiences with the Frank Poole of another....
Have the story in a collection at home. It's a book of short stories that all went on to be made into feature films, like The Fly, Who Goes There?(Thing from Another World), The Fog Horn (Beast from 20,000 Fathoms) A Boy and his Dog, and several others.
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Except that never really made any sense, did it? They are so obviously sequels in the same continuity; he was just glossing over differences in style and providing a get-out route for any continuity errors.
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Mar 2nd, 2005 06:56 PM
