2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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Director: Stanley Kubrick

Writers: Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke

Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty, Sean Sullivan, Douglas Rain



Stanley Kubrick and his co-screenwriter, the great science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, have fashioned a big, epic story about the evolution of human consciousness and man's place in the universe. 



It begins in pre-history and ends in what was then the near-future, revealing that throughout all of our history, the human race has been monitored by a mysterious alien race via an artifact known as the Monolith. 



The pace of the film is deliberate and slow, too slow for my taste, which reduces my admiration for what is otherwise a masterpiece. 



I'm not looking for slam-bang, quick cut editing, but there are several long immersive beauty shots of special effects that are no longer as mind-blowing as they once were and could have been shortened by about 25%, especially in view of the fact that the entire running time is greater than two hours. 



Even so, this is a fascinating, thought-provoking film, and the only one I can recall that portrays space as a soundless environment. 



This bit of reality adds an eerie dimension to the film and intensifies the loneliness of the situation. 



The light show near the end seems dated now and also could have stood some cutting, but, nevertheless, this is an important and involving piece of cinema.



Spoiler alert!!! End of the movie!!












































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