Where did my love for science fiction begin?
This love for the genre began in my life well before I fell in love with the film. That passion began through my love of reading. Years before I had an expansive movie collection, I used to have a bigger book collection. I slept in a twin-size bed for years after I should have so that I could have more room for my bookshelves (true story!) I was quite committed. I would spend hours on end reading and getting lost in the worlds created by these authors.
Who was my favorite growing up?
Jules Verne. He made me believe anything was possible. His works expanded my imagination and made me believe in the impossible. I traveled the world with Phineas Fogg, traveled the depths with Captain Nemo, and found a lost world in the center of the Earth. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was my favorite novel for the longest time and I still love its sense of adventure today. Nemo’s ship was one of the greatest inventions of science fiction. A giant submarine that would take on a Kraken. I loved the book so much that I could not wait to watch the film with Kirk Douglas. But my love for science fiction and the possibility of what could be evolved past the page onto the silver screen.
Where did this cinematic journey begin for me?
Star Wars. Where else? As a kid, I feel like it is a requirement to watch Star Wars at some point. Like so many before me, I fell in love with this galaxy far, far away. I soon fell in love with superhero movies which find many of their roots in science fiction as well. The idea of seeing a whole new world on screen is wondrous and awe-inspiring. But science fiction is not just about fun and excitement. There is a lot of science fiction that is about deep and impactful ideas which helps us to process complex ideas. As my palette expanded and I matured, I turned to the likes of The Terminator and The Matrix. There is plenty of action in these films, but they are so much more than that. Looking at our reality and our relationship with technology in quite an impactful way have made these two films iconic.
What type of science fiction truly pushes audiences to their limits?
High-concept and intellectual sci-fi take themes and ideas to a whole new level. A film like Ex Machina (a film that is one of my 25 favorite films of all time) takes us on a journey that is so impactful in the way it deconstructs our human need to create and soon brings us down. There is limited action or thrills. Alex Garland packs the film full of tension and complex themes and ideas. Her was a film I hated upon initial watch due to my own robophobia and disgust at loving a machine. But as I grew as a person and widened my perspective, I learned to love the complexities the film challenges us with when it comes to our relationship with machines. But they all stem from one great film that revolutionized a once cheesy and silly genre of film.
What is arguably the greatest film in the history of science fiction?
2001: A Space Odyssey. Finally made it and so much more to discuss. But where did this sprawling and contemplative film come from? Two great creators came together to produce it. Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest filmmakers in the world who pushes the limits of the medium, joined forces with a master of a different medium. Arthur C. Clarke was a renowned science fiction novelist who revolutionized real science with his ideas and perspectives. They even had a tablet in 2001 that broke a patent that Apple had for the idea. Kubrick was a writer with ambiguity deeply rooted in his process and Clarke was a practical and focused storyteller. What an interesting combo! What resulted was a book (mostly credited to Clarke) that was clearer and more technical and a film (mostly credited to Kubrick) that lived in a thought-provoking world of nuance and ambiguous works.
When did I fall in love with 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Oddly enough, I read the book first. The book is one of my favorites of all time as it creates centuries-expanding adventures full of shocking twists and turns. I even love Clarke’s three sequels creating one of my favorite series of all time. But my experience with Clarke’s novel helped expand my initial journey into the cinematic and atmospheric creation of Kubrick’s screen. I was a freshman in college, and I heard so much about this sci-fi classic. I decided I was going to buy it and finally watch it. I found it at Barnes & Noble in a TCM science fiction pack. On a side note, this pack opened my eyes to other science fiction films like The Time Machine starring Rod Taylor, Forbidden Planet with a super serious Leslie Nielsen, and Soylent Green starring Charlton Heston. Moral of the story? Take a chance on some TCM classic sets, you might surprise yourself with some greatness!
What was that first viewing like?
I popped in my DVD as I sat alone in my dorm room (with the door propped open). I was mesmerized from the start. The film is admittedly quite methodical. There is no rushing what Kubrick is trying to create. I witnessed the Dawn of Men, the leaps in technology, the worst of human hubris, and one of the strangest experiences I have ever seen put to film. My young 19-year-old brain struggled to process the meaning of it all (even with my experience reading Clarke’s novel). But what I saw…I knew it was special and unique. My friend Ed walked in right when Dave was about to contact the monolith which launches the journey Beyond the Infinite. His mind was blown. He was transfixed on the screen. That is the power of Kubrick and the power of cinema. I have transfixed myself for all 140 minutes or so of its runtime.
What makes 2001: A Space Odyssey one of the greatest films of all time?
This might not be a film for all, but it is one that causes a reaction in so many, including awe in those who appreciate the film on a deeper level. What might seem like a slog through random sequences reveals itself to be a methodic contemplation of evolution and the journey of life on Earth? We see how one entity brings about the creation of humans from an ancient species and all the way to something beyond our own comprehension The film also tackles the evolving relationship between humanity and machines and our increasing and dangerous reliance on them. Our hubris is on display as we witness an all-intelligent machine realizing that it does not need us and even worse…sees us as a threat. There are plenty of underlying elements and ideas that shine through Kubrick’s visual poetry from birth to death with plenty of sexual and creative imagery filling the screen (just look at the shape of Dave’s ship…you cannot unsee it now). This is one of the most unique cinematic experiences ever put to film and Kubrick showed the world the extent of his cinematic genius…which is also beyond the infinite.
What does Kubrick bring to the table with his bold and inventive direction?
This film would not exist if it was not for Kubrick. His forward-thinking creative spirit and drive to pull off the unthinkable on-screen help create plenty of effects-driven moments throughout the film. Video Calls and tablets were created through projections and well-framed imagery. You see individuals walking on ceilings, spacecraft dancing through space and docking in space stations, experiencing the fisheye lens of a machine’s eye and its point-of-view, and so much more movie magic that it is hard to believe this was made in the 60s well before the dawn of CGI. The wormhole sequence that Dave is teleported to through the monolith is one of the most visually arresting and engrossing visual feasts ever put to screen. And yes…no computer effects. Negatives and designs for the win. Everything is so perfectly lined up, symmetrical, and balanced in a way that Wes Anderson fans have loved for years. Kubrick was an auteur and he created one of the most iconic pieces of moving art ever put to the silver screen.
But where does it all begin?
My personal favorite…The Dawn of Man. There are so many impressive feats in this section of the film. The world starts in darkness with Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” with all its bombastic glory. The planets align and we have been whisked away to a desert. This world is filled with ape-like beings, tapir, big cats, and plenty of vast desert. The actors who portray the apes are never given enough credit as they do some great heavy lifting in the early piece of the film. All the physicality that goes into such a performance is surrounded by a costume and lacks vocalization. The movements are surprisingly believable, and a simple look can mean so much. One specific stare might be one of the most underappreciated shots in the whole film. An early ape awakens and slowly looks up. Something captures his stare, and it is powerful. What could it be? Then we see it. The towering black monolith. They are in awe of it and so is the audience. They overcome their fear to feel it and then there is something powerful and moving as they become one with the monolith. Then it happens. The most iconic shots in cinema. This high-angle shot of the towering monolith lining up with the sky. This shot is so evocative. I use it as the background on my computer at work.
But that is just the start, isn’t it?
That moment… is The Dawn of Man. These apelike beings are…different. One of the most impactful scenes in the film sees one of these beings slowly playing around with a bone. They grasp it. They twirl it. They begin to swing it. The high-angle shot looks at the enraged being violently swinging this bone as a weapon. There are beautiful cross edits of a tapir being beaten to death and this being smashing in the skull of a skeleton. Man’s violent tendencies have been realized with the advent of weapons. But that is just a precursor. Then we see Man’s most horrible tendency…violence against each other. We see “Man” kill each other for the first time. This group of beings who are connected to the monolith stand tall and upright. They wield weapons. For an act of a film that has zero dialogue or human characters, there is so much to be said about the dark side of humanity. But this is not the end of this sequence. We have one last shot. One of the most ICONIC shots and edits in the history of film. We see the evolution of tools in a blink of an eye. The lead ape/human being throws his weapon into the air. The camera catches its spiral…and spiral…and BAM! A ship floating through space. Genius.
The next sequence of the film is the largest and the sequence is densely packed with dialogue and narrative beats (at least compared to the dialogue-less opener). The “Danube Waltz” is used to perfection as we see a spacecraft dancing through space. This is a beautiful and moving experience that is in stark contrast to so much of the rest of the film that feels more hollow and cold and distant. This sequence (which is also light on dialogue) gets to show off some impressive effects from a woman walking around a circular path while also going 360 degrees vertically as well as a vast docking station full of groundbreaking effects. But once the dialogue starts to flow…we have a mystery. One of the first conversations on screen is between a Russian national and a US scientist. Why is the moon based closed? Kubrick can channel impressive tension in every interaction that fills this exchange. For a film not known for its dialogue, Kubrick sure knows how to play out conflict (even so subtly). But we are not meant for this sequence for long as we head to the moon and experience ear-shattering audio attacks from yet another monolith. The signal? Time to go to Jupiter.
Are you ready to meet HAL 9000?
Now, this…this is what most will associate with 2001. Dave Bowman (a human astronaut) and his disturbing chess game with the artificial intelligence, HAL 9000. Douglas Rain is a revelation as the machine antagonist of the film. His calm and cold demeanor leads to some of the most unnerving dialogue delivered in the history of film. “I am sorry, I am afraid I cannot do that” sends chills down my spine. When HAL gets bold and aggressive (in his own way), the targeted jab of “human error” is biting and cruel. This character is fascinating as he is so convinced, he is infallible and cannot even comprehend that he is “not all there”. We experience him slowly losing his mind towards the end of this sequence and THAT is truly unnerving as his voice deepens and he begins to sing children’s songs. Yeah…creepy. The cold and distant approach to action is also terrifying as he will jump to murder with so little effort. There is no wonder why HAL is considered one of the greatest villains put to film. There are plenty of amazing feats of filmmaking through this space voyage, but it will always be remembered as the quintessential clash between humanity and machines on screen. Our hubris creates machines beyond our reach and the dangers they will pose. And people wonder why I am a robo-phobe.
Can you handle the journey Beyond the Infinite?
Dave is all by himself and knows the mission to be contacting yet another monolith. When he reaches Jupiter and contacts that monolith…his existence is changed permanently. The wormhole sequence in this film is astounding. The colors, the visuals, and eerie negative “planet” we travel through. We know Dave is not great (his distorted face and painful expressions show something is changing in him. But that is just the tip of the crazy iceberg. The futuristic and Victorian hybrid suite he reaches beyond the limits of space is shocking and disturbing. The eerie lighting and otherworldly feel are unnerving. But what does Dave find? Himself. Older and lived in. But soon we see him reborn into something…new. What? That is up for interpretation (and a journey into Clarke’s three sequels) but Kubrick is completely satisfied in posing the abstract evolution of man and what the universe can have in store for us. Evolution has brought us to this point but where do we go after it? This is Kubrick and Clarke’s interpretation, and it is something quite fascinating.
Are you ready to experience this iconic piece of cinema for yourself?
I have posed plenty of thoughts and my own interpretations but there are so many more. That is the beauty (and potential struggle for some) of this film. There is no one specific answer to everything. There is no one interpretation of what evolution has in store for us. But the genius of Kubrick and Clarke will have you thinking and processing for days, weeks, and months to come. This film changed so much for me when it came to filming and solidified and passion for science fiction. I can only hope it has some similar impact (or a purely unique one) on you.
