2001: A Space Odyssey

Released 10th May 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey follows an anthology structure of different cosmic occurrences; occurrences which all centre around a mysterious monolith. Whilst an anthology structure can often work well, I.e., any Tarantino film, the narrative often feels disjointed from itself as it tells these intriguing stories which are generally self-contained. The most cohesion the audience receives with the monolith is that it marks moments of human advancement. However, this then wastes a solid half an hour portion of the film which is then recapped in another segment. Similarly, the soundtrack sometimes overplays certain tracks from time to time; it is also key to note that the soundtrack is not original either.

With that said, the score used is a quintessential part of the film’s identity; it always captures the grandeur and whimsy of what is occurring on screen. One of the greatest examples is the application of Thus Spake Zarathustra in the ‘Dawn of Man’ segment. Another astounding success, definitely its most renowned, is the entrancing visuals. For a film made in 1968, the visual effects and set design are astronomically fantastic and believable; let me emphasise that this film was over a decade before Star Wars: A New Hope. The visual effects and (the best of) the soundtrack are what raise this film above and beyond as a piece of art; but what about everything else? Besides human advancement, the only other notable theme is that of artificial sentience through HAL-9000; easily the best character of the film,

Douglass Rain manages to instil emotion and cunning to HAL’s monotone voice; a voice as iconic as it is luring. HAL’s unique character acts as the framework for what many AIs in film would become and he is one of the truly spectacular elements of the film. Besides that most other characters are unimportant or have little to no personality whatsoever. This lack of character throughout a large sum of the runtime causes great issue for the pacing and audience investment. Overall 2001: A Space Odyssey has the makings of what truly could have been one of the greatest works of human art. However, a crippled pace and strewn links between narratives leave the audience wishing for something more concise in what it’s trying to say.