Rich Malloy
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2000
- Messages
- 3,998
quote: The MAIN problem I had with the movie (besides the realism/creative contrast point, the overly long dwelling on one subject), is basically a problem with a lot of supposed "cerebral" fare: lack of apparent connecting clues. Watching this movie, I felt cheated by this movie because I could make no sense of the events depicted whatsoever. There was a thorough lack of clues as to the purpose of whatever happens in the movie.[/quote]
I wish that just one of the multitude of threads regarding 'the meaning of 2001' might have been archived so that we can simply link to it everytime the subject comes up. Which is often. Sometimes twice in the same week. Probably three or four times in the upcoming weeks. So if it sounds like I'm repeating myself...
Despite its reputation, 2001 is not a complicated film. It is a very simple story, told with extraordinary elegance, allowing the viewer to immerse himself in the ideas that it raises. Like all great art, it should mean something a little different to each viewer. But the story that the film dramatizes - the continuing evolution of mankind from our earliest dawning awareness of ourselves to our rebirth as pure spirit apart from the constrictions and limitations of the flesh - should be obvious to anyone willing to open their eyes and read the images.
The problem, I think, is that too many people are used to literary-style spoonfeeding. When confronted by a work that tells its story cinematically - whether that be a film by Kubrick or Tarkovsky or Dreyer or any of the great cinematic artists - people seemingly forget to read the images. Perhaps they turned their brains off when they bought that ticket to Independence Day, and forgot to turn them back on for 2001?
Fortunately, some enterprising young webmaster took it upon himself to create an "explaining 2001" Flash Movie site (link below). Although it's sorta "Kubrick for dummies", and only just barely touches on the grander themes of this film, I think it's a good primer for learning how to read cinema, in general, and 2001, in particular. Although it does use explanatory text to guide you, it also relies on pure imagery to do so. Just like great literature, poetry, and music, you must learn to read the language of cinema before you can begin to unlock its meaning.
Go here and watch this:
http://www.kubrick2001.com/
Al's DVD Collection
Al's Criterion Collection
I wish that just one of the multitude of threads regarding 'the meaning of 2001' might have been archived so that we can simply link to it everytime the subject comes up. Which is often. Sometimes twice in the same week. Probably three or four times in the upcoming weeks. So if it sounds like I'm repeating myself...
Despite its reputation, 2001 is not a complicated film. It is a very simple story, told with extraordinary elegance, allowing the viewer to immerse himself in the ideas that it raises. Like all great art, it should mean something a little different to each viewer. But the story that the film dramatizes - the continuing evolution of mankind from our earliest dawning awareness of ourselves to our rebirth as pure spirit apart from the constrictions and limitations of the flesh - should be obvious to anyone willing to open their eyes and read the images.
The problem, I think, is that too many people are used to literary-style spoonfeeding. When confronted by a work that tells its story cinematically - whether that be a film by Kubrick or Tarkovsky or Dreyer or any of the great cinematic artists - people seemingly forget to read the images. Perhaps they turned their brains off when they bought that ticket to Independence Day, and forgot to turn them back on for 2001?
Fortunately, some enterprising young webmaster took it upon himself to create an "explaining 2001" Flash Movie site (link below). Although it's sorta "Kubrick for dummies", and only just barely touches on the grander themes of this film, I think it's a good primer for learning how to read cinema, in general, and 2001, in particular. Although it does use explanatory text to guide you, it also relies on pure imagery to do so. Just like great literature, poetry, and music, you must learn to read the language of cinema before you can begin to unlock its meaning.
Go here and watch this:
http://www.kubrick2001.com/
Al's DVD Collection
Al's Criterion Collection