A Space Odyssey!

2001 A Space Odyssey - perhaps one of the strangest films I have ever seen... yet here I am watching it again. If you have never seen this before then I recommend you do; it is definitely an experience. However, it is very slow paced... yet impossible to fall asleep during due to the sheer intensity of the sounds.

At it's essence a film is a feast of sounds and images and in that respect this does not disappoint. The music and various sound effects are inescapable and give an sense of unease (and slight annoyance.. I mean come on the breathing is so vexing!). The entire movie is a little unsettling, with the creepy monoliths and especially towards the end... I still feel like I have no idea what happened.

(I can't really explain this... )

The difference in the pacing is odd, the entire film seems slow and as though it is building up to something yet there is a point where this stops the scene transitions are quick and the protagonist's life seems to flash before our eyes. It just occurred to me that I never knew his name... in my defense, there is a surprising lack of dialogue despite the profound impressions of the sounds.

Despite the obscure nature of this film.. elements of it have been designed to a very high degree. Perhaps this is why so much screen time is given to certain actions, such as this one below, where the orientation and doors change with the viewpoint.

It is indeed an intelligent film, full of thoughts and ideas and creativity. Personally I believe at the time of release it would be a fantastic spectacle.

But what of the story? It creates so many questions!!

What if he never really left the ship? What if HAL simply fooled him into thinking he had? Were the monoliths influencing the humans? Or monitoring them? Or did they even really exist? And why does that baby creep me out so much?

I must say this for the film; it gets people speculating and it stays in your head for some time afterwards...

Oh and I now I will never forget how to spell the word Odyssey. :)