Tim Sheppard

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001 is a film that not only successfully engages the imagination, but also defies all cinematic formula to create an experience that is far more enthralling than almost anything Hollywood has ever created. It does not rely upon traditional narrative formula. There is no stated "problem" that a "hero" has to overcome, and while this may turn off many looking for a more traditional sci-fi film, the issue at hand is far more allegorical. It's not a story as much as it is a study. It's a fictional tale, viewed through the perspective of a documentary filmmaker, and told through images and music. If other films are cinematic literature, 2001 is cinematic poetry. It's a purely visceral experience that challenges the viewer to contemplate the film's central theme as opposed to being distracted by Hollywood eye-candy.

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The film does not have a traditionally strong script. It's a primarily visual and emotional film that was the product of a singular vision that, to put it bluntly, didn't require such a crutch. The performances are not heart-wrenchingly emotional: such dramatics would have betrayed the entire essence of the film. This is a movie about the mechanisation and sterilisation of the human being in the face of technology. The fact that Hal, the ship’s on-board computer, delivers the most moving performance isn't coincidence. In fact, the entire point of his character was to demonstrate how machine was replacing ...

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