2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

After discovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, mankind sets off on a quest to find its origins with help from intelligent supercomputer H.A.L. 9000.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stanley Kubrick (screenplay by), Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay by)

Stars:

Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester

Top Rated Movies #90 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keir Dullea	...	Dr. Dave Bowman
Gary Lockwood	...	Dr. Frank Poole
William Sylvester	...	Dr. Heywood R. Floyd
Daniel Richter	...	Moon-Watcher
Leonard Rossiter	...	Dr. Andrei Smyslov
Margaret Tyzack	...	Elena
Robert Beatty	...	Dr. Ralph Halvorsen
Sean Sullivan	...	Dr. Bill Michaels
Douglas Rain	...	HAL 9000 (voice)
Frank Miller	...	Mission Controller (voice)
Bill Weston	...	Astronaut
Ed Bishop	...	Aries-1B Lunar Shuttle Captain (as Edward Bishop)
Glenn Beck	...	Astronaut
Alan Gifford	...	Poole's Father
Ann Gillis	...	Poole's Mother

Storyline

"2001" is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well). Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found, one that signals the monolith placers that humankind has evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and human (Bowman) to reach the monolith placers. The winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.

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Plot Keywords:

monolith | star child | human versus computer | number in title | computer | 

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Taglines:

An epic drama of adventure and exploration

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The animal used in the "Dawn of Man" sequence, the one that looks like a black pig with a trunk, is a tapir.

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Goofs

(At 01:48 - DVD special edition) When Dave is flipping switches in the pod prior to entry through the emergency airlock, his sleeves are hanging from his arms. They should be weightless.

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Quotes

Interviewer: HAL, you have an enormous responsibility on this mission, in many ways perhaps the greatest responsibility of any single mission element. You're the brain, and central nervous system of the ship, and your responsibilities include watching over the men in hibernation. Does this ever cause you any lack of confidence?
HAL: Let me put it this way, Mr. Amor. The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any ...

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Crazy Credits

"Thus Spake Zarathustra" is the only musical piece in the film whose conductor and orchestra are not mentioned in the closing credits. For all other pieces, the orchestra which plays it, and the conductor who leads it, are given screen credit.

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Alternate Versions

The original theatrical release had György Ligeti's "Atmospheres" set to a black screen for roughly 8 to 10 minutes before the movie began, and Johann Strauss's "The Blue Danube" long after the end credits set to a black screen. This overture and exit music survived the premiere edits mentioned above. For a long while, revivals and all television and cable broadcasts would cut both, starting directly at the beginning of the credits and ending immediately after the end credits, but current revivals in such places as the Film Forum in New York City and cable channels such as the Sundance Channel, Bravo, the Independent Channel, and PBS have been restoring the pre- and post-movie music.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Double Dragon (2008)

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Soundtracks

Atmospheres
(1961)
Music by György Ligeti
Performed by Southwest German Radio Orchestra (as the Southwest German Radio Orchestra)
Conductor Ernest Bour

User Reviews

Tribute to one of the top 5 filmmakers of our time...

I write this review just after hearing of Stanley Kubrick's death. It's a great loss, and I write about 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, because I feel it is the consummate Kubrick film, the one he will be most remembered for. It is a picture like no other, not only revolutionizing science fiction, but changing the way films are conceptualized. It was probably America's first 'art' film and has inspired the likes of George Lucas and countless other writers and directors.

Aside from its visual greatness, the reason the film spawns so much discussion and analysis is because so many people have so many different interpretations of it. Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, his co-writer, had a vision, but we have never really found out what was going through their minds. Of course, the skinny on its 'message' is how technology of the future will take over humanity and decide the course of our lives unless we are careful. 2001's ending is one of hope, a version of our rebirth through the star-child's flight back to earth. It is meaningless to many, but discerning filmgoers will understand.

Although 2001 does not have the wicked, dark humor of DR. STRANGELOVE or CLOCKWORK ORANGE, or contain strong, eccentric characters that filled his earlier works like PATHS OF GLORY or SPARTACUS, I still feel he would've liked to be remembered most for this. If anything, HAL will be his most memorable character, dangerous, murderous, and artificial. It was a half-decade in the making at a time when Hollywood was still churning out dull musicals and just waking up to the New Wave of French and Italian cinema. Kubrick was a maverick director who made great films on his own terms, his own time, and for everyone else to marvel at. He will be missed.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

12 May 1968 (UK)

Also Known As:

Journey Beyond the Stars

Filming Locations:

Spitzkoppe, Erongo, Namibia

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$202,759, 20 May 2018

Gross USA:

$60,541,301

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,436,747

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Stanley Kubrick Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

149 min 142 min (theatrical release) 161 min (initial release)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) DTS (DTS HD Master Audio 5.1)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1