When discussing a topic like life in the universe, it is impossible to neglect the impact that science fiction has had on popular culture’s views of extraterrestrial life. Movies and books such as Dune, Slaughterhouse 5, Men in Black, Alien, and Star Wars dominate the television screens and hearts of the public. Today I decided to take a look at a popular science fiction film and see how it stacked up to the real world.
2001: A Space Odyssey, more like 2001: What were the Directors On? If you could not already tell, I did not enjoy this “epic drama.” Too many things rub one the wrong way.
To start off with, the film takes at least an hour too long to get through the storyline. During half the scenes, one cannot help feeling like the painstakingly slow cinematography resembles nails on a chalkboard (the soundtrack does not help either). There are also quite a few scenes that could be lopped off entirely.
Although the premise is good, a controlling, murderous supercomputer AND mysterious extraterrestrial life that interferes with human evolution overwhelms the film with too wide an array of science fiction topics, which makes the plotline seem improbable. Although one may say a secret government agency that protects the world from evil aliens may seem improbable as well (MIB reference), at least they are not also battling robots.
Part 4 of the movie, Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite, pulls the final straw. A strange wormhole scene lasts for 7 minutes, 5 minutes longer than necessary. By strange, I mean the cinematographer must have been tripping on acid. Then again, it was the 60’s. Then Bowman, the astronaut “taken” by the aliens, experiences the progression of his life on this alien world by seeing himself at progressively older states, changing perspectives each time. I get it; he is in a strange place being held by aliens. It should be weird. However, the next piece takes the cake. As he lies on his deathbed, the bizarre monolith (a creation of this alien species that influences human beings) reappears and HE TURNS INTO A FETUS. ORBITING EARTH. What!? And the movie ends. Again, WHAT!?!?
The movie does have its good qualities. The acting was good and the special effects were fantastic for the period it was made in. It also emphasizes facets of the human condition, like loneliness, curiosity, innovation, ambition, and the need for human control over situations and the helplessness when it is lost. A solid use of symbolism (like the pen floating away representing a loss of human control over the tools which they evolved to use) is prevalent throughout as well.
Who knows, maybe someone should have warned me it was scary (I hate horror films, even their commercials). This science fiction movie was just a little too far out for my tastes. I should have stuck with Star Wars.
