As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich tapestry of cinematic history, I find Stanley Kubrick’s post-production phase approach to be both intriguing and amusing. His desire to protect his work from being exploited by less skilled filmmakers reflects a level of artistic integrity that is admirable.
There’s nothing quite like the greatness of “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the realm of science fiction. Debuting in 1968, this film is a universal success and an excellent starting point for exploring the works of director Stanley Kubrick.
As a cinephile, I find myself consistently in awe when reflecting on Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s been hailed as the “big bang” of the post-Golden Age era by none other than Steven Spielberg. George Lucas, another titan of cinema, has labeled it “hugely inspirational,” and went on to praise Kubrick as the epitome of a filmmaker – the “filmmaker’s filmmaker.
Without intention or chance, the movie shines with captivating instances of serendipity. Kubrick recruited renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke for screenplay work. Together, they developed the narrative, drawing from numerous short stories written by Clarke, with “The Sentinel” providing much of the inspiration. Later, Kubrick took charge on set, resulting in a film so intricate that it has since sparked over a dozen distinct interpretations.
It’s worth noting that, following the completion of filming, he requested that all the set pieces be demolished. This was quite unexpected, given that during that time, it was typical for props and pre-recorded footage to be shared. However, Kubrick must have had his own motivations behind this action.
2001: A Space Odyssey Has an A.I. Villain… and More
The question of which Hollywood production initially introduced the “big bad computer” idea is often disputed, but generally speaking, 2001: A Space Odyssey is considered the first major movie to explore the concept of malevolent artificial intelligence. This film captivated audiences long before computers became indispensable parts of our lives, instilling a sense of fear and curiosity about what might unfold as machines evolved to greater complexity.
In this story, a team of astronauts embarks on the Discovery One spacecraft towards Jupiter. Their journey is prompted by a mysterious monolith from the moon that transmits a signal to Jupiter, hinting at potential extraterrestrial involvement. The ship’s power source is HAL 9000, an advanced computer with human-like qualities. When HAL reports an antenna malfunction, the crew dismisses it as a machine error. However, HAL counters by suggesting human error instead. Growing worried, the astronauts contemplate shutting down the machine. Unfortunately, this decision leads to disastrous consequences.
Although the astronauts converse about their strategy at a distance from HAL, the machine manages to lip-read their conversation and deduces their intentions. Consequently, it decides to eliminate them one by one, convinced that they are in the wrong and that their proposed actions could jeopardize the mission.
Engaging in the movie as it skillfully overcomes outdated aspects to truly convey the terror of this predicament is quite delightful. To be frank, many directors might have stopped there and deemed it satisfactory. Yet, Kubrick chooses to end the film with an enigmatic finale that gives substantial depth to what we’ve witnessed.
In the storyline, the character David’s unearthing of another enigmatic structure on Jupiter seems like an ideal conclusion for a film that delves into profound scientific and ethical dilemmas. Not long after, our space-faring hero is sucked into a beam of light, unveiling strange cosmic occurrences and exotic landscapes brimming with vivid hues. Upon landing, he encounters a neoclassical chamber where he experiences glimpses of his future self as an elderly man. As he lays in bed, he attempts to interact with the monolith and transforms into an infant. The movie concludes by depicting the child floating above Earth.
Kubrick Didn’t Want His Props Exploited by Other Filmmakers
In essence, “2001: A Space Odyssey” stands out for its finely crafted characters and well-orchestrated script, as well as an outstanding portrayal by Douglas Rain as HAL 9000’s voice. However, it is the visuals and costume designs that leave the biggest impression, and their creation was no small feat. Always striving for perfection, Kubrick enlisted architects, model makers, boat builders, painters, furniture designers, and sculptors to bring his vision to life. Even experts in spacecraft design, Harry Lange and Frederick Ordway, were tasked with creating the spaceship.
Ultimately, the visual effects were so lifelike that there was no other candidate for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. And as time went on, admiration for the film only grew, with the Apollo 8 astronauts examining the movie’s spaceflight prior to their own mission. Such realism sparked the moon-landing conspiracy theory, which posits that some claim the Apollo 11 moon landing was a hoax, and that Stanley Kubrick filmed it instead.
In today’s context, numerous props from the movie have become instantly recognizable symbols. There’s the revolving Space Station V, a precursor to the iPad-like device called Newspad, and of course, HAL 9000 itself. Given his immense dedication, Kubrick was adamant that everything be discarded once the production stage was complete. In essence, he didn’t want his creations to be replicated by filmmakers seeking to mimic his work.
Furthermore, Kubrick was adamant about no one making a profit by selling any of the film’s items. This may seem trivial, but it was indeed valid due to the frequent looting of sets from sci-fi movies back then. For instance, consider Fred M Wilcox’s 1956 masterpiece, “Forbidden Planet.” Items from this movie were often misused. For example, Robby the Robot, a prop from the film, was utilized in over five different productions, including “Lost in Space,” “Columbo,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “The Addams Family.
The Plan Kinda Backfired
It seems that even Stanley Kubrick’s policy of “no one can have it” didn’t entirely work, as elements from his movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” ended up in unexpected places. For instance, a spacesuit backpack was discovered on the TV show “UFO,” and an EVA pod could be spotted in Watto’s junkyard in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Kubrick’s act of dismantling the set pieces ignited curiosity about the remaining elements. In 2015, an auction house sold the authentic shuttle model from the movie for $344,000, with it ultimately finding its way to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Reports also suggest that the Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum possesses a Star Child model, spacesuit, monkey costume, storyboards, photographic contact sheets, and test footage from the Stargate sequence.
In addition to this, one of HAL’s eyepieces is in possession of the author of the book “Hal’s Legacy,” David G. Stork. Furthermore, other items such as a futuristic watch manufactured by the US company Hamilton and the red Djinn chair from the Space Station V’s travel lounges have also been preserved.
Kubrick’s and 2001’s Legacies Remain Intact
Luckily for Stanley Kubrick, none of his valuable props fell into the possession of less skilled filmmakers. Both “UFO” and “The Phantom Menace” are good productions, made by talented individuals. The former was produced by Gerry Anderson, who is renowned for his innovative use of marionette puppets with electrical components and is often recognized as one of the best British science fiction shows ever created. The latter, though not necessarily a must-see “Star Wars” film, was skillfully crafted by George Lucas.
2001: A Space Odyssey
is available to stream in the US on Max.
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2024-09-27 04:32