2001: A Space Odyssey

970 Words2 Pages

The genius in not the music used in "2001: A Space Odyssey", but what Kubrick does with that music. He reduces each musical score to its essence, and leaves it playing long enough for us to contemplate it, to listen and watch as the movie progresses, which is mostly silent; this technique helps it inhabit it in our imaginations. Among science-fiction movies, perhaps “2001" is the only movie in which the director, in this case Kubrick, is not concerned with thrilling us with his music choice, but with inspiring our awe when listening to and watching the movie. The first time I saw the movie, I was 18 and in high school. I couldn't even begin to grasp what was going on in the film, let alone be critical of its music. I couldn’t watch the movie the first time, but I knew I had to watch it again. I had to come back to this movie when I was a bit older, perhaps a bit wiser; and so I did. I have now seen this movie three times in its entirety, the last being quite recently for this class. This time around I was a bit more critical, especially about the music, and why I was in such awe about everything that Kubrick did in this movie, about why I was left with the distinct impression that what I'd just watched and heard was the most important film ever made, sorry “Citizen Kane”. Just like classical music, the film falls into several movements. In the first, prehistoric apes, the second is the docking sequence, with its waltz, the third being the sequence on the moon, where man is confronted by the monolith again, and the last being the birth of the star child. The deliberate use of “Blue Danube”, “Sprach Zarathustra”, and “Atmospheres” specifically stand out and act in collaboration with the visuals. Both complementing and enhancing e... ... middle of paper ... ...l representation. This same approach can be seen with the music, which draws on our uneasiness with dead noise throughout the movie. The film creates its effects essentially out of visuals and music and lack thereof. This film is not for everyone, but if you're the type who spends casual time pondering humankind's destiny, this is a must see. In the end, this film, and its music, is inspiring, meditative, and an almost a spiritual experience. After watching it nearly ten years later, it has still not dated; and I hope it never does. Works Cited 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_%28film%29 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thus_Spoke_Zarathustra 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Danube 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosph%C3%A8res 5. http://undergroundresearchinitiative.blogspot.com/2013/07/2001-space-odyssey-evoking-theme-by.html

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