Post by klep on Oct 15, 2018 6:54:00 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 10/15: 2001: A Space Odyssey
SPACE WEEK!
With possibly the most famous musical cue in cinema history, Stanley Kubrick invites us to join him in his contemplation of consciousness and of the infinity of creation. Kubrick's use (or disuse) of sound and music throughout 2001: A Space Odyssey is among the best there is; serving to elevate the ballet of spacecraft, heighten the tension of experiencing the unknown, or enhance the dread and paranoia of HAL's insanity.
And the visuals are impeccable, with effects work that rivals anything we do today. Just imagine the work that has to go into that pen shot - it looks like it has to be a composite, and then the stewardess just reaches out and grabs it. Realistic space flight, magnificent simulation of micro-gravity, and technology that isn't far removed from what actually came to pass. And the scale is truly grand, making space seem truly vast and unknowable. I've been unable to see 2001 in its 70mm run, but I can only think it must be much more powerful it is in that context.
But to focus on all that obscures the real heart of the film, which hits home despite its anti-narrative structure. Kubrick here wants to create an experience more than tell a story. He doesn't want to tell us about the rise of man and the development of consciousness, he wants us to feel it - how that spark lets us impose order and security on a world that was terrifying chaos and hostility. What we see is a testament to the drive and curiosity of humanity, for good or ill. The monoliths don't really have to do much beyond just be there to drive us. Their mere existence shows us that we have more to discover, and pushes us to keep learning and to keep exploring.
But if the monoliths had to play a more active role - if they turned ape into man - what does that mean about the nature of humanity? In HAL, Kubrick makes us question whether artificial consciousness is just as valid as our own natural consciousness. We have to ponder if indeed our consciousness is not just an artifact of the monoliths. If so, what makes HAL different from a person? Sure, HAL is driven insane by the prospect of having made an error, but in killing the crew he feels he is acting in defense of both the mission and himself. On some level, shouldn't we empathize? Does he have a right to exist? I don't think it's an accident that Kubrick makes HAL's passing so affecting.
Kubrick presents these questions, but like most of the best films of this nature, he doesn't provide us with easy answers. Instead, he just impels us to think, to feel, and to question further. Like the monoliths, 2001: A Space Odyssey endeavors to make us aware of greater mysteries, and drive us to investigate them.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 10/22: Fantastic Mr. Fox
AUTUMN WEEK!
If there's a director who's entire thing says "autumn" it might well be Wes Anderson, so it's perhaps fitting that his most autumnal film would be our pick for Movie of the Week. Join us next week for a discussion of Anderson's beloved Fantastic Mr. Fox, available for rent on Amazon Video (though it is only free for Prime members with an HBO add-on) and on HBO Go.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/16: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The next edition of the podcast looks at two Robert Redford films from opposite ends of his career with this classic and the new The Old Man and the Gun. Join us next week for our discussion of the older film, available for rent on Amazon Video (free with an HBO add-on for Prime members) and on HBO Go.
SPACE WEEK!
With possibly the most famous musical cue in cinema history, Stanley Kubrick invites us to join him in his contemplation of consciousness and of the infinity of creation. Kubrick's use (or disuse) of sound and music throughout 2001: A Space Odyssey is among the best there is; serving to elevate the ballet of spacecraft, heighten the tension of experiencing the unknown, or enhance the dread and paranoia of HAL's insanity.
And the visuals are impeccable, with effects work that rivals anything we do today. Just imagine the work that has to go into that pen shot - it looks like it has to be a composite, and then the stewardess just reaches out and grabs it. Realistic space flight, magnificent simulation of micro-gravity, and technology that isn't far removed from what actually came to pass. And the scale is truly grand, making space seem truly vast and unknowable. I've been unable to see 2001 in its 70mm run, but I can only think it must be much more powerful it is in that context.
But to focus on all that obscures the real heart of the film, which hits home despite its anti-narrative structure. Kubrick here wants to create an experience more than tell a story. He doesn't want to tell us about the rise of man and the development of consciousness, he wants us to feel it - how that spark lets us impose order and security on a world that was terrifying chaos and hostility. What we see is a testament to the drive and curiosity of humanity, for good or ill. The monoliths don't really have to do much beyond just be there to drive us. Their mere existence shows us that we have more to discover, and pushes us to keep learning and to keep exploring.
But if the monoliths had to play a more active role - if they turned ape into man - what does that mean about the nature of humanity? In HAL, Kubrick makes us question whether artificial consciousness is just as valid as our own natural consciousness. We have to ponder if indeed our consciousness is not just an artifact of the monoliths. If so, what makes HAL different from a person? Sure, HAL is driven insane by the prospect of having made an error, but in killing the crew he feels he is acting in defense of both the mission and himself. On some level, shouldn't we empathize? Does he have a right to exist? I don't think it's an accident that Kubrick makes HAL's passing so affecting.
Kubrick presents these questions, but like most of the best films of this nature, he doesn't provide us with easy answers. Instead, he just impels us to think, to feel, and to question further. Like the monoliths, 2001: A Space Odyssey endeavors to make us aware of greater mysteries, and drive us to investigate them.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 10/22: Fantastic Mr. Fox
AUTUMN WEEK!
If there's a director who's entire thing says "autumn" it might well be Wes Anderson, so it's perhaps fitting that his most autumnal film would be our pick for Movie of the Week. Join us next week for a discussion of Anderson's beloved Fantastic Mr. Fox, available for rent on Amazon Video (though it is only free for Prime members with an HBO add-on) and on HBO Go.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/16: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The next edition of the podcast looks at two Robert Redford films from opposite ends of his career with this classic and the new The Old Man and the Gun. Join us next week for our discussion of the older film, available for rent on Amazon Video (free with an HBO add-on for Prime members) and on HBO Go.