Despite being made almost 60 years ago, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is still ongoing.
Its groundbreaking special effects have influenced George Lucas, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan and others. Cultural influences can also be seen in Blade Runner and David Bowie’s works. The film is an incredible experience, from its “Dawn” sequence to its ending. In between there are spacecraft and HAL. This is a super intelligent computer that was far beyond that era. Kubrick had AI on the screen before it was even a terminology.
Speaking about the film’s impact, executive producer David S. Goyer called its technical achievements “surprising.”
Goyer was joined by cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker in a conversation with Variety 120 Screening Series, a summer programme that celebrates Variety’s 120th anniversary.
Goyer explained the background to how Kubrick made the film alongside the novel by Arthur C. Clarke, and how it was unable to release it before the film. Goyer said, “There are details in the novel that doesn’t exist in the film, as Kubrick cut things out. After the initial release, Kubrick cut out another 17 minutes of completed scenes from the film, then burned the negatives to his assistant.”
These negatives were never seen again.
Whitaker introduced “2001: A Space Odyssey” at school, studied it, and learned how Kubrick is practical in all departments. Her professor explained how filmmakers aren’t the only directors. “He was a production designer and a cinematography director, so everyone who was with him was in his world and worked with him.
Kubrick only walked with one victory despite being nominated for 13 Academy Awards over more than 50 years. In 1969, Oscar was the best visual effect of “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
The dawn of the incredible man’s opening was a groundbreaking achievement, and was filmed using front projection. At the time, it was the biggest front projector ever made. The actor was a mime dressed in costume and the background plate was shot in Africa. “It’s projected from the front into the mirror,” Goyer said.
Whitaker went on to say that filmmaking has evolved along with the volume stage, but the sequence remains a groundbreaking moment in the film. “You can’t take wide shots on volume. You can’t do this.”
Goyer added, “No one will ever do anything he has done again, so that’s pretty amazing.”
Aside from the impressive visuals, Kubrick asserts the film’s soundtrack with classical music cues. But to add even more to the bold choice, Kubrick uses a long silence to raise the tension in the film. “There’s going to be sad music,” Goyer said, “The way a typical film unfolds, when the crew dies, the rest of the actors say ‘Oh My God’.” There’s probably a backstory.” Boyer went on to say, “He just took all the existing rules of the film and said, ‘Fuck you’.”
Whitaker pointed out that Kubrick’s portrayal of the universe was intriguing. “Don’t you wonder if he knew that the space would be like that and would be very silent?”
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