space odyssey.docx

7/27/2019 space odyssey.docx

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2001: A Space Odyssey Film review

By Hannah Milliner


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Fig. 1 2001: A space Odyssey (1968)

Fig. 2 2001: A space Odyssey (1968)

Fig. 5 Wall-E (2008)Fig. 4 Portal (2007)

ig. 3 A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001: A Space Odysseyis a Sci-fi film that really pushed at the special

effects in a time before CG. Such effects included the look of

weightlessness, anti gravity halls and a star gate sequence. Douglass

Trumball explains in this quote how they achieved the rotating hub.

As soon as they stepped across onto the hub, it would stop

and the corridor would begin to rotate in the opposite

direction. From the camera's point of view the apparent rotation

remained constant, but the actors seemed to be completely

defying the law of gravity. (Trumball, S.D) many scenes were done

using camera trickery something as simple as a rotating camera or a

giant hamster wheel (Fig .1) The Star Gate scene involved using camera

slit photography (Fig. 2) The entire film tries to materialize their vision

of the future, although to the audience now the furniture seems

somewhat dated. There are elements that still ring true to the modernsociety, the space suits they used were of similar design that astronauts

used and still using today. The sets are typically minimalistic, using light

as a main source for colour. A lot of scenes in this film uses one

point perspective and leading lines, both of these help lead the

audiences eyes to parts of the scenes that contains the most

information. There is also a large use of sound, typically using

temporary tracks, using specific music to add to the scene that cant be added visually. The

soundtrack is incredibly iconic and has been used in many other films as

homage to Space Odyssey. Films such as Wall-Eand Tim BurtonsCharlie andthe chocolate factory.

Space Odyssey influenced a lot of modern Sci-fi

media and has been referenced in many more.

Hal (Fig. 3) has been a big design influence

to video characters such as GLaDOS

(Fig.4) fromportal, who is the Artificial

intelligence running Aperture science

laboratories, who decides to kill the staff with a deadly neurotoxin. She spends 2 Portal

games testing the protagonist Chell. He was a design aspect in Auto (Fig. 5) the Antagonist

Auto pilot in Wall-E. There was also a parody in The Simpsons that involved Hal trying to kill

off a main character Homer.The monolith has also appeared in a few films, one example is

in Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryDirected by Tim Burton. In the

television scene you can see the Oompa Loompa watching the ape

scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Music played while the

chocolate bar is floating is also taken from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

And finally going back to the original clip being watched they


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replace the monolith with the bar of candy.

Although there wasnt really an obvious story plot continuing through the film and most of it

raises more questions than it answers. This is Robert Eberts thoughts about the film We

became men when we learned to think. Our minds have given us the tools to understand

where we live and who we are. Now it is time to move on to the next step, to know that we

live not on a planet but among the stars, and that we are not flesh but intelligence. (Ebert,

1997) This is a valid point as the start of the film is about a clan of apes that eventually learn

to create tools to aid their survival, which stems to the shot of the discovery which is

essentially a more advance tool from the bone tool we saw previously. This is most likely to

be a reflection of the human race advancing. Later in the film the computer Hal 9000appears as the next big breakthrough of science thus advancing humans further, however

this film could also be making a point that we could lose control of the world around us if

we advance too much and rely on technology. This is what happened when Hal became

corrupted. There are many themes to this film in an article written by Casey Kazan she

stated The film's primary themes include the origins of evolution; sentient computers;

extra-terrestrial beings; the search for one's place in the universe; and re-birth all seen

within a cold, foreboding light. (Kazan, 2009) These themes are also the questions raised

throughout the film.


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Bibliography

Ebert, R(1997) Great Movie 2001: A Space OdysseyAt:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-2001-a-space-odyssey-1968

(Accessed on 15/10/13)

Kazan, C (2009) Ridley Scott: "After 2001 -A Space Odyssey, Science Fiction is Dead"

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.html


Trumball, D (S.D) Creating Special Effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey"

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/sk/2001a/page3.html


Images

Fig 1 2001: A space Odyssey(1968)[production photo]

http://inktank.fi/17-little-know-facts-about-2001-a-space-odyssey/


Fig. 2 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968) [production]

http://nofilmschool.com/2013/08/learn-how-to-create-slit-screen-sequences/


Fig. 3 2001: A space Odyssey(1968) [film still]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/movie-gadget-friday-2010-the-year-we-make-

contact/


Fig. 4 Portal(2007) [screen shot]

http://theportalwiki.com/wiki/GLaDOS


Fig. 5 Wall-E(2008)

http://www.slashfilm.com/wall-e-easter-eggs/

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-2001-a-space-odyssey-1968http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.htmlhttp://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.htmlhttp://www.visual-memory.co.uk/sk/2001a/page3.htmlhttp://inktank.fi/17-little-know-facts-about-2001-a-space-odyssey/http://nofilmschool.com/2013/08/learn-how-to-create-slit-screen-sequences/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/movie-gadget-friday-2010-the-year-we-make-contact/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/movie-gadget-friday-2010-the-year-we-make-contact/http://theportalwiki.com/wiki/GLaDOShttp://www.slashfilm.com/wall-e-easter-eggs/http://www.slashfilm.com/wall-e-easter-eggs/http://theportalwiki.com/wiki/GLaDOShttp://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/movie-gadget-friday-2010-the-year-we-make-contact/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/movie-gadget-friday-2010-the-year-we-make-contact/http://nofilmschool.com/2013/08/learn-how-to-create-slit-screen-sequences/http://inktank.fi/17-little-know-facts-about-2001-a-space-odyssey/http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/sk/2001a/page3.htmlhttp://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/07/ridley-scott-science-fiction-is-dead.htmlhttp://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-2001-a-space-odyssey-1968

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