Interesting post Taz and I appreciate you giving your viewpoint from your own experience. You asked for people's thoughts on
2001 and our thoughts on your reaction, so I will post my thoughts below
I'm going to preface this by saying this most recent sit through of this movie was without AD. Now, I have sat through this film perhaps 3-4 times over the course for 35 years, back when I could see and once with the aid of AD since I lost my sight/ On this most recent occasion this evening, the screening at the cinema did not have the AD working. As such, with so many large sections of the film that are without dialogue and left with just the score, soundtrack and soundscape to work from, it left me with time to ponder this question and I'm curious what others think of this also - is this still a good movie?
I can understand how a long and slow movie with large blocks of silence could be a challenge for someone who had lost their sight. To answer your question I find those large blocks without dialogue a challenge too, but as they have lots of visual information it never looses me or causes me to disengage from it. But yes it is slow, slow, slow.
I don't mean to diminish it's importance as a landmark piece of cinematic history.... Let alone how pioneering and influential it has been to so many films that have been influenced and entire genre for that matter that have followed in it's footsteps...
But for all that was completely visionary and revolutionary in 1969, is it still a good movie in 2024?
I'm of the opinion that movies are timeless. If a film was a masterpiece or great in it's day, I don't see that changing over time. Though I do know films trend and then fall in and out of favor. So sure
2001 might end up like
The Jazz Singer, appreciated for it's ground breaking technical and artistic achievements, but not something people rush to go and see.
I don't know what side I come down on in this because I am aware f this is your all time favourite film or whatever please don't take offence, I'm simply asking a question and for people's thoughts.
2001 is a film I rate highly, a film I respect. It's not a film that I would say I love and I don't think it's perfect. I do think it gets a free pass because Kubrick has been placed on a pedestal and it's one of those films we're suppose to like if we are film buffs. I think the opening sequences with the proto human apes goes on too long. The sequence on the moon, which should set up the mystery as the humans ponder what they have found buried on the dark side of the moon, is too short...It needed more scene time to flesh out the emotion of that discovery which causes us to realize we are not alone. Finally, the trip through the time/dimension tunnel with all the flashy lights and strange shapes also goes on too long. I believe that scene is so long as to give people of 1969 the idea of what an acid trip would be like, and so people on acid can really trip out!
Sill I'd rate the film
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