RR (makeup) (Group A): “Introductory Readings for Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey” Robert Poole, in his article, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” explores how the film was put together, edited for better responses from viewers and critics, and how our culture and politics of the 1960s influenced its making. Poole describes how Kubrick’s ahead-of-their-time special affects set the stage for future science fiction films and inspired many. Poole gives his readers a summary of the film, describing how man evolved from ape and into man who took to spaceflight. Kubrick’s film didn’t have great success at its initial premiere. In a celebrity premiere, Kubrick remembers the shock of its initial release, he says, “I have never seen an audience so restless…By the end of the film some were already leaving, and I will never forget my irritation at watching the sight of the Star Child’s enormous eyes gazing at their backs as they headed up the aisles towards the exit” (CP 174). This didn’t stop Kubrick, who then took to editing more of the film and removing large pieces of dialogue. What he did had worked. And Poole writes, “2001 succeeded because it was (as Kubrick put it) ‘a non-verbal experience’, or (in Clarke’s words) ‘a realistic myth’” (CP 174). The main demographic that the movie largely spoke to were the young. Poole writes, “…The children loving the film while their parents grumbled about its obscurity,” and, “’You’re not supposed to understand it, you’re supposed to watch it!’ chided one youngster” (CP 172). And for hippies and Vietnam veterans it had acquired a cult status. They filled the cinemas with marijuana smoke and according to Poole, had the “…Psychedelic ‘ultimate trip’ sequence” (CP 172). Regardless of how... ... middle of paper ... ..., according to Fry, “…Tells the story of humanity’s genesis, quite appropriately through the ironically presented visual suggestion of a post-Darwinian Garden, an anti-Eden…” (CP 178). Fry also compares the opening scene with that of the biblical Cain and Able story. He says, “…”Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him,” and, “The shots that follow, however, show the Cain figure triumphant, not outcast, like the biblical Cain” (CP 181). This is an “anti” bible example as well. Whereas Cain was outcast and punished by God, the ape-man was triumphant and his violence helped further his evolution. In conclusion, Fry and Poole made great arguments for Kubrick’s movie. While I have seen this movie several times as a child in the 1970s and early 1980s, the articles have me looking forward to seeing 2001 again. I look forward to this ‘visual’ story.
In his essay, “It’s Just a Movie: A Teaching Essay for Introductory Media Classes”, Greg M. Smith argues that analyzing a film does not ruin, but enhances a movie-viewing experience; he supports his argument with supporting evidence. He addresses the careful planning required for movies. Messages are not meant to be telegrams. Audiences read into movies to understand basic plotlines. Viewers should examine works rather than society’s explanations. Each piece contributes to Smith’s argument, movies are worth scrutinizing.
[2] Missing is a rather confusing film to follow at first. Admittedly, I had to view it a few times to understand what was happening. Perhaps the initial feeling after seeing this film is confusion. However, after having watched it a second, fourth, eighth time, what I really felt was anger. Each time I watched the film, the anger and disgust would grow, so much so that it pained me to watch it again. However, in identifying the cause of my anger, I began to realize many things.
As a conclusion, it must be said that the generic marker ‘The visual surface of Science Fiction presents us with a confrontation between those images to which we respond as “alien” and those we know to be familiar’ can be applied to Blade Runner when judging the movie from an aesthetic point of view as well as from an ideological point of view. As it was mentioned earlier in the essay, the film is constructed from images which society nowadays find as alien (such as images of the city, interiors and social interactions) and also from more familiar images
"Why should the bomb be approached with reverence? Reverence can be a paralyzing state of mind. For me the comic sense is the most eminently human reaction to the mysteries and the paradoxes of life. I just hope some of them are illuminated by the exaggerations and the style of the film. And I don't see why an artist has to do any more than produce an artistic experience that reflects his thinking." (Stanley Kubrick qtd in Wainright 15)
Kubrick was obsessed, around the 1950’s, with Sci-Fi hits one after the other, it helped this genre evolve into something bigger. Kubrick believed that this genre had the future of being something else and the spectators have never seen before. He wanted to change the way we watch movies all together. Kubrick started talking about a new project, that when it became to a reality, he placed a temporary title of “The Conquest of Space”. As always, he started to read all types of Sci-Fi books that he could come across with, to find interesting stories. Someone had recommended him to speak with Arthur C. Clarke.
Even though Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb screened in the midst of the sobering Cold War, critics were keen on praising the film for its mastery of humor applied to such a sensitive matter. The film is exceedingly loaded with metaphors, innuendos, and allusions that nothing can be left undissected or taken for face value; the resulting effect is understood to be part of Kubrick’s multifarious theme. Kubrick has stated that what began as a “the basis for a serious film about accidental war ” eventually birthed an absurd and farcical classic comedy. The director fuses together irony, satire, and black humor to create a waggish piece but most of all the situation of the times and its gravity is the essence of what the audience finds so hilarious . Using caricatures rather than characters, exaggerated script, and sexual undertones, Kubrick manifests to the audience their own predicament and just how ridiculous it is to even consider brinksmanship as a means to preserve the American lifestyle.
Science fiction writing began in the early 1800’s as a reaction to the growth of science and technology. The genre is characterized by its intellectual excitement, high adventure, and its making of the fantastic possible. Due to the nature of science fiction, film has become an essential part of its popularity. Science fiction films have been popular since the earliest silent clips because of the outlandish visuals and creative fictional story lines that capture an audience’s attention. Under the guise of this popular platform, writers relay political, social and philosophical messages to their audience.
...lm. With the director’s use of special effects, this proves that he had an artistic way of showing the film, as well as his use of ambiguous scenes and sequences that were provided in the film. By making it a classical cinema film, the Kubrick did a good job in proving the realism of space and all, as well as using the film order to make the movie in order. By making the film both art and classical cinema, this just makes the movie even better and the director more smarter for being able to do this in one movie.
Lehman, Peter and Luhr, William. Thinking About Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003.
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the betterment of mankind ultimately is his undoing. The first true AI, HAL. Considered to be 100% error proof fails and murders several humans whose lives he was entrusted with. 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to demonstrate the theme of man vs. nature through the scientists interaction with the obelisk, and Bowman's travel through the solar system. It is considered to be a classic because of the very stylistic camera shots and odd yet entirely working film score.
One could easily dismiss movies as superficial, unnecessarily violent spectacles, although such a viewpoint is distressingly pessimistic and myopic. In a given year, several films are released which have long-lasting effects on large numbers of individuals. These pictures speak
In the film, Kubrick makes better use of symbolism and the archetypical characters in the story than King did. Stanley Kubrick has taken advantage of the words written by King and turned them into a genius image. The film is loaded with copies and cycles, individuals existing in two time periods with clashing personas, which are constantly battling each other throughout the movie.
Gallagher, T. 2002. Senses of Cinema – Max Ophuls: A New Art – But Who Notices?. [online] Available at: http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/feature-articles/ophuls/ [Accessed: 8 Apr 2014].
Barsam, R. M., Monahan, D., & Gocsik, K. M. (2012). Looking at movies: an introduction to film (4th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co..
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.