So many words have been written in an attempt to analyze 2001: A Space Odyssey that any attempt to add something new or original is bound to fail. The only thing that may be left up for grabs for analysis is the consideration of the status of Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking film that revolutionized special effects, introduced to many American moviegoers a new vocabulary for cinematic storytelling, became perhaps the essential title in the really quite extraordinary transformation of science fiction film from the absolute depths of Hollywood’s hierarchy of genres to its most commercially successful and critically acclaimed in terms related to the film industry’s most dependably met expectation: imitation.
The shocking truth is that despite all the influence on the future direction Hollywood would take after the success of 2001, part of its mythic legacy as a unique achievement is at least partially due to the fact that Hollywood has never really tried to duplicate it. Irrespective of the fact that without the monolith and the HAL the computer there would be no Force and R2-D2 and the game-changing blockbuster of from George Lucas, the history of American cinema since 1977 would perhaps be practically unrecognizable from where it stands today, the inescapable fact is that specific cinematic and storytelling mechanics of 2001: A Space Odyssey remain in mint condition, the package never having been opened by studio executives and big budget producer to play around with. That is a situation which has remained true for its first half century of existence and is even more unlikely to change in the next half century.
Consider what it would take to replicate the structural foundation of this influential film: 100 minutes of visuals accompanied usually by almost dirge-like classic music pitted against a paltry 40 minutes of screen time featuring astronauts who are the opposite of space heroes speaking dialogue that is best characterized as the Anti-Tarantino. That dialogue and those long scenes of astronaut NOT battling aliens or shooting at each other with rayguns is most famous for thoroughly confusing most viewers—even those who love the movie! Now consider trying to replicate the success of the film just described here in the modern age of multiplexes, tentpole franchises, rock and roll soundtracks and pithy memes based on memorable quotes that spread like wildfire when shared by tens of millions on social media in an instant.
That’s not even to mention the fact that the movie opens with the famous Dawn of Man chapter, an extended sequence featuring pre-human ape ancestors and no dialogue at all…not even voice-over narration. The most recent big Hollywood production to attempt anything even remotely similar to that opening was There will be Blood which opened with an essential wordless series of scenes showing the character played by Daniel Day-Lewis exhibiting the difficulties and dangers of being a lone miner at the end of the 19th century. Critically acclaimed and rightfully so, a big commercial success it was not.
The upshot is that 2001: A Space Odyssey must finally be identified as the cinematic achievement wielding the most far-reaching and comprehensive influence on the course of Hollywood filmmaking that no Hollywood studio has ever at any point tried to duplicate. When one takes the time to think about all the truly and majestically and spectacular artistic failures which nevertheless made money that Hollywood has practically plagiarized over the decades, this may stand Kubrick’s truly most bewildering accomplishment with 2001.
