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IMDb > 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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User Rating: 8.4/10 (119,778 votes)
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Overview

Director:
Stanley Kubrick
Writers:
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) &
Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay)
more
Release Date:
6 April 1968 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Adventure | Sci-Fi more
Tagline:
Let the Awe and Mystery of a Journey Unlike Any Other Begin more
Plot:
Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
AFI Picks Top Films By Genre (From Studio Briefing. 18 June 2008, 10:35 AM, PDT)
Former MGM Chief Rosenfelt Dead at 85 (From Studio Briefing. 8 August 2007)
User Comments:
Cosmic Art more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
How the Solar System Was Won (USA) (working title)
Journey Beyond the Stars (USA) (working title)
Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
Runtime:
141 min | 160 min (premiere cut)
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English | Russian
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS 70 mm (2001 re-release)
Certification:
Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Spain:T | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2007) | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | New Zealand:PG | Malaysia:U | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1969) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:12 | Ireland:G | Brazil:Livre
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 3% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Originally the Discovery was to have traveled to Saturn, but the special effects crew was unable to make convincing-looking rings around the planet. Effects artist Douglas Trumbull eventually perfected a technique for making the rings after production was completed, and used Saturn's rings to great effect in his directorial debut, Silent Running (1972). more
Goofs:
Continuity: When disconnecting the HAL 9000 brain, Bowman turns a key to release clear plastic blocks which represent areas of brain being severed. As the shots go from Bowman's perspective to an alternate viewpoint showing his facial expressions, the number of blocks being released varies. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Aries-1B stewardess: Here you are, sir, main level please.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007) more
Soundtrack:
An der schönen, blauen Donau, op. 314 (The Blue Danube) more

FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
What are some reservations about the Homer Connection?
Is the movie about God?
more
139 out of 190 people found the following comment useful:-
Cosmic Art, 6 February 2005
10/10
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

Mankind's Self awakening is the theme of "2001: A Space Odyssey", a process that unfolds along a space-time continuum. We "see" our primordial past, and we "infer" a cosmic future. The powers of intuition thus become the doors of perception, in our ongoing collective journey.

From this transcendental perspective, a conventional, egocentric plot seems superfluous. Our frenzied conflicts and self-important dialogue are consumed in evolutionary change, and are irrelevant in a cosmos that is vast beyond comprehension. It's a tough lesson for a vain and aggressive species. Not surprising then that some of us huff and puff about the film's slowness and minimal story. For perceptive viewers, the remuneration is an inspirational sense of wonder and awe.

In this film, which is mostly visual, geometric symbols guide our intuition. Circles and arcs represent nature. Right angles represent conscious intelligence. Some people think the sleek, black monolith is a Von Neumann probe. Maybe. Without doubt, the monolith is a visual metaphor for an extraterrestrial intelligence whose physical form is never shown. Mystery is more profound than explanation.

"2001 ... " is unique among films in content and scope. The cinematography is out-of-this-world, the special and visual effects are breathtaking, and the classical music is sublime. I rarely use the word "masterpiece" to describe a movie. But Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is art in the highest sense, like Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", or Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night".

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Ships Pod Bay Ray4Wallma
And another thing about HAL aajacksoniv
2001 Fans: What do you think of 'The Fountain'? cleeveboy
HAL's Twin aajacksoniv
Which DVD edition is the best? Olias_of_Sunhillow
If you don't understand this movie watch this. charlestiernan
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