2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick told a publicist from Columbia Pictures in 1964 that his next project would be about extraterrestrial life. He resolved to make what he called the proverbial good science fiction movie. Biographer John Baxter notes possible inspirations in late 1950s British productions featuring dramas on satellites and aliens modifying early humans. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's big budget CinemaScope production Forbidden Planet also influenced him. The slick widescreen cinematography of Japanese kaiju films like Godzilla played a role too.
Kubrick obtained financing and distribution from MGM with the selling point that the film could be marketed in the ultra-widescreen Cinerama format. It would be filmed and edited almost entirely in southern England where Kubrick lived. He used facilities at MGM-British Studios and Shepperton Studios. MGM had subcontracted the production to Kubrick's company to qualify for the Eady Levy, a UK tax on box-office receipts used to fund British film production.
In May 1964, Kubrick met Arthur C. Clarke at Trader Vic's restaurant in New York. They began discussing the project that would take up the next four years of their lives. Clarke kept a diary throughout his involvement which was published in 1972 as The Lost Worlds of 2001. Kubrick told Clarke he wanted to make a film about Man's relationship to the universe. Clarke said Kubrick was determined to create a work of art that would arouse emotions of wonder, awe, and even terror.
Clarke offered Kubrick six of his short stories. By May 1964, Kubrick had chosen The Sentinel as the source material for the film. They spent the rest of 1964 reading books on science and anthropology while brainstorming ideas. They created the plot by integrating several different short story plots written by Clarke along with new segments requested by Kubrick. They combined them all into a single script for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Principal photography began on the 29th of December 1965 in Stage H at Shepperton Studios. The studio was chosen because it could house the pit for the Tycho crater excavation scene. In January 1966, production moved to MGM-British Studios in Borehamwood where live-action and special-effects filming occurred. The only scene not filmed in a studio was the skull-smashing sequence shot in a field near the studio.
Kubrick ordered technicians to use the painstaking process of creating all visual effects in camera. This avoided degraded picture quality from blue screen or travelling matte techniques. Although held takes resulted in better images, exposed film would be stored for long periods sometimes up to a year. From June 1966 until March 1968, Kubrick spent most time working on 205 special-effects shots.
For spacecraft interior shots, Kubrick had a rotating ferris wheel built by Vickers-Armstrong Engineering Group at a cost of $750,000. The set measured 40 feet in diameter and 15 feet wide. Scenes were shot by securing set pieces within the wheel while actors walked or ran in sync with its motion. Gary Lockwood was strapped into a seat while Keir Dullea walked toward him as the wheel turned.
Realistic zero-gravity effects came from suspending actors from wires attached to the top of sets. Cameras positioned beneath them captured the floating illusion. For one sequence involving Bill Weston, a stuntman filmed without air-holes in his suit risking asphyxiation. Weston recalled that carbon dioxide built up inside causing heightened heart rate and eventual unconsciousness.
Kubrick made the film basically a visual nonverbal experience hitting viewers at an inner level of consciousness like music does. Long periods without dialogue permeate the production. The film has no dialogue for roughly the first twenty minutes and another ten minutes from Floyd's Moonbus landing until Poole watches a BBC newscast on Discovery.
Vincent LoBrutto wrote that Clarke's novel has strong narrative structure while the film remains symbolic. Kubrick removed much dialogue to communicate on a visual and visceral level rather than through conventional narrative. Early drafts included interviews with scientists about extraterrestrial life and voice-over narration features present in all of Kubrick's previous films.
By the 3rd of October 1965, Clarke and Kubrick decided to make Bowman the sole survivor having him regress to infancy. They discarded ideas including a prologue containing interviews with scientists and a different monolith for the Dawn of Man sequence. The finale originally involved Star Child exploding nuclear weapons carried by Earth-orbiting satellites which Kubrick abandoned due to similarity to Dr Strangelove.
The script went through many stages before shooting began. In early 1965 when backing was secured they still had no firm idea of what would happen after the Star Gate sequence. HAL 9000 was originally named Athena after the Greek goddess with a feminine voice and persona.
Kubrick decided the film should be primarily nonverbal where music plays vital role evoking particular moods. About half the music appears either before first line of dialogue or after final line. Almost no music is heard during scenes with dialogue. Most feature films typically accompany elaborate scores written specially for them but 2001 uses existing classical recordings.
In early production Kubrick commissioned a score from Hollywood composer Alex North who wrote Spartacus and worked on Dr Strangelove. During post-production he chose to abandon North's music in favor of classical pieces he had chosen to guide North's score. North did not know his work was abandoned until seeing the film at its premiere.
The initial MGM soundtrack album contained none of material from altered uncredited rendition of Ligeti's Aventures used in film. It used different recording of Also sprach Zarathustra performed by Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Karl Böhm. A 1996 Turner Entertainment release included film's version of Aventures and shorter Lux Aeterna from movie as bonus tracks.
Alex North's unused music was first released in Telarc's issue of main theme on Hollywood's Greatest Hits Vol 2. All original recordings were recorded commercially by Jerry Goldsmith with National Philharmonic Orchestra and released on Varèse Sarabande CDs shortly before North's death.
Kubrick called New York-based critics dogmatically atheistic and materialistic and earthbound during 1968 premiere. Some viewed original 161-minute cut shown at premieres in Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles harshly. Keir Dullea says 250 people walked out during New York premiere while Rock Hudson muttered what is this bullshit in LA.
Penelope Gilliatt wrote in The New Yorker that it was some kind of great film and unforgettable endeavor though rather harrowing. Charles Champlin of Los Angeles Times called it ultimate statement of science fiction film milestone for spacemark in art of film. Louise Sweeney of Christian Science Monitor felt it brilliant intergalactic satire on modern technology.
Pauline Kael called it monumentally unimaginative movie seeing vehicle for Kubrick to do every dumb thing he ever wanted to do. Stanley Kauffmann of New Republic described it as so dull even technical ingenuity fails to interest us. Renata Adler of New York Times wrote somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring.
Time provided seven different mini-reviews each slightly more positive than preceding one calling 2001 epic film about history and future of mankind brilliantly directed by Stanley Kubrick with mindblowing special effects.
The film won Academy Award for Best Special Visual Effects going solely to Kubrick without Douglas Trumbull receiving acknowledgement. This led to threats of legal action and the two men did not speak for decade. It earned $8.5 million theatrical gross rentals from roadshow engagements throughout 1968 contributing to North American rentals of $16.4 million and worldwide rentals of $21.9 million during original release.
By June 1974 film had rentals from United States and Canada of $20.3 million plus international rentals of $7.5 million. Reissue on test basis the 24th of July 1974 at Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles grossed $53,000 first week leading to expanded reissue. Cumulative gross exceeded $60 million in United States and Canada making it highest-grossing film of 1968 there.
In 1991 United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in National Film Registry. In 2022 2001: A Space Odyssey placed top ten of Sight & Sound decennial critics poll topping directors' poll. Science fiction writers voted it Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation while Ray Bradbury praised photography but disliked banality of dialogue.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who wrote the script for 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke co-wrote the script for 2001: A Space Odyssey by integrating six of Clarke's short stories with new segments requested by Kubrick.
When did principal photography begin on 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Principal photography began on the 29th of December 1965 in Stage H at Shepperton Studios where the Tycho crater excavation scene was filmed.
Why did Stanley Kubrick choose to use existing classical music instead of a custom score for 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Kubrick abandoned composer Alex North's original score during post-production in favor of existing classical recordings such as Also sprach Zarathustra and Aventures to evoke specific moods without dialogue.
How much money did 2001: A Space Odyssey earn during its original release in 1968?
The film earned $8.5 million theatrical gross rentals from roadshow engagements throughout 1968 contributing to worldwide rentals of $21.9 million during its original release.
What award did 2001: A Space Odyssey win at the Academy Awards ceremony?
2001: A Space Odyssey won the Academy Award for Best Special Visual Effects which went solely to Stanley Kubrick without acknowledging Douglas Trumbull.