Oct 27, 2005 01:29 AM
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(Updated Oct 27, 2005 01:49 AM)
Define Entertainment
A diversion. An ad hoc liberation from a chronic-moth eaten-prosaic-familiar-9to5-amaranthine-I need a paracetamol existence.
What is Entertaining?
Tom defines brummagem-exasperating-garden variety-sloppy-tear jerking-everybody does it, why don't I?-contrived cinema as the impeccable mode of entertainment. A not-so-commonplace Dick finds his ivory tower in visionary-psychedelic-allegorical-suggestive cinema. Monsieur Harry reaches his pinnacle of provocation through pornography, blood, snuff, gore and annihilation.
Did I not tell you, my first name is ''Dick'' and so was Stanley Kubrick's.
2001
Some call it a Science Fiction. I call it a psychedelic perception. The exemplar in 2001 is a monolith - a parabolic representation of ''The Forbidden Tree'' (ref: Genesis: Chapter 2:17), the ''Tree'' that is believed to be singlularly responsible for our existence. The monoliths planted by the ''little green men'' on the earth, moon and the jupiter catalyze human evolution towards the next step. Evolutions cited in 2001 are, prehistoric ape men to human beings and a human being to the starchild.
2001 is purposively slow paced to exmplify the drab life of human beings which is predominantly dependent upon ''tools''. Be it a mere bone used as a weapon to butcher an animal for food or be it a latest generation HAL 9000 series computer which can independently control an entire space-ship reducing humans to sheer maintenance-men. Kubrick, allegorically illustrates human evolution from prehistoric ape men to the super evolved Starchild. Rich in symbolism, 2001 depicts the entire reproduction cycle, right from the penetration of phallus into the vaginal opening to the ova implantation into the uterus to the formation of the embryo and the birth of the child. The entire reproductory process is a metaphorical illustration. Kubrick's idée fixe on white colour is barefaced in the final stage of 2001, ''Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite''.
Forethought
Avoid 2001 if you mind rattling your brains. This movie is not for the pea brained simpletons. Understanding 2001 necessitates repeated watching. Unquestionably, 2001 is amongst the best feature films by Stanley Kubrick (besides ''The Clockwork Orange''). It is very strange when people talk highly of his prosaic ''Eyes Wide Shut'' and ''The Shining''. It is commonly believed that Kubrick lost his touch after Barry Lyndon.
One last word for 2001: Watch It... and if you can't comprehend, Watch It Again.
