2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick and science fiction novelist Arthur C. Clarke collaborated on the screenplay, which was inspired by Clarke's 1951 short story "The Sentinel" as well as other short works. Following the film's premiere, Clarke wrote a novelisation of it, which was written in part concurrently with the screenplay. The film, which stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, follows astronauts, scientists, and the sentient supercomputer HAL as they travel to Jupiter to explore an extraterrestrial monolith.
The film is known for its scientifically realistic portrayal of space flight, innovative visual effects, and ambiguous imagery. Kubrick ignored traditional cinematic and narrative tactics; language is sparse, and long stretches are supported solely by music. The soundtrack includes compositions by classical composers such as Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss II, Aram Khachaturian, and György Ligeti.
The film got mixed reviews, with some seeing it as darkly apocalyptic and others as a hopeful reconsideration of humanity's prospects. Critics praised its treatment of topics such as human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and the potential of extraterrestrial life. It received four Academy Award nominations, with Kubrick winning for visual effects direction. The picture is now largely considered as one of the best and most influential ever made. The United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1991. In 2022, 2001: A Space Odyssey was ranked in the top 10 of Sight & Sound's decennial critics' poll and topped their directors' poll. A sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, was released in 1984, based on the novel 2010: Odyssey Two.
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International versions[]
Language | Title | |
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Belarusian | unknown |
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Polish | 2001: odyseja kosmiczna |
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Russian (ORT) |
Космическая одиссея: 2001 |
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Russian (NTV+) |
2001 год: Космическая одиссея |
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Russian (Kinomania) |
Космическая одиссея: 2001 |
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Russian (SomeWax) |
2001 год: Космическая одиссея |
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Ukrainian | 2001: Космічна Одіссея |