Ambitious is too small a word - Kubrick has crafted a film that attempts to capture all the essence of humanity in a few short hours. This staple of sci-fi films is also a captivating experience, that engages deep questions of life, and like life, leaves them largely unanswered, but better explored.
C.S. Lewis describes pride as 'the great sin' - the greatest flaw in humankind.
"There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others" (Mere Christianity)
I know Stanley Kubrick wasn't a Christian, and probably disagreed with Lewis on many things, but I bring this up because when I watched his film this week, that quote stuck in my mind throughout the dialogue scenes. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a film very much about the human condition; it was poorly received when it first screened to critics, but over time has become known as one of the greatest films ever made, partly for it's groundbreaking effects, and partly for its unconventional narrative that touches on some of the biggest questions of life...
