AS Film Studies Sequence Analysis.

Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey                    Sequence: Franks Death

Question 1:

Explore how two film form elements have been used in this sequence to provoke response and make meaning.

One element of film form utilised to provoke a strong response in the sequence is sound. In the scene, the sound (and lack of sound) used makes for an incredibly tense and emotional experience. In particular, the extreme lack of dialogue and audio after the terrible event of Franks death invokes a sense of shock and confusion for the audience. We question Dave’s emotional stability and then respect his dedication to the mission and order. Preceding this is one of the best uses of silence in cinematic history. We are clued to the inevitable doom for Frank when the pod starts turning towards the camera. After this terrifying realisation, there is a jump zoom onto Hal accompanied by complete and utter silence. This is powerful because it says so much with a simple shot and no sound whatsoever.

Throughout the scene, sound plays a seemingly minor role. The immediate thought is to pay less attention to the sound as there is no non-diabetic sound and very little dialogue. However, this is not the case. Sound plays perhaps the most important part in creating an emotional tone. It allows for the audience to feel closer and more connected to the scene. Whilst Frank is struggling for air, the previous breathing sound is missing. This shows how he has no hope and builds the dread and a more active spectator ship.

Another element of film form which plays a role is the editing. Specifically, the way the film lingers on long shots and slow camera movements rather than dramatic cuts even during the tensest and most worrying scenes. This is usually an editing style when the action is slower paced, or it is largely dialogue based. Kubrick, however, understood that you don’t need ECU shots and fast paced cuts to achieve a dramatic tone. Lingering shots are used without many cuts throughout the scene. Another example would be the shot in the  pod at the start to show Frank as being calm and calculated, with high key lighting to show the contrast from the inside of the pod to the cold vacuum of space.

Question 2:

What might this film from 1968 be trying to say about the future?

The film 2001: A Space Odyssey attempts to provoke a strong emotional response from the viewer through the use of dramatic irony and unsavoury predictions. Kubrick is using the film as a way to express his distaste in the advancements in technology and the potentially disastrous consequences of artificial intelligence.

Despite all of this, the film is not technically a dystopia. This is due to the positive atmosphere of most of the film. The environments are clean and polished and humanity has advanced significantly. This means that we have to view the film as more of a positive outlook than a negative one.

An important aspect to mention is that this film was made preceding the moon landings. At the time it was a marvel of special effects and visual design. Specifically the lighting and graphic design were way ahead of their time. This is relevant because it shows the outlook of the future in a less advanced era. Hal is the culmination of all the doubt and fears about technology held in the past. His omnipresent nature and lack of sonic perspective as he has no physical form help to create a sinister aura around his character.

Additionally, the film could be perceived to have taken an optimistic stance on the future. This is due to the fact that by 2001 humanity had not even reached close to the level Kubrick predicted. Despite the evil technology, 2001 still holds an attitude showing humanities explorative nature and urge to discover.

The most prominent aspect of 2001 that details the view on the future is the mise en scene. Props and costumes are meticulously detailed in order to show as accurate of a representation as Kubrick possibly could. The suits worn by the astronauts help to give life to the characters and sets with vibrant colours contrasting with the stale and plain white ship or dark vastness of space.

Furthermore, the high key lighting kept for most of the film helps to bring the emotional tone to life and receive a more positive response from audiences, as the film has a dark and foreboding tone.

Another useful device for analysis is looking at ideological perspective held in the 1960s. The blatantly obvious fact of having 2 while male leads immediately showed that during the time of the making of the film it was not considered feasible that women would be able to handle tasks such as space travel. It is important to consider, however, that there are a total of 2 main characters for the majority of the film and even 1 for a portion of it. This means that Kubrick was not presented with much opportunity to adequately display cultural diversity with casting choices. But it is still an interesting fact to consider when discussing the views held by Kubrick on the future of technology and cosmic exploration.

During the time of the creation of 2001, the space race between the USA and USSR was at an all time high. With the cold war still raging and the tensions not decreasing, 2001 helped to show the technological and visual advancements that the USA had over the USSR. This is a prominent reason for the stunning visuals in a film facing its 50th anniversary.