 Has
there ever been a motion picture which has been more talked about, analysed,
reviewed and critiqued? Is there any more than can be written about
"2001: A Space Odyssey"?
There is nothing like a good old controversy to keep the memory of a truly
great masterpiece vital, alive and kicking. The Nolan
unrestored “Blueprint” which
shifts the projected image decisively to the blue end of the spectrum, has
aroused quite a stir, or:
“Im afraid that there is going to be
a bit of a row about it.”
-, as Dr Andrei Smyslov might have warned
Nolan.
How does it look on the giant, deeply curved Cinerama screen? The print
suffers from a muting of the famous Kubrick Red. This is particularly
noticeable on the death notice: LIFE FUNCTIONS TERMINATED. The red alert of
the emergency ejection of Bowman from the pod, is not quite so red, the
bright red interior of the HAL 9000 “brain” is somewhat dulled even before
shutdown and as for HAL’s iconic Cyclopean red eye...
Is this REDRUM on Nolan’s part? So much for the cons, here are the pros.
The Nolan “Blueprint” creates a subtly different atmosphere. The stars and
spacecraft were much brighter, the murders more horrific, the Stargate
transit more traumatic and the desperate loneliness of Bowman in his faux
eighteenth century environment more poignant. The only escape from his
predicament being graduation to infancy and beyond...
Having watched this legendary chef d’oeuvre on the deep, Cinerama curve in
Super Panavision 70, my
definitive conclusion is that in the third decade of the 21st Century, 70mm
reigns supreme. In image quality, resolution and sheer solidity, no other
format comes close.
Long live the King!
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More in 70mm reading:
"2OO1: A Space Odyssey"
Time for Tenet
The Golden Age of 70mm
Stanley Kubrick's "2OO1:
A Space Odyssey" in Super Panavision 70
Internet link:
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