Space Odyssey

Having met Arthur C Clarke in the late 60’s, not long after seeing 2001 for the umpteenth time, I looked forward to reading this book. What happened amazed me. The author presents events, discussing things the way they might have been, and then discussing the final scene or dialog. As each revelation unfolds I found myself recalling each scene vividly, intensely. It was like the film was playing as I read. The parsity of illustration was no bother, I remembered the film and my attendent awe. Great detail not previously annotated in other books. A wonderful history of a pivotal point in cinema.

If, like me, you are an unabashed fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey then this book is required reading. Drawing upon exhaustive research, author Michael Benson takes the reader behind the scenes of arguably the greatest science fiction movie of all time. Its all here, from first concepts to finished film and its aftermath. So many facets of the production are covered, including the lengthy writing (and re-writing) process, prep, design, special effects, costume/wardrobe, stunts, sound, music, and so much more. There is a lot of meat to this book, and precious little fat. The shooting of 2001 was a protracted and sometimes brutal affair, and all due credit to Benson for not flinching from some of the less salubrious aspects. Although far from the first (and almost certainly not the last) book to be written on Kubricks magnum opus, this is so far by my reckoning, at least the most essential. Film students, film lovers, and fans of 2001 from the casual to the hardcore will all want to pick this one up. Its truly engrossing.

Remarkable book, very impressive research. Didnt realize there could be so many more behind-the-scenes stories about 2001 that Id never heard. Very timely and recommended.

~ EDIT (4/4/18):

Quality control note: The photos in the color section of the book are lower contrast and look unnecessarily faded (presumably due to the printer chintzing on ink). Ironic, considering the legendary perfectionism of the books major subject.

Im tempted to deduct a star (as Kubrick himself wouldnt have been pleased), but this is otherwise a five-star work. Hopefully the author / publisher will rectify this shortcoming in future printings.

This is a valuable contribution to the literature on 2001 that provides considerable detail and insight into the film, including original research and many anecdotes and interviews not previously published.

It is puzzling, given the space devoted to the contributions of Doug Trumbull and the access Benson had to Trumbull, that no mention is made of Trumbull’s own film, 1972’s Silent Running. That film depicts a spacecraft’s encounter with Saturn, something Kubrick had contemplated for 2001 before being forced to abandon the effort as too daunting due to budgetary and time constraints. (As Benson notes, Saturn is the ultimate destination of Discovery in Clarke’s novel.)

Most puzzling is the one error of fact I noted: Benson says that 2001 was “nominated for four [Oscars], including Best Picture” (p. 436). The film did indeed receive four nominations (Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects, the one award it received), but not for Best Picture. The Best Picture nominees that year were Oliver! (the winner), Funny Girl, The Lion in Winter, Rachel, Rachel, and Romeo and Juliet.

I saw the movie in it’s original 70mm release format in London and it’s remained in my top 5 all-time favorite list ever since. The author of this book has done exhaustive research and pulls together unused material from several prior publications to create the most detailed ‘making of’ book imaginable.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have never got through such a large book in so short a time before as i followed the process from the original collaboration with Arthur C Clarke through the early creation of some of the Stargate VFX, the virtual takeover of MGM’s UK studios, the various attempts at the creation and choreographing of the Dawn of Man characters as well as the recording of the (unused) orchestral score.

A fabulously informative book that I will treasure.

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