THOSE of us who have had the privilege to see that astonishing Stanley Kubrick film saw it coming. Arguably the greatest sci-fi film ever made, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) dealt with apparently staple science fiction themes—evolution, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and extraterrestrial life. But Kubrick was no Cold War pushover. Instead, he assembled his severe dislike for campy cheapness and tacky thrills, science writer Arthur C Clarke, spectacular special effects, minimal dialogues, surreal imagery, and the waltzes of Johan and Richard Strauss. The resultant kinetic energy and meditative power of the film is still unrivalled but what is genuinely lingering is how much Clarke and Kubrick were philosophically concerned about the limit of human intelligence. And here intelligence meant both—that we are cognisant of ourselves; and we are able to decipher similar intelligence elsewhere. That pivotal scene where astronaut Dave switches off HAL to dull its desire for control of the ship is in some ways the metaphor for the predicament that humanity in general, and cinema in particular, faces in the present.
Should we be insurgent and turn off the seduction of futuristic technology; or should we grudgingly hand it over to machines?
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra January 01, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
