In 1968, Stanley Kubrick made a film of a new genre. Science fiction was profoundly changed and the spectators were not ready for it. In incomprehension, several hundred of them left the theater during the preview.
Sometimes films need to be allowed to mature before they become true successes. Many works that have become cult classics initially left viewers speechless, or even revolted. This is the case with 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now available on Max, Stanley Kubrick’s film, released in 1968, is considered one of the greatest works of science fiction. But it took time to get there. In 2001: A Space Odysseythe American director draws inspiration from two short stories by the novelist Arthur C. Clarke to try to provide a form of explanation for human evolution. Across four major periods of history, we discover interactions between men (or their ancestors) and large black monoliths which, after being touched, seem to deliver a form of external intelligence to human beings. This access to knowledge notably provokes an expedition to Jupiter and beyond, after the discovery of a strange radio signal on the Moon.
The first screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey was catastrophic.
For the 1960s, all this construction around higher intelligence, human evolution, and extraterrestrial travel was perhaps too intense. At the film’s 1968 premiere, 241 people left the theater halfway through. Those who stayed certainly applauded Stanley Kubrick’s technical prowess but said they didn’t understand his purpose in the story. Following that first screening, the director cut 20 minutes of the film, to make it more digestible. One way for 2001: A Space Odyssey to give himself a new chance with critics and spectators.
After the misunderstanding, a crazy success for 2001: A Space Odyssey
Among cinema professionals, this science fiction film oscillated between creative genius and total incomprehension. But in Hollywood, as if to stand out from the rest of the United States, critics ended up embracing this new genre of film. With its $10 million budget, the film ultimately brought in 56.7 million in revenue – more than 450 million if we compare that to today’s dollar. And that’s not all. Regularly cited in lists of the best science fiction films, 2001: A Space Odyssey is far from having said its last word.
Article written in collaboration with 6Médias.
