Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if any film could capture the awe-inspiring vastness of the cosmos? Many directors have soared through the stars in science fiction, but one visionary’s belief is as enduring as the galaxy itself. George Lucas, the renowned creator of the epic Star Wars, has a deep appreciation for a cinematic masterpiece that even his own galactic saga cannot match: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The film starred Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in the leading roles.
The Untold Story of 2001: A Space Odyssey That George Lucas Hailed as Superior
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction film classic that has stood the test of time and is considered to be the best of its genre. Not only do movie buffs agree with this sentiment, but some of the greatest directors of all time, like Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, also do.
While Lucas is most commonly recognized for his iconic Star Wars franchise, it was Kubrick’s 1968 epic science fiction film that served as a technical blueprint for the groundbreaking visuals.
As a matter of fact, Lucas has acknowledged his admiration for the Keir Dullea-starred film, saying that it will be extremely difficult for another science fiction movie to compete with it. In a video by Movieclips, Lucas once declared about the film:
“It’s extremely subtle. It’s extremely visual. And the story is razor thin.”
Going even further, he stated that it would be “very hard” for anyone to make a better science fiction film:
“Stanley Kubrick made the ultimate science fiction movie, and it is going to be very hard for someone to come along and make a better movie, as far as I’m concerned. On a technical level, it can be compared [to Star Wars], but personally, I think that 2001 is far superior.”
Spielberg, another cinematic titan, has praised Kubrick’s visionary work, pointing out that the way the story is told in this flick is unlike anything audiences have seen before.
Celebrity Buzz: Stanley Kubrick’s Flick Wins Over These A-Listers
And even the mind-bending storyteller Christopher Nolan has acknowledged the boldness and confidence that Stanley Kubrick exhibited in 2001: A Space Odyssey, saying that he hopes to reach a similar caliber of greatness with his own films. He stated in a 2013 interview with IGN:
“Would I love to do things like that in my own work? Yes. But I don’t think I have the confidence to do that. Which is why there is only one Stanley Kubrick. I do believe he is inimitable. But you can be inspired. You can be inspired to aspire to be that confident.”
Additionally, Nicole Kidman paid tribute to Kubrick by saying the following, even going so far as to refer to the filmmaker as “god” (via THR):
“I delved into ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ with [Tom Cruise] who was a Kubrick cinephile. He talked me through it, and I was flabbergasted by Kubrick’s greatness. By the time I went to meet him for ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ Kubrick was already a god to me.”
English filmmaker-actor Edgar Wright, meanwhile, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the movie with a tweet:
Happy 50th to ‘2001: A Space Odyessy’. Ahead of its time in 1968. Ahead of its time in 2001. We’re still reaching to make movies as good as this even now. pic.twitter.com/06wizVbNPA
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 2, 2018
Leonardo DiCaprio once told Esquire that it is more than just a film, calling it a “spiritual experience”, further adding:
“You have to submerge yourself in it with the idea that Kubrick’s intent was to make us understand our relationship with the universe. The more you watch it the more questions it asks.”
Rotten Tomatoes awarded the movie an impressive 92% rating, with an average rating of 9.2 out of 10. Thus, it is indisputable that 2001: A Space Odyssey has had a lasting impact on the science fiction genre, even though Star Wars has undoubtedly had a greater commercial and cultural impact.
As George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Christopher Nolan have all attested, Kubrick’s masterpiece will always be a touchstone for filmmakers and audiences alike.
2001: A Space Odyssey is streaming on Max.
