2001: A Space Odyssey - Opening [Widescreen]

[TheHaloRed]

2001: A Ric Flair Odyssey

[HerrKrask]

This gives me an instant eargasm at the same time as I start giggling at all the possible humorous applications for it. :3

[TheHalflife123]

i can only imagine how epic this cloud be watched in cinema :)

[popaddict]

It's such a shame when you think that our generations cinematic contributions that are considered significant are films like Avatar etc. There was a time when true cinema masterpieces were made like this.

[DetroitLove4U]

This is the film that truly defines the pinnacle of cinema with MANKIND. HAL 9000 is still way ahead of its time even by today's standards!!!

[HellGreetings]

Gänsehaut!

[AtariForeva]

Number 1 on my list, ant that's what matters.

[intermender]

First audience to see this must have cheered when they saw this?

[intermender]

Hmm, we appear to sit between a falling away lifeless past and a rising bright future in this sequence and so it also seems to summurise the course of the film in one epic opening?  Ok I'm just another idiot guessing on youtube. But at the risk of sounding repetitive, Kubrick was surely a genius!

[richie19190]

WOOOOOOOOOO!

[npc223]

@nastyasav The space ship in Avatar was actually the "Valkyrie Antimatter Rocket" designed by two american physicists, and is a realistic spacecraft, and probably the basis of the first interstellar missions of the human race. Unfortunately, the space ship in 2001 wasn't based on a real design

[Nintendoom911]

@npc223 Cameron may have done his research, but so did Kubrick, he collaborated with NASA extensively for this film, and wanted to be as legitimate as possible, which is why he stylized the film without sound in space (except the obvious classical background score). If you see the sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, directed by Peter Hyams in 1984, you will notice he did not pay such attention to the intricacies as Kubrick did, and there was both interstellar sound and a focus on politics.

[ToddJohnson108]

Sol Invictus = the Unconquered Sun

[yesiamawizardjonny]

The thing that was so awesome about this, is there were so many scenes that were mute. Completely devoid of audio. Yet, Kubrick's films are SO visually astonishing and realistic that the images capture you. I wish I had this man's genius. How far it could take someone...

[Andrew223a]

I wish I could've seen this when it was in theaters.

[TheOverloader]

@Andrew223a IMAX theaters usually open with 2001 and specialty cinemas sometimes show it.

[321Kraken]

I can listen this forever...

[theCHRISandDYLANshow]

I made a remake to this with a cat and turtle :D

[manniman82]

And his opponent, from Charlotte North Carolina measuring 6 foot 1, weighing 241 pounds, he is the 16TIME WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD... The Nature Boy, RIC FLAIR!!

[streetcarjay]

@manniman82 You wanna be the man? you gotta beat the...................the man!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOO!!!!

[vigo894]

Whoo! Whoo!

[southerncajuncharm]

One of only three MGM films ever made where the lion does not roar.

[ravepuppie]

Avatar is nothing more than a remake of FernGully: The Last Rainforest. Yawn. 2001 is a truly EPIC film by a true master. Spielberg relied on over-the-top CGI combined with stuff constantly blowing up to paste over a thin crappy story. Kubric, on the other hand, relies on pure imagery and music to convey something that you ponder and rewatch for decades.

[antybuns]

This conversation can serve no purpose anymore.

.Goodbye Dave

[rongenman]

i have been there

[djeeedah]

Every time I hear this theme I start jumping around the room and smash everything with a stick

[capricious71]

Saw this at the cinema a few years back. Amazing film.

If they released it now it would be thought too slow and not enough action.

[LMOrchestra]

Not to troll, but the "Higher quality" link is the same video.

[sweetlilchickie1985]

I'm not a huge fan of this movie but I LOVE the this theme...it is awesome!

[antifagiorgos]

the greatest movie ever...along with the clockwork orange

[Chameleonardodavinci]

I watched it with a friend, I loved it, he hated it. Then, two years later, in class today, he walks in singing the opening and goes "holy shit let's watch 2001 again dude"

feels good

[gangster3591]

Holy ... breathtaking..

[purelysophia]

Yes! The epitome of epic!

[rongenman]

movie? i thought this was real all these years...........

[larsulu14]

beautiful movie

[TheComicfreak10]

im listening to this on my headphones and its nearly blasting my eardrums to smitherines :P

[SuperRod88]

One of the two MGM lions that never roared in the whole MGM story: this one and the one presented in "Ben-Hur".

[kundalini1128]

Stanley was trying to tell you how the Elite gain their power in ancient times, though a solar eclipse deception. The priest fooled the people into thinking that the sun was being eaten up by a giant monster. The people saw the priests has their savior when the sun was restored or overcome.

[metalwhiplash666]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOO

[rongenman]

i am 58 years old..i got it the first time...

...i watched it dozens of times in movies....

and a lot of the people watching it

just did not get it....

it was a great movie.....

star wars was almost as good....

now that is just me....

just sayin......

[PoliticalIdeology]

Karajan-Kubrick a match so perfect to witness it is almost painful.

[lmt61251]

Amen to all the favorable comments. 2001 = science fiction vs. all the science fantasy out there - Star Trek, Star Wars, Avatar, Harry Potter, etc., etc. Oh, excuse me, I guess Harry Potter is just simple fantasy, but I think you can see how I'd make the mistake. Kubrick = genius

[gdsvalentine]

Fucking brilliant, 2001, the best sci fi of all time.. nuff said!

[AWC3117]

2001: A Space Odyssey : The Star Wars of cult films...

[ianhawdon]

The intro to this film is like Google's home page, its simplicity is what makes it awesome! Its the fact it just works! Who needs CGI?

[SkyCris]

Why people compare Avatar with this excelent and fine piece of art??

Avatar is just another and totally boring piece of blockbuster movie that noone will remember in 10 years!

2001 was made in 1968 and still today is the best science fiction movie of all times and on of the best 10 movies of all times.

[alexthelizardking]

makes me wanna give our planet a standing ovation

[MrDavidFILM]

The BEST opening EVER!!! TOO FUCKING EPIC FOR MANKIND!!! I CAN'T SUM IT UP IN WORDS!!! GODLIKE

[slashjunkie]

Thank you thank you thank you for not cutting off the end of this! 

[oskarahren]

some people just dont get how good this film actually is

[doraff02]

The reason Avatar is #1 is because it made 1.5-7 Billion Dollars Worldwide....even before it came out on DVD/Blu-Ray. The most money made ever!

[Watcher3223]

@doraff02

But that's just money.

Of course, when you make a movie, you want to make money off of it. But, good movies are more than just getting a profitable return on your investment.

And, indeed, there are many good films that failed to earn big sums of money.

"Vertigo" comes to mind as that's considered one of the very best films ever made by Alfred Hitchcock, but it earned disappointing returns during its initial theatrical run.

[Watcher3223]

@doraff02

An example of a blockbuster hit that hardly anyone really seems to remember or even care about today is "ID4: Independence Day". It was popcorn fare that made lots of money but ultimately wasn't really that great of a movie nor was it one you could watch a 2nd or 3rd time without it becoming mind-numbingly boring. Once you got over the action, the story was highly derivative and barely better than one dimensional.

[godzilla964]

You know, Green Day played this song to start there "Bullet in a Bible" concert.

[emerican]

@godzilla964 Nobody cares about Green Day

[TheJonnyEnglish]

AMAZING movie, just mind blowing

[TheComicfreak10]

RAREST MGM LOGO EVER IN THE BEGINNING

[nmatech]

Eternal No.1 on my list. And no chance to threat that position.

[breznev64]

this theme is so incredibly powerful

[raiderdanCA]

The opening is as brilliant as the film that follows it .... A MASTERPIECE.

[cloudani]

ORGASM....

[dakotagerman1]

@cloudani

You're not too far off the mark. The orgasm experience in the climax is a type of the ascension to spiritually advance planes of existence.

The Lord doesn't want us to use such a pleasure to gratify lusts but to express love in the covenants that bind the hearts together.

Hutterites understand this. That's why we acknowledge masturbation is a sin.

[MrTranceNinja]

@dakotagerman1 How about theoretical eargasms?

[boberfet6789]

whats this theme called

[Captainvideo54]

@boberfet6789 The opening music/theme to 2001 is Also Sprach Zarathustra composed by Richard Strauss. Kubrick's using classical music gives 2001 a timeless sound.

[istanddiesel]

La maestra de ingles!!!! aaaaaaaaaaahhhh

[JeremyBentham96]

Greatest Opening ever ! JUST EPIC !

I miss his movies..

[amceagle1]

I saw this when first released in Montclair NJ, the Belleview theater was originally set up for Cinerama. (three-35mm screens in a semi-circle, and the audiance was surrounded). This film was in 70mm Super-Panavision, 6 channel sound, using the same screen size & seating. IT WAS AWSOME!! It bordered on 3 dimensional imaging! You can't compare a 17" youtube presentation to it's original theater showing. I grabbed my seat as the camera (you) were shuttled through the space station's arms!!

[TEMPmichaelhansen]

was this in 1968?

[blackmamba99971]

@TEMPmichaelhansen Yes it was, making this, the most important Sci-fi film this century. Stanley Kubrick was a genius to create such a marvel. But don't forget Douglas Trumbull, who created the special effects. He is also responsible for Close Encounters of the third kind as well as a few other notable effect laden films. Quite possbily this was Stanley's finest work.

[LevaniaDaemon]

@amceagle1

i hate you, you have reached the heaven and i don't

[Pendragon213]

Comparing 2001 and Avatar is not fair ... for Avatar. Avatar is a solid Sci-fi Film with opulent Sfx not more.

2001 had for the time great Sfx (even today good-looking), but is also in a way minimalistic-timeless, the intro for itself will be one of the best in all times.

[nastyasav]

It's funny, I was watching Avatar and I thought the spaceship in Space Odyssyey looked more real lol. No matter how hard they have been trying non of the best directors out there have topped 2001 so far, Stanley Kubrick was a genius beyond comparison, I just can't believe this movie is not even in the top ten on the best movies of all time list:(

[orendo]

I actually remember a list of the 10 best movies in an Israeli newspaper, probably about 20 years ago. 2001 was the second best after Citizen Kane.

Avatar is the kind of movie you forget a day after watching. 2001: Space Odyssey stays with you for life.

[Zapple03]

@orendo

A comment fully worthy of the GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE...

Well said, Maestro, very well said...

[JackKlompus13]

@orendo

I agree, but I do like AVATAR.

[fleamarket3000]

@orendo Citizen Kane is over-rated. Avatar is just terrible. 2001 is the greatest movie ever made by a wide margin

[joshmania7]

@orendo you're right. I wasted 15 dollars seeing that piece of crap Avatar, and all i remember from it was that it was in 3D....and i vaguely recall something about a tree in it. I bought a brand new copy of Space Odyssey a few months ago for 10 dollars, and since then I#ve probably watched it 30 times.

Box office results don't mean shit. Avatar will be forgotten by most next year when hollywood throws together another mediocre sack of garbage. 2001 will live on for generations.

[possem33]

@orendo yeah, but not in a good way

[aerexenn]

@orendo well, for you. i remember both

[AVDuran]

nasty: Actually, it is in most critics top 10 of all time lists that I've seen! It's been #1 for me, and agree, that no movie has come close to what this one has accomplished on any level!

[rizzledizzle56]

@nastyasav

I know...I can't believe more lists don't include it in the top ten best movies.....It's on my Top Ten List!

[kodoman66]

@nastyasav i can't beleive it either, talk about a movie that is actually intelligent and makes you think and this is it, the imagination of stanley kubrick is mindboggling!

[TheClam88]

@nastyasav It 's on the top-ten list of greatest films of all time according to Roger Ebert.

[troyshereforu]

@nastyasav It is ranked as one of the top 5 best Sci-Fi movies of all time.. 

[TheClam88]

@nastyasav Well it IS on many '10 greatest films' lists--it's is on Ebert's list of the 10 greatest movies ever made--so is Apocalypse Now--

[aerexenn]

@nastyasav admit it, u're just a fan to the classic

[soccom8341576]

@nastyasav

Avatar is pretty entertaining, but 2001 is mindblowing and everything else. Imagine what Kubrick could have done with 3D technology. We would be virtually in Space too!

But even in 2D, it's a deeper film than most films today. Most people still don't fully appreciate the scale of this movie's grandness.

[gilmenachem]

@nastyasav Well, that's because 2001 used models, which have a greater physical presence than CGI. Even so, you have to give Avatar credit for doing what 2001 did in the outer space intro: making space completely silent (except for the music, of course). In fact, James Cameron cited 2001 as an influence on Avatar, so how COULD it be as good? 2001 is one of the greatest movies of all time, and to aspire to those heights, no matter how successful the result, is a brave and gutsy thing to do.

[wwwisdom]

@nastyasav I agree.

[Ortheos2006]

@nastyasav

It did take him like 15 years to make this movie though.

[lpfg]

@nastyasav well, kubrick did use real NASA scientists to design all the ships and everything. Including the interiors of the ships. Everything was to be like it'd be in real life.

[owenmcgarel]

stanly kubrick is the worlds best director

[DarthVaderFTW]

Ubermench

[chromahart]

Who is this Zarathustra dude with the sun appearance?

[Eddy1701]

@chromahart Zarathustra is a character from Thus Spake Zarathustra, a philosophical text by Nietzsche.

[youthboy14]

Try to top the awesomeness. I dare you.

[oRReOP]

Best intro ever. Nough said.

[tommusicfan19]

I still get goosebumps from watching this, especially the ending. Stanley Kubrick had a good ear in music.

[BritEng1313]

Still far and away the greatest motion picture of all time. 2001 absolutely blows away all other motion pictures in history. I don't think there will ever be anything quite like it ever again.

[fleamarket3000]

couldn't agree more

[Finrod21]

Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[K0EFunk]

Das einzig wahre WARSTEINER XD

DAS König der Biere!

[Skatrav]

ive been trying to find this music for ages i tryed looking in movie credits for the name of this song if it has it thanks guys!!!

[jfulfill]

Simply THE best movie opening ever !

[Dungerly]

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pedromiguel0007]

the epic of epic...xDD

[shfackup]

HEY I LOVE FAGGOTS

[jdd32005]

Just this clip in and of itself is more genius than 90% of the stuff that comes out today. I get chills every time I watch it.

[wannasodaGJ]

agreed

[MolokoPlus1980]

Good comment and I agree.

[Risingkiwi]

Whenever I hear this song i envision an army returning from battle victorious as the sun rises.

[johneddy98033]

Actually, the version in the album was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karl Böhm.

[ryanrule2]

the amount spent on the vietnam war could have payed for everything seen here.

[Tripp393]

align the planets?

[Dannypuck]

WOOOOO! I think you know what this theme reminds me of.

[MyNameIsNotHereNow]

a mind-blowing opening, i love the simplicity of it.

i'm also glad that people on this video aren't prattling mindlessly on about God, the Bible and the meaning of life like they are on all the other 2001 videos... youtube isn't a place for philosophical ranting.

[WeJustGotColorTV]

But "2001" is a philosophical-ranting kind of a movie. It's what Kubrick wanted.

[jgdesign]

In other words we shouldn't be doing what you just did.

Dipshit.

2001: A Space Odyssey is in many ways a spiritual movie. You're clearly in the wrong place. May I suggest Meatballs II or perhaps something from Spongebob?

[MyNameIsNotHereNow]

Meatballs II? Never heard of it. :P I don't mind having philosophical discussions about 2001 or any other of Kubrick's films. He's one of my favourite film makers, I love his use of symbolism and imagery. I just don't think that Youtube is the the most ideal place for a debate.

[jgdesign]

Mentioning God isn't the same thing as having a debate about the subject. If were to mention God and you counter me with an argument - THAT would be a debate. Besides, what you think is appropriate for You Tube is completely irrelevant. Who assigned you as the moderator? You? I suspect that the idea of "God" is offensive to you or you wouldn't have made such an ridiculous statement, and honestly I could care less what offends you.

Meatballs II is a silly and shallow comedy made in the 80's.

[MyNameIsNotHereNow]

Actually God isn't offensive to me at all. In fact I believe in God myself. Stop making so many assumptions, most of which are false!

[namrebif]

At the time ... this was the greatest opening scene of any movie ever. Remember .. this was a long time ago. It still lives today.

[zanbana]

Moon, Earth, Sun, Monolith.

[News4usall]

First movie I ever saw. The screen was curved and so big you actually had to turn your head a bit from side to side.

Of course I was the size of a hobbit...

[LordKantholz]

zeitlos :-))

[Guyver5182]

EPIC!!!!

[cool2bwichu]

You know what it makes me thing of, dude...

Well i took it this way moon's got no life so here comes mister earth: " oh yea, look at me thriving with life baby i am soooo cool look at me *wink wink"

but...

along comes God, the sun, and is all like: "kid, who're you kiddin'...don't make me turn off the lights on your butt..."

only the sun seems to shine...

[cool2bwichu]

this was a joke... but really, i think it's some form of a symbolic representation of evolution

[cantc23]

:|... you piece of poop... So that's how a mind that knows how to think thinks?

[cantc23]

oh my gosh.. you piece of poop... that is genius, you don't even know how genius what you just said is, but that is genius, you just went through without knowing decades of film theory and constant toiling and analysis in one little sentence... it's te light emerging from within the man, it's almost freudian, seeing as how the moon is so dark and the sun is light yet the earth is in the middle, you freaking beast how the hell did you do that? Oh my gosh... i'm stuck in purgatory man...

[cantc23]

I don't know what to do... lately i've just been constantly going through all of the carnal, and the physical and the easy but i haven't been thinking, i haven't been analyzing, i haven't been looking past the facade of everything and seeing the real beauty in things. I mean i've never done that, but as of recently i've just been even more self conscious of the fact that i am a freaking racer. A racing jerk-off, i just want to get ahead of every body and win the race, but i don't even want to

[cantc23]

take a second to slow down and enjoy the scenery- the scenery, the scenery, the god damn scenery, some times i wonder what could be so special about the god damn scenery? But then i stop for a second, just one second, and i look at it, and i realize how beautiful it is, and what i've really been missing out on; But then, i see some one whizzing right past me, cutting me off, and all of a sudden i feel driven to just get back in the race, and forget all about the scenery

[cool2bwichu]

ahahahha

oh dude, that sucks =\

kinda funny i mentioned the same thing to a kid in french as we were in the library watching the cars pass by...

[missadeline22]

Thanks for posting this up. I just figured out how to play it on mallets today, and my student teacher's all like, "OK, you totally can't play that until you tell me what its from and who composes it." And I'm like "YOUR ON!" So thanks! Can't wait to go rub it in his face! :D

[dankerer]

Jupiter and Beyond...

[nititomestrel]

Art.

[fleamarket3000]

this is the best film I have ever seen. watch it high

[mariomguy]

so this is where that song is from!

[Ripto2]

Actually, no.

If you look at the description, this is Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Strauss. Kubrick, when making this movie, was like: why make new music when there already exists some awesome old music? The song is mostly connected with this film though, so you're not altogether incorrect.

[halaxis]

i was walking into the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in NYC and this song was just looping in my head.

very nice

[ISLAVERDE29]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Tripp393]

Wonder boy!

[kingofthemower21]

greatest opening ever!!

[HandMane]

I agree with you

[2xy3]

Rejoice! I've been searching for that music for ages. Me and my friends are doing a Rock remix of it at school, you see, so I've been practicing and I needed to find the track.

[Scoonertuna]

This is one of my favorite films!!