Watched 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY last night. I had endeavored to explain it to a person under 25 a week or so ago and it’s impossible. It means something different to everyone who watches it. What I got from it in this latest viewing was a simple message of a very complex concept. Also, the special effects (because they were optical effects, they are not ‘visual effects’ as it has become in the industry today to differentiate effects done IN CAMERA as opposed to digitally) are miraculously relevant for a film nearly 50 years old. 
Honestly, conceptually I think Kubrick has done something in a science fiction film that no one else has ever even attempted. It was a realistic view of what it would be like to attempt to communicate with an alien being. It would be nearly impossible and incomprehensible. Can we truly communicate effectively with insects? The idea that an alien would be humanoid is preposterous and unlikely. If beings have advanced so far, perhaps the only way they could appear to use is as a giant black rectangular monolith.
And the concept of artificial intelligence reaching the point of sentience and possibly malfunctioning due to contradicting human interaction was decades ahead of its time. How interesting that we’re only a day away from HAL 9000’s birthday (January 12th, 1992 he went online).
Now, editorially the film would be impossible for millennials to watch because of its glacial pace and really drinking in the shots and environments. I think the youngins would get their iPhones (very HAL inspired devices, especially SIRI) or get online and still understand the vast majority of the film. How odd it was to see several 16×9 shaped screens throughout the movie for TV or entertainment.
“Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves”
– Queen and David Bowie
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