Home | Cyclops | Music | Epic Theme | Links and Resources

Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey as a companion to The Odyssey by Homer

Music theme

The music most memorable in 2001 is the theme played during "The Dawn of Man." This music was actually written for a different "Dawn of Man" theme, but not for Kubrick. The music has been popularized by 2001, and is now used in everything from comedy sketches to commercials. The chanting chorus that sings during the monolith scenes has not received the same amount of attention, but is equally important to the film.

Also important is the lack of sound, period. The scenes of the pod from the outside are always silent, showing a sense of isolation. The breathing sounds made during the computer room scene and inside the pods create tension, and indicate that the men cannot survive without HAL to keep them alive. The breathing is always present inside the pod and the computer room, as well as the sound of hissing gas. Kubrick did an excellent job of creating an atmosphere here, and without these sounds and absence of sounds, the movie is reduced to ordinary. Kubrick's sound track is one of the things that really makes the movie.