Martin Scorsese once said that: "Watching a Kubrick film is like gazing up at a mountaintop," and arguably no film of Kubrick's makes the point better than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Its opening shot alone dwarfs what most movies try to accomplish: We're in space, looking at the Moon, when Kubrick pans up and looks beyond, to the Earth, and then the Sun. In a brief shot of seemingly perfect symmetry, Kubrick says so much about the enormity of the universe. The alignment gives the shot an almost religious quality is the shining star meant to take on the appearance of an all-powerful deity looking upon mere mortals? Of course this shot is enhanced enormously by the soundtrack choice (as so many on this list are), but the image alone conveys all the mysterious potential and grand majesty of the cosmos.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
