Literary Master: Starting with Refusing to Be a Child Star

Chapter 151 Before the game

The opening of the original novel *2001: A Space Odyssey*—

"The Dawn of Man" is an indisputable milestone in film history.

Its filming techniques, visual language, and philosophical depth not only redefined science fiction films at the time, but its influence has also spread to the entire film industry in later generations.

The film opens with a several-minute black screen, accompanied by the unsettling chorus of Georges Ligeti's Requiem.

This design increases the viewer's sensitivity to light by dilating their pupils, thus providing a more intense sensory experience when they see the first glimmer of starlight.

As Richard Strauss's score of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" plays, the camera reveals the desolate landscape of prehistoric Africa. Then, a huge, mysterious black monolith falls from the sky.

The monkeys touched it with fear and curiosity, an action that symbolized a kind of "divine revelation" that inspired their wisdom.

A monkey, having learned to use tools, defeated its opponent using an animal bone as a weapon. As the bone was tossed into the sky, Kubrick employed one of film's most iconic match cuts, instantly transforming the bone into a spaceship traversing space. Through a single shot, a grand narrative spanning three million years was achieved.

The opening sequence is technically and artistically superb. It uses special effects and live-action footage, along with clever masking techniques, to combine models with background projections, creating a realistic African wilderness within the studio.

While adhering to rigorous scientific details, the film showcases cutting-edge concepts such as artificial gravity, hibernation technology, video calls, and tablet computers.

The previous film, "2001: A Space Odyssey," established the standard definition of "noir" in subsequent space movies and is widely regarded as the first truly scientifically grounded science fiction film in history.

The film explores grand themes such as tools and violence, evolution and technology, and the universe and existence.

2001: A New Dawn of Justice elevated science fiction from B-movies to serious art and is widely regarded as the "founding father of hard science fiction films," setting the "standard" for today's space science fiction movies.

It inspired a generation of filmmakers and influenced almost an entire generation of filmmakers, including George Lucas (Star Wars), Steven Spielberg (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T.), Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus), and Christopher Nolan (Interstellar).

The red camera of the HAL9000 in the movie became a classic representation of "out-of-control AI" and a symbol of a generation of popular culture.

That "bone to spaceship" matching clip has been paid tribute to by countless subsequent works.

The soundtrack, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," has become synonymous with "greatness" and "epic." "Great films produce great music," and this song successfully defined the texture of space and the way weightlessness is portrayed, bringing classical music to science fiction films on a large scale and pioneering a new audiovisual paradigm.

In short, 2001: A Space Odyssey is more than just a film; it provided a completely new set of grammar and aesthetic standards for science fiction cinema. Its opening sequence is like a grand treatise on human nature, continuing to influence filmmakers worldwide to this day.

In his previous life, director Stanley Kubrick was a name that stood shoulder to shoulder with God in the pantheon of cinema.

He is not only a director, but also a film production all-rounder, taking on multiple roles such as producer, editor, cinematographer, and sound effects.

With over 40 years in the film industry, he has only made 13 feature films, yet he has set a new benchmark for his genre in almost every one of them.

Kubrick was not formally trained in acting.

A camera given to him by his father when he was 13 years old led him to become a photographer for *Look* magazine. This experience honed his extraordinary visual storytelling abilities. In 1951, he self-funded a short documentary, thus entering the film industry. His desire for control over film bordered on obsession; he was known as a "tyrant" on set, insisting on "putting the camera where I tell you to," and even emigrated to England in pursuit of complete control. He was a calculating man, applying the mindset of chess to filmmaking, with everything serving the art.

Film critics often define his style as "precise" and "irony." He wields Occam's razor, simplifying the material to the extreme, retaining only the most essential and powerful parts. He often "shaves" magnificent original works into cool images, using Xi Jinping's detached perspective and slow narrative pace to force the audience to contemplate abstract themes.

This can also be seen in his other work, The Shining. Kubrick is indeed a director with a very distinct style, and his works can be said to span a variety of genres, including science fiction, horror, war, and comedy.

When filming of "2001: A Space Odyssey" was in its later stages, Luo Jinnian wrote down his initial ideas for entering the competition in a document one weekend evening.

Internationally recognized film awards primarily focusing on science fiction typically screen in the fall, with judging encompassing feature and short science fiction films from around the world. The awards include technical and general categories, with judging criteria balancing technical achievement and narrative innovation. He did not specify the award's name in the document, only listing several assessments regarding the feasibility of participation.

He paused, then added a sentence at the end of the document: "The significance of participating in the competition is not to prove how good a work is, but to prove that a work can do two things at the same time: measure its technical accuracy by the standards of hard science fiction, and evaluate its insight into the human condition by the standards of soft science fiction. If a work can pass both of these different standards of measurement, then the discussion about the hard vs. soft science fiction debate can find a concrete point of reference."

He saved and archived the document, without pursuing it further. He understood the significant uncertainty surrounding the judging results of external awards, but the existence and impact of the film itself held far greater significance. The adaptation of *2001: A Space Odyssey* itself had already answered his position at the convention: technology is a tool, not an end; narrative is a vehicle, not a destination.

During that time, he began to notice some previously subtle changes: discussions within the industry about the classification of science fiction resurfaced, some forums and media outlets began to re-examine the boundaries between hard and soft science fiction, and some creators mentioned the production progress of "2001: A Space Odyssey" as a case study in their discussions. He did not formally respond to these discussions, but only occasionally browsed some related information to confirm that he had not deviated from his established direction.

After the film is completed, he anticipates that its potential positive impact will manifest in the following areas:

First, there's the increased industry recognition. A work adapted from classic science fiction literature and completed using hardcore technology, if recognized for its technical completion, can play a guiding role in the creative environment of domestic science fiction films, boosting the film industry's confidence in high-cost, long-cycle projects.

Secondly, there's the increased international attention. If the film gains recognition from international science fiction awards, the technological approach and narrative style represented by this adaptation will be seen by professionals in more countries and regions, which will help establish deeper international cooperation and technological exchange. Early Spring Culture has already established an overseas company, and a work that has won international science fiction awards can provide strong support for the advancement of its overseas business.

Thirdly, it establishes a voice in creative discourse. If he can simultaneously achieve technical accuracy and humanistic depth in the realm of science fiction films, discussions about science fiction genres will generate deeper and more substantive explorations around his creative practice, rather than remaining at the level of abstract theory. At that time, his view on achieving a balance between hard and soft approaches will no longer be just a personal statement, but a clear conclusion verified through practice.

Finally, there's the solidification of brand positioning. Early Spring Culture's brand building, built upon numerous works of different genres, will reach a more complete stage after the completion of *2001: A Space Odyssey*. It possesses the engineering rigor of *The Martian*, the philosophical depth of *2001: A Space Odyssey*, and also comedies like *Low IQ Crime*. A creative platform capable of accommodating these diverse directions has already established its position; it doesn't need further explanation to define its identity—the diversity of its works constitutes a complete statement.

Of course, this is all an ideal plan. In reality, as long as the box office is a big hit, there will be another one if this one doesn't work out.

Luo Jinnian has quite a few good science fiction cards in his hand.