Under incredibly-bright lights and cameras, Kubrick captured the dramatic reactions and colour changes produced when adding paints and various other chemicals to the tanks. In the factory he and his team set up a series of square water tanks containing a mixture of black ink and a toxic WW2-era paint thinner called banana oil – isoamyl acetate, to chemists. It came as a (welcome) surprise to discover Kubrick had turned to chemistry to create the ‘star gate’ effects.Īs Michael Benson has revealed in a recent book on the making of the film, Kubrick began experimenting on what would become this scene in the unlikely setting of an abandoned brasserie factory in New York. Stanley Kubrick on the set of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. It feels as if you were experiencing a supernova through the hallucinating vision of an LSD-fuelled Tim Leary disciple. It is a visually stunning, psychedelic feast of colours.

This comes at the climax of the film (don’t worry, no spoilers). One of the most visually impressive scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece is the famous ‘Stargate Sequence’. I am not usually especially interested in a film’s special effects, but throughout watching 2001 I couldn’t help wondering, ‘how did they do that?’ I’m glad, for it meant I could experience it properly for the first time on the Science Museum’s 60-foot IMAX screen. Associate Chemistry Curator, Rupert Cole, explores the chemical wizardry of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and beyond.Įarlier this month I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time.

Michael benson 2001 a space odyssey