Driscoll says that Kubrick said that some critics felt it was a failing of the film that there was more interest in HAL than in the astronauts. In fact, the computer is the central character of a segment of the story and if HAL had been human it would be obvious he had the best part. They successfully made a voice, a camera lens, and a light come alive as a character that made the human characters less interesting.
I didn't think of any of this. I never thought of the voice of HAL at all, imagining it only as some random voice actor that any one could have fulfilled. Imagining Kubrick directing, "Go slower. Make it softer. Make it sound more kind, more empathetic." And that's it. I had no idea of any discussion about the computer as a character weighed against the other characters and the voice actor being perfect for his role.
Driscoll sure does come up with some good ones when it comes to culture and media.
I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I cannot do that.
Search results describe the voice:
"Soft spoken," Variety
"Soft and gentle," Hollywood Reporter
"Creepy," NBC News
"Creepiest," Sky News
"Eerie, calmly homicidal," NPR
"Eerie," Geek
"Chillingly calm," Deadline
"Calmly malevolent," Vulture
"Chilling," People
"Soft-spoken," IMDB
"Creepy," Epeak
"Creepy, chilling," ICFlorida
"Soft and gentle," MSN
"Eerie, sonorous," North Country Public Radio
"Eerie," Newsdepo
"Chilling," Toxotea
And so on.
One article was about why the HAL voice originally had a Canadian accent. Apparently they had to work that out of the computer's voice. Simple enough, "It's OUT not OOT," boom, accent fixed.
Update: I just now saw this. If HAL 9000 was Amazon.com's Alexa.
Update: I just now saw this. If HAL 9000 was Amazon.com's Alexa.
2 comments:
What does it say about Kubrick that HAL delivers more of an emotional punch than either of the two astronaut actors in 2001? Kubrick was a New York Jew. He came out of a very demonstrative culture. So showing emotion didn't impress him. What did impress him was the relatively affectless manner of WASP culture. That's why he demanded affectless performances from his actors in almost all his films. Eyes Wide Shut. Affectless performances. Barry Lyndon. Same thing. Kubrick never got over how formidable affectless WASPs were. To him. It's a form of snobbism.
My post on the next thread (up) can apply here also.
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