DivX Clásico

Ikarie XB-1, Czech first sc-fi feature.

In many ways, VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE (1963) is like a Socialist version of 2001. Much more so, in fact, than SOLARIS, the Russian epic that is so often compared to Kubrick’s classic.

It is interesting to speculate upon a possible influence of both the flick itself and the writings of Stanislav Lem (the Polish SF author upon whom works this flick was based) on both Arthur C. Clarke and Kubrick. While surely unintentional, Kubrick’s early name for his later epic was JOURNEY BEYOND THE STARS, which even appeared in trade papers as a working title. The plot elements that are similar in a superficial but noteworthy way involve a space ship crew encountering an alien life form in the depths of space and having to struggle with the fundamental questions of existence and meaning in the face of the “first encounter” of the third kind, and how it transforms and indeed drives some crew members mad (ala HAL’s similar destiny in 2001). Too, like A SPACE ODYSSEY, VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE is as much concerned with cultural as well as scientific advances rather than action sequences only (though they’re there, too) and special effects (though the effects work is impressive for the day).

These are truly only modestly interesting parallels, and it is not like VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE needs to prop upon Kubrick’s picture to succeed nor vice versa. Indeed, VOYAGE won Best SF Feature at the prestigious Trieste SF Awards the same year Chris Marker won there with “La Jetee” for Best SF Short. Rather, it is to indicate how relatively obscure it remains despite its rather daunting pedigree, the latter of which upon viewing decades later is much deserved. There is a case to be made for this being an influence on STAR TREK as much as Kubrick and Clarke, but again, it may just be because so many of these ideas were so very topical during the Space Race. In those heady days, it was not a matter of if but when mankind would “conquer” the universe; there was never a budget shortfall nor deficient equipment, but rather only a hostile universe that spat endless meteor storms and black holes at you. It’s kind of comforting to know nothing can go wrong with your space ship in space, and that may be the hidden “will fulfillment” fantasy herein: cruising into the depths of the universe is as easy as strapping into a monster-sized space Cadillac with retro fins and turning the retro-ignition key. Whew, it’s enough to make you nostalgic for Tang (“The Drink of the Astronauts”), isn’t it?

From a technical point of view alone, it is easy to appreciate the vast sets and grand sense of scale VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE brings to the screen. The stark, high contrast look shot in glorious black and white is as good as it gets, and reminds of the moody film noirs of the 40’s more than the usual brightly-lit American SF flix of the era. The set design is impressively futuristic-looking to this day, and yet definitely a by-product of the era’s hopeless but touching optimism towards space exploration, where tragedy was ever present but somehow – and maybe this is why the film remains so relevant today – that only made the heroes’ quest that much more human and believable. In outer space, after all, we are all just a pressurized spacesuit rip away from sharing an equally grim fate. -- Notes by Dave Coleman .


“A superior Czechoslovakian science fiction film with excellent special effects.” -- Michael Weldon, PSYCHOTRONIC GUIDE

“Yet another good example from East Europe is the Czechoslovakian 'Ikarie XB1' (loosely based on another Lem story, 'The Magellan Cloud'), which is an intelligent and truly well-made film… featuring equal or even better special effects and sets than… American counterparts.” -- EUROPEAN CINEMA

“Mega-rare Czech science fiction tale. A giant spaceship carrying a colony to a new habitat in deep space faces numerous problems including encounters with alien vehicles.” -- TROPIC TWILIGHT VIDEO

“Czech production has meritorious values… Emphasis is on problems aboard the craft, encounters with an alien ship and its dead crew, and an adventure in a space nebula… director and cast work hard to pull it off.” -- CREATURE FEATURES MOVIE GUIDE

Ikarie.Xb-1.1963.Vhsrip-Xvid.avi

vespertilum escribió: A propósito, ¿los subtítulos existen? Es que lo del checo