2001: Odissea nello spazio (2001: A Space Odyssey)

This essay examines some of the letters in which American cinemagoers described, and sometimes explained, their (largely positive) experiences with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey to the filmmaker. It also explores the ways in which the film had been presented to prospective audiences in the United States in the run-up to, and during, its initial release in 1968. How did publicity and advertising prepare people for the film? What expectations did they raise, and how might these expectations have shaped viewers’ engagement with 2001? How does the film work with, and against, audience expectations?