vastness and infinity

Burkes "The sublime and the beautiful" proposes that "Vastness" or "greatness of dimension" is a "powerful cause of the sublime". He further explores the notion of infinity in relation to vastness, stating that "the eye not being able to percieve he bounds of many things, they seem to be infinite, and they produce he same effects as if they were really so." Stanley kubricks 2001: A Space Oddessy" is a prime example of a cinematic exploration of these same themes discussed here by burke. Vastness and Infinty are both conveyed thematically and stylistically throughout the films narrative. Throughout the scene when the crew members are faced with the insabordination of the ships computer hal, we are made aware that the interior shots of the spaceship are composed of extreme close ups coupled with very tight angle shots, the camera cutting from object to object fairly frequently. These shots become significant when looked at in terms of thier systematic relation to the exterior shots of the vast depth of space, here the camera favours long takes composed of depth of field and very little on screen movement. In his essay, Burke would suggest that "depth"is favoured over "height" in terms of their ability to evoke feelings of the sublime, as is the "great extreme of dimension" when concomitantly opposed with the great extreme of littleness favoured under these same terms. The scene further addressess issues such as exploring the unknown and loss of control, whch arguably (and especially) in the case of the unknown, addresses the unfathomable nature and object of infinity which Burke outlines as "having the tendency to fill the mind with...delightfull horror". I enjoyed both kubricks filmic offering and Burkes essay, and when looked at together both offer much insight into the other.