Jack Meredith

Roman Polanski on why Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) was the only movie that really showed what one experiences under the influence of LSD: "Interviewer: How did you interpret the ending of '2001'? Polanski: It’s extremely ambiguous, but we’re led to understand that if there is a vastly superior intelligence, then we’re incapable of understanding and perceiving it. If it contributes to our development, then it might well be hidden from us. Kubrick gives this idea a cinematic form. Apart from that, what I like about the film are its technical and magical aspects. It’s full of fascinating effects like the voyage into space at the end. It’s a real “trip.” There are people who give themselves a headache trying—and failing—to show how it really is when you take LSD. I’ve seen very weak efforts in other films. Without showing it directly, the film has really grasped what you see when you take LSD." (Roman Polanski's interview with Michel Ciment, Michel Perez & Roger Tailleur, Positif, 1969)