Tom Hanks names the “greatest time cut in the history of time cuts”
If there were ever an actor to occupy the position of being America’s cultural dad, then it would simply have to be Tom Hanks. After all, for several decades, Hanks has appeared in a number of heartwarming films that give his performances an air of affability quite unlike any of his contemporaries.
However, Hanks is no softie, for he has also proven his worth in a wide range of film genres, whether in the intense war action of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, the heartbreaking and politically important nature of Philadelphia or the tense docudrama of Apollo 13.
With all that in mind, it’s fair to say that Tom Hanks has provided cinema fans with some of the greatest moments in the history of modern film, many of which have been truly mind-blowing. In fact, Hanks is no stranger to a mindblowing cinematic voyage, as he once explained one of his favourite movies made his “head explode”.
The film in question is right up there in terms of Hanks’ favourite films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1968 masterpiece science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The legendary sci-fi tells of the evolutionary journey of humankind, from prehistorical bone-wielding apes to space-faring exploring of the outreaches of the universe.
According to Hanks, 2001 has the “greatest time cut in the history of time cuts”. He said, “The entire history of humankind is communicated in the first weapon being thrown up into a blue sky and suddenly becomes a spacecraft orbiting the Earth. When that happened, I swear to God, my head exploded.”
The time cut that Hanks refers to is considered a watershed moment in the history of film and is easily one of the most iconic shots ever put on camera. 2001, in general, though, is well worthy of Hanks’ praise, whether because of its mind-blowing narrative or the amazing special effects that stand up even more than half a century after it was released.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hanks had once spoken of his first experience watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, noting, “I can tell you the day. It was a Sunday, it was kind of rainy and it was cold. It was the day the Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs, November of 1968.”
If that date is indeed correct, then Hanks would have been just 12 years old, so it is no surprise that Kubrick’s movie indeed blew his head off. The actor went on to explain how 2001 inspired his early love of space: “It presented this romantic notion of a human being in this place void of life. I had paid attention to the space programme prior to that, but I was not hooked by the artistry or the romance of it until I saw that movie.”
When Hanks was asked to name his four favourite movies of all time in a feature with Letterboxd, you can guess which film occupied first space. In fact, Hanks noted just how frequently he views Kubrick’s science fiction masterpiece, saying, “I still watch it a couple of times a year…I could walk you through 2001: A Space Odyssey and not stop talking once during the entire film, so I don’t know if you want to have that experience?” So when it comes to Hanks’ favourite, there really is only one choice.
