2001: A Space Odyssey - What's the point?

I managed to get through watching 2001: A Space Odyssey this weekend - EVENTUALLY...

I managed to maintain my sanity through all the 1960's type stuff. Interestingly enough, though, was the reference to technology we are looking into for space travel i.e. human hibernation. This has come up in the recent past on Discovery.

Ok, so they find a monolith on the moon. Like wise on earth before fire was even discovered - notice they still eat their meat raw once they figured out they could use "weapons" in the form of a leg bone from an animal used as a club. Then near the end of the movie there is another monolith near Jupiter.

Ok, so am i missing the point (??) besides it being a "showcase" of futuristic, back then and to some extent now, technology?

Without sounding stupid - what was the point of this almost 2 1/2 hour movie? Yeah to say there IS intelligent life "out there". But what else?

I'd recommend reading the book.

You can never go wrong with Clarke. Plus there's a little more explained about the dawn of humanity and the monoliths interaction with the early apes. It added a whole new dimension to the storyline for me, anyway.

Check it out, let me know what you think.

Originally posted by GENERAL EYES
I'd recommend reading the book.

...the monoliths interaction with the early apes. It added a whole new dimension to the storyline for me, anyway.

Yes i think i may just do that. The fact that the monolith was seen by the "apes" gives a "so what" thought because it actually added nothing to the film as such!

Check it out, let me know what you think.

I shall do that. I wonder if i can find in as an e-book? hmmmm...

My interpretation was that when the monolith turned up it was the cause of the dawn of man.

When the ape placed his/her hand on the monolith he/she was given new understanding new moral's.

The monolith could very well represent pandoras box.

At the start of the movie we see life and death we see the baby ape's and we see the death of other animal's.

Toward's the end of the movie we again see the cycle of life and death. We see him die then we see him reborn.

The monolith appear's just as the main character Dave is about to die just like it appeared in the very start of the film where the ape touched it.

So what we could be looking at toward the end of the film is the next form of human evolution.

The above is all speculation and my personal opinion but it's what make's the film so wonderfull. Everyone has a different idea about what the meaning of the film could be or what it is representing.

It's a masterpeice.

Take care.

Regards
Lee



[edit on 18-8-2008 by h3akalee]

reply to post by shearder


For beginners, you didn't mention the ship's omnipresent computer HAL9000 which has so many undertones that add to the brilliance of a 2.5 hour movie (which only includes 40 minutes of spoken verbiage). HAL later gets lobotomized in pursuit of the Jupiter monolith. You did forget one monolith - during the mostly philosophical life-cycle scenes one appears at the foot of the last surviving astronaut's bed.

More or less, Kubrick's intentions leaned toward the destiny it prophesies for the future of humanity. The deep philosophical intentions of this film by far outweigh the attempts to offer up mechanistic externalities that would easily be out-dated (thank Arthur C. Clark for that brilliance...) and this helps keep the film relevant 40 Earth years later.

You also need to see 2010, it explains a bit more. I had the feeling they were implying that "intelligent life" was seeded on earth by a vastly more advanced life form in the way of the monolith.

Both are great movies. I guess you could say 2001 was the "Star Wars" of the time when it came out.

There can be many different interpretations of the monolith. Truly a masterpiece. The book is always way more in depth then any movie can be. There is also a follow up sequel to it. A must read where the main character is transformed into pure energy. Clears up 'some' of the ambiguity.
I first saw space odyssey at 11, and drove my older brother bug snot with questions during its premier on tv.
The book is a must read.

[edit on 8/18/2008 by jpm1602]

Originally posted by chetinglendalevillage
For beginners, you didn't mention the ship's omnipresent computer HAL9000 which has so many undertones that add to the brilliance of a 2.5 hour movie (which only includes 40 minutes of spoken verbiage).

You are right. Not that there was nothing to say about HAL9000. I just reserved my opinion. If you consider Dave's "last trip" which was psychedelic in nature but certainly, from some perspectives, resembled IMO, something "computerized" - so perhaps Dave's new reality was "Matrix" based, as was life he already knew, and HAL9000 knew this and for some reason decided it was better to jeopardize the mission.

HAL later gets lobotomized in pursuit of the Jupiter monolith. You did forget one monolith - during the mostly philosophical life-cycle scenes one appears at the foot of the last surviving astronaut's bed.

Nope, not forgotten. I made the assumption that this was the same monolith he encountered on the way to Jupiter. Hence a triangulation of the monoliths.

The deep philosophical intentions of this film by far outweigh the attempts to offer up mechanistic externalities... and this helps keep the film relevant 40 Earth years later.

Absolutely!! I can agree that the relevance of future technology STILL, by far, outshines the period it was created in.

showing this film to seniors in high school was hands down the best week of school last year... lol.

they went absolutely crazy during the ape scene and the movie opened up so many avenues for discussion.

this thread proves it does the same for adults.

2001 space odyssey is about human in the hierarchy of the universe.
This kind of movie like Contact are very metaphysically instructive, they go behind the axes of evil that we human like to submit to it.
All other Scf movies are in general propaganda to our self esteem and self reliance to the universe. Some novels or movies like the one mentioned, will go much deeper in the notion of humanity as just another consciousness in the universe, not the ultimate and not the last.
I finish with an image which really subscribe to what all this movies are all about:
The movie Contact from Carl Sagan novel has in the end a very powerful message for all of us. When Judie Foster encounter her virtual Father at the other side of the galaxy, she ask who is behind the universe, the virtual father responded that they didn’t know who created it, they where just going a round the universe and trying to understand its origin and been aware of all the awareness that inhabit this infinite realm.

Kacou.

Originally posted by h3akalee
My interpretation was that when the monolith turned up it was the cause of the dawn of man.

Interesting, but not for me. It was very much a look at society today. You have "groups" and from time to time they clash over resources etc - the water for example. Could signify oil today??

When the ape placed his/her hand on the monolith he/she was given new understanding new moral's.

It may also mean that if you do not fully understand the implications of your actions, i.e. touching something you shouldn't, it will have dire consequences. Eventual Global warming comes to mind - being a result of unscrupulous use of technology we are only starting to realize the consequences of - using CFCs, combustion of fossil fuels etc.

The monolith could very well represent pandoras box.

Absolutely!! Finding something new and exploiting it. i.e. Apes learned to use a club - bone - to get more food by killing the animals. Eventually the "technology" of the time will be the down fall - from food to murder.

Toward's the end of the movie we again see the cycle of life and death. We see him die then we see him reborn.

Perhaps these monoliths have something to do with the "soul catcher" and he is heading back for reincarnation. Who knows.

The monolith appear's just as the main character Dave is about to die just like it appeared in the very start of the film where the ape touched it.

Perhaps the rebirth is metaphorical in nature. Perhaps it it the birth of new understanding and not necessarily a physical rebirth? An opinion.

So what we could be looking at toward the end of the film is the next form of human evolution.

I agree.

The above is all speculation and my personal opinion but it's what make's the film so wonderfull. Everyone has a different idea about what the meaning of the film could be or what it is representing.
It's a masterpeice.

You know, as i read everyone's posts my initial feelings and thoughts and opinions, while i watched the movie, start making sense to me LOL... if that makes any sense.

reply to post by shearder


I made them take me to it like five times when I was five years old when it first came out...
It's a satanic movie, but most things are satanic when properly understood...at the end the space/man/infant/being is about to destroy the world, humans have served their purpose by bringing him into existence, and they are now so much on a lower level than him that that will be no tragedy...reference one of them evil proverbs BETTER THAT THE WORLD SHOULD CRUMBLE INTO DUST THAN THAT A FREE MAN SHOULD DENY A SINGLE ONE OF HIS DESIRES...the monolith was like Prometheus, also a satanic figure, but instead of bringing fire it brought murder through technology to the apes, and that's the only way we ever got anywhere, that's why the thrown bone turns into the spacecraft...so there you have it.

You really need to read all 4 books

The monolith basically judges life and whether it has any potential. If so, it makes subtle changes to the brain, giving it the chance to blossom and reach that potential. It can also judge that life WONT reach any potential and wipe it out (as it does with Jupiter and the lifeforms there, to help the europans in 2010 + 2061)

It can also go a bit faulty as frank discovers in 3001

Must read books for anyone in my very humble opinion

reply to post by nine-eyed-eel


Point taken. But again, you could look at it that it is the opposite of Satanic. Ok let's see if I can keep a neutral view point without getting religious - perhaps it's humans needing to learn from their mistakes to improve the world and getting understanding. It isn't physical rebirth but metaphorical. Each new generation will usually "fix" the mistakes of the past.

Now here's a longgggg shot. Perhaps he has to wait till he is old - who knows how old he was when he died, but, perhaps people destroy themselves while he is away and he comes back to start all over again with new understanding.

Just an idea thrown into the mix

reply to post by expatwhite


I will see if i can find those books. Thanks expatwhite!

I didn't know there were "sequels"

I started to watch 2001 years ago and right at the start i thought oh bugger it - this is ancient. But learning what i have gave me the idea to watch it as it was showing again on telly. So i recorded it and watched it.

2001 , one of the best films with an incredible if not THE BEST jumpscene in cinematic history. From a simple tool used to club an opponent over food and water rights to the spinning space stations and craft used by man.
The film based around Man's quest for knowledge and understanding of his place in the universe.
To find a monolith on the moon , then to find one in jupiter's orbit, Man strives to find out.
That the computer HAL went beserk ( not really as its explained in the film 2010) and killed some of the crew, is the Clarkes attempt to state that technology not used correctly is very dangerous.
Bowmans last transmission to me means that he finally understood what the monolith was , that it was a life creator, a star maker, hence the term "My God It's full of stars". He realise that the monolith created life on Earth and in the film 2010 we see the Monolith in orbit of Jupiter do what it was meant to do. Turn Jupiter into a new star for Europa to warm up and become a new Earth type planet, where the cycle begins again.
Tha there was a war about to kick off between the US and the USSR (sound familiar yet?) the monolith creators deemed that it was crucial to interfere with our actions as it/they created us and we were they're children. Wouldn't you do the best for your children? and interfere if they were fighting amongst themselves?.
IMO 2010 answered a nore few questions but wasn't as good as the original film.

Oh and the other spaceman who got 'killed' whilst outside , he doens't , his body gets found and reanimated in the book 3001...

[edit on 18/8/08 by DataWraith]

I just found an e-book on 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is around 90 A4 pages. Seems to little as far as i am concerned. Does it sound about right? I don't want to read something that is a summary of the actual book but the actual book itself. Any ideas?

Watch flash movie when you have 15 minutes to spare.

www.kubrick2001.com...

I sense a slight "It was made by old people, and old people are dumb because they dont know what we do know today" in the OP. But no worries, you get how wrong that is once you get older

I mean, what 60ies crap do you have to put up with in 2001? mainly Hairdos and civilian clothes i'd say and even those are rather timeless/classic and not very 60ies screaming at all.

Anyhow: Kubrik wasnt dumb, that much is certain. Read somewhere once that the monolith happens to have the same width/height ratio as a cinema screen. In the intermission its actually the monolith siniging to us. *shrug*
Monolith=Prometheus, no doubt. But as prometheus it has nothitn to say about morals, it just delivers the tools to the apes. (and of course clubs are easier to invent than fire)

Personaly i think the sequels add little and take away all that nice ambiguity of the original. Its a journey to the edge of your mind. and beyond: Infinity

2001, being 2001, simply tackles all the biggest and most profound questions there are.

The Monolith has a number or symbolic meanings, the most obvious one being God, or even just a much more advanced being than ourselves (what humans may percieve as God). Or a Type 3 organism. It prompts the evolution of man throughout the film, and therefore the initial scenes with the apes is of critical importance. It then prompts man to venture into space, then finally prompts the further evolution of human kind, hinted at by the famous starchild.

HAL is used, strangely, to represent the frailties of the human psyche - inherent evil, morals etc. The portion of the film with HAL is, imo, a deliberately intimate and personal section, getting into the heads of the characters.

I honestly think it's the greatest film of all time. Visually, conceptually and psychologically unsurpassed to this day.


[edit on 18-8-2008 by ElectricBat]

[edit on 18-8-2008 by ElectricBat]