2001: A Space Odyssey (1 Viewer)

[Robert Todd]

What I most appreciate about this film, is the way it uses symbolic language to express profound ideas so effectively. The moniliths are mathematical, geometric representations of an intelligence which would only be trivialized by a more literal, concrete depiction. The star-gate sequence, along with the final shot in the movie also invite the viewer to participate in the story-telling process, because the writer and director haven't dotted every I, and crossed every T.

2001, above any other science fiction film yet made, invites the audience to enter into a dialog exploring the most fascinating and relevant questions any self-aware consciousness must inevitably ponder, and treats the audience as an equal partner in that converstion. That, in itself, distinguishes this work from the overwhelming majority of "product" ever produced in Hollywood or anywhere else.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Great post, Robert!

More than any other film I can recall -- even Tarkovsky's great spiritual epics -- "2001" evokes the great mysteries of existence with a hushed awe that's very nearly overwhelming. I recall the first time I watched it with my daughter that she spent the final sequence with her hands over her eyes. I asked if she was afraid. She said she didn't think so, but that Dave must feel very, very alone. And I knew then that she felt, and perhaps for the first time in her young life, what it it is to be confronted by the infinite unknowable.

 

[Jack Briggs]

And, Rich, another very nice post from you, as well!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Extending your argument a bit further we can summarise some other great movies very simply:

Bicycle Theives - man spends a long time trying to find a bicycle

Citizen Kane - man spends a long time trying to find a sledge

Tokyo Story - old woman dies of natural causes

You forgot:

Lawrence of Arabia - misfit limey teaches terrorism to arabs

 

[Max Leung]

I found this article from a posting on Slashdot:
2001: The secrets of Kubrick's classic

Never-seen-before footage released to the 'IoS' reveals the extraordinary discarded prologue to Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. By Anthony Barnes

Kubrick's assistant, Tony Frewin, found the transcripts of these interviews - so no actual film footage was found. :frowning: The transcripts will be published next month.

 

[MichaelBA]

The way I see it, much of 2001 is a mystery. Not 'mystery' in the sense of something to be solved, but in the sense that it is unknowable and unexplainable, and will mean different things to different people.

Interesting point. Tolkien himself said something similar about the character of Tom Bombadil -- that a story needs elements of inexplicable mystery.

 

[AlexCremers]

What mystery would that be?

 

[rob kilbride]

I watched this movie again recently, and it gets more brilliant every time. I don't know if its been discussed before on this thread, and I don't have time to read the whole thing, but I think the end is simpler than many essays I have read have indicated. Dave passes through the star gate which carries him a tremendous distance, probably a distance we would never think possible, perhaps millions of light years away. I think of the journey as being similar to a zoologist capturing an animal and taking it far beyond its concept of a universe. Then the aliens did what a kind zoo keeper would do, put Dave in an environment they believe would make him comfortable. I don't think the antique furniture is necessarily symbolic, it just that its been a few centuries since the aliens have checked in on us. I don't believe Dave sees himself. I believe these are clever transitions showing Dave aging. Only one time does it cut to an older version of himself and back to the younger version. But when it goes back to the older version he gets up and looks where the older version would be and finds nothing. There is also the question of are we seeing a period of many years, or is his aging rapid. To me the space suit gives it away. The space suit would only have hours worth of oxygen. The aging is rapid. So why is it happening to him? The aliens are shedding his spirit of his human body so they can make him into a more spiritual being, probably similar to themselves. I doubt if you looked in a telescope you would see a huge baby in its amniotic sac. The music, Also Sprach Zarathustra I believe is base on a poem or story by Nietszche (sp?) in which it is stated that man is walking a thin line towards its destiny to go beyond being human and being a "superman". I think it would be hard to argue that the movie ends with humanity's next evolutionary step.

 

[rich_d]

I watched this movie again recently, and it gets more brilliant every time. I don't know if its been discussed before on this thread, and I don't have time to read the whole thing, but I think the end is simpler than many essays I have read have indicated. Dave passes through the star gate which carries him a tremendous distance, probably a distance we would never think possible, perhaps millions of light years away. I think of the journey as being similar to a zoologist capturing an animal and taking it far beyond its concept of a universe. Then the aliens did what a kind zoo keeper would do, put Dave in an environment they believe would make him comfortable. I don't think the antique furniture is necessarily symbolic, it just that its been a few centuries since the aliens have checked in on us. I don't believe Dave sees himself. I believe these are clever transitions showing Dave aging. Only one time does it cut to an older version of himself and back to the younger version. But when it goes back to the older version he gets up and looks where the older version would be and finds nothing. There is also the question of are we seeing a period of many years, or is his aging rapid. To me the space suit gives it away. The space suit would only have hours worth of oxygen. The aging is rapid. So why is it happening to him? The aliens are shedding his spirit of his human body so they can make him into a more spiritual being, probably similar to themselves. I doubt if you looked in a telescope you would see a huge baby in its amniotic sac. The music, Also Sprach Zarathustra I believe is base on a poem or story by Nietszche (sp?) in which it is stated that man is walking a thin line towards its destiny to go beyond being human and being a "superman". I think it would be hard to argue that the movie ends with humanity's next evolutionary step.

Certainly your viewpoint is quite viable. Sure the points have been discussed but the more discussion the better is my viewpoint.
I like the idea that the Louis the XV? period room does speak to the last time the Aliens observed earth. More to the point, I think that's the last time the monolith was on earth (unshown). Why? I like the idea that the monolith is not just a communication beacon but a turbo-charged booster of intelligence. I like the idea that the fantastic and unparalleled and inexplicable artistic advance/achievements of the Renaissance were the result of such a boost.