Stanley Kubrick explains the plot of 2001

[jds1911a1]

I've read all of Clarke's Odyssey books, and I certainly recommend them to anyone who loves SF literature. Great works.

Me too (of course Clarke is an icon in sci fi lit) but for me once I read the books it makes Kubrick's interpretation even more convoluted

[Bruce Banner]

I've read all of Clarke's Odyssey books, and I certainly recommend them to anyone who loves SF literature. Great works.

[Brazoo]

Brazoo..

Excellent synopses on each phase, pulling out some details I hadn't given thought to (being 'at war' with man's creation, the white room representation..).

The white room explanation makes good sense, that the alien intelligence would provide Bowman with 'the next level of understanding', mulling about his consciousness (his physical body is most likely dead and this non-corpuscular, lumbering being is actually his consciousness..).

First primal (apes), then rational (spacemen with ability to reason & create tools to reach the aliens), then cerebral consciousness (the next level)..

Very well thought out.

david_b

Cheers man - thanks!

[david_b]

I can watch the entire movie, but basic training is the best part

Watch it..?? I went through it..., Army Basic Training, that is

d

[jds1911a1]

Part 1 - Early Man

- Two tribes are at war
- A mysterious alien force leaves a monolith which grants one tribe the intelligence to use tools and beat the other tribe
- The all-important first tool is tossed into the air... and here's the famous match-cut of the bone to the spaceship...

The opening squence is really what makes the film so memorable but it's as much the score as the shots. Auch Sprach Zeta is a masterpeice in it's won right

[megoscott]

Great posts, guys, thanks. Be nice to see this in HD at home...

[Meule]

I can't watch Full Metal after basic.

Basically after basic training I change channels

I can watch the entire movie, but basic training is the best part

[david_b]

Brazoo..

Excellent synopses on each phase, pulling out some details I hadn't given thought to (being 'at war' with man's creation, the white room representation..).

The white room explanation makes good sense, that the alien intelligence would provide Bowman with 'the next level of understanding', mulling about his consciousness (his physical body is most likely dead and this non-corpuscular, lumbering being is actually his consciousness..).

First primal (apes), then rational (spacemen with ability to reason & create tools to reach the aliens), then cerebral consciousness (the next level)..

Very well thought out.

david_b

[Brazoo]

Here's my basic take on the movie that I had worked out. There are still tons of questions and things to think about - which is why I love this movie so much.

I'm curious to think of what you guys think of my take - but I'll understand if people don't bother looking at mine.




Part 1 - Early Man

- Two tribes are at war
- A mysterious alien force leaves a monolith which grants one tribe the intelligence to use tools and beat the other tribe
- The all-important first tool is tossed into the air... and here's the famous match-cut of the bone to the spaceship...

Part 2 - Advanced Man 1

Our tools are more sophisticated, almost at the limit of our imagination (for the 60s anyway) but we're still mentally and physically limited. Are we that much different than early man?

- We're still two tribes at war (USA and USSR)

The USA finds the mysterious alien force's 'calling card' - a monolith buried on the moon (here I totally got what Kubrick was going for, the alien force is like, "if they get smart enough to find this monolith buried in the moon it's going to signal for them to go to the edge of their galaxy at a specific point - another monolith - and if they reach that point we'll get them to the next level."

Part 2 - Advanced Man 2 - The Jupiter Mission (here's where all the interesting questions I can't answer are)

HAL 9000 - our most sophisticated tool. Humans have now created intelligence - like the aliens did with early man.

We've either done a perfect job and HAL goes insane because deep space travel for 18 months is nearly at our natural mental limits to cope with - OR - HAL goes insane because we're not nearly as good at creating intelligence as the alien force was.

In any case the two main things happening here are:

- We're at the limit of the intelligence the alien force gave us
- Conflict always follows us - we're at war now with something we've created (HAL 9000)

Part 3 - The Next Level

The surviving human Bowman (a fitting name since it represents the use of a tool of war) has reached the final monolith and is taken on a journey through time and space. He grows old -

(Here I don't get the zoo thing Kubrick is talking about. I always thought the sequences with Bowman in the white rooms was some sort of mental state. Like, he needed to live the rest of his life and die to reach the next level and his brain created this illusion so he could deal with living all those years deprived of his senses. In any case, I always thought that travel through space/time was still a feature, since he's seeing himself at different stages at his life. That fits more with the theme of human mental limits to me too.)

ALSO: (I'm not sure I like the idea that the alien force is even aware of what ever happened to humans. I personally think the idea that the aliens left this automated system around knowing that the universe is so immense that they might never directly contact their 'creation' again. Anyway, to me that's more intriguing than the idea that Bowman's on some "Tralfamadore" type planet being stared at. Would beings that advanced even be that curious about us? Anyway...)

- before he dies the last monolith is revealed.

Bowman returns to our solar system transformed into a new state of being. A new state of humanity, at total peace, unbound by anything physical and beyond our mental capacity to even understand. The baby is a symbol for us to try and understand it more than an actual physical representation of what's happened.

Anyway - that's my take! Looking forward to knowing what you guys think, though I'll understand if not everyone has this much spare time today as I did

[Goblin19]

Yeah, I pretty much knew the plot anyway. It's one of my favorite movies and I don't want a concrete explanation on film. I've never watched 2010 for that reason.

[Brazoo]

2001 is right up there with my favorite movies. It's complexity is part of the experience I love about it, and after 30+ viewings there are still details I'm left thinking about, but it never bothers me.

I've never read the book because I consider the film the original source, and seems more like Clark's take on the movie.

My take on the basic plot wasn't far off from Kubrick's (I don't think), apart from a few details, but he isn't really saying much about US vs. USSR and HAL and a few other ideas central to the movie's theme.

I'd be curious to know what others think - also what other people's takes on the film might be.

[david_b]

Bingo
Let's face it: if you have to explain your own movie you've obviously done something wrong

Not necessarily. Typically I'd agree, but much like it's illegitimate child (1999's 1st year), it's the type of story-telling that allows the viewer to interpret, very open-ended.

There's a lot of artistic underground films like that, and like paintings, there's a mystery to it. It won't telegraph you all the answers, but allow you to summize it's inner meanings to talk/discuss with others.

It's satisfying on another, deeper level for those who like those films. The virture of Kubrick explaining his film doesn't necessarily detract from finding your own meanings; it just shares his intent.

The ending of his 'Clockwork Orange' was the same way..: 'Was he cured or wasn't he..?'

Some movies are spelled out for folks, others aren't.

david_b

[Mikey]

I can't watch Full Metal after basic.

Basically after basic training I change channels

[jds1911a1]

Wait...2001 had a plot?
Oh, I guess maybe if it wasn't THE MOST BORING MOVIE EVER MADE and I was able to stay awake past the cool monolith/ape-men beginning I might have noticed that.
Rich

beat me to the punch
I feel the same way. I feel Kubrick is too self enamoured to make a cogent film. Basically R Lee Ermy rewrote the whole 1st half of Full metal jacket that's why it meanders after they get out of basic

[cdhall]

Nahh

Wait...2001 had a plot?
Oh, I guess maybe if it wasn't THE MOST BORING MOVIE EVER MADE and I was able to stay awake past the cool monolith/ape-men beginning I might have noticed that.
Rich

Nah, I'm thinking just because the movie had a plot, it doesn't mean you could follow it.

Like all characters have a motivation but it doesn't always help you appreciate an actor's performance.


I'd have to go watch the whole movie but Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns might be a good example.

Or more likely, most of the stuff Keanu Reeves has done. But I loved Bill and Ted 1 and 2.