It took many years to figure out the meaning of the ending alone. A space odyssey is a very good example to illustrate the point, if not the best. In 1969, kubrick told joseph gelmis you begin with an artifact left on earth four million years ago by extraterrestrial explorers who observed the behavior of the manapes of the time and decided to influence their evolutionary progression. Update, the new penguin galaxy edition is beautiful. Learn about the different symbols such as moon in 2001. A rare and never before seen alien race uses a tool with the appearance of a large crystalline monolith to. Bowman survives by escaping to an airlock and donning a spacesuit. There is no dialogue in the first 25 minutes of the movie ending when a. The space exploration programs in the united states and the soviet union were only in the early stages. A space odyssey was written, mankind had not yet set foot on the moon.
Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot. The following is a transcript of the soundtrack from the groundbreaking 1968 film 2001. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on earth presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well. Both the novel and the film are partially based on clarkes 1948 short story the sentinel, an entry in a bbc short story competition, and encounter in the dawn, published in 1953 in the magazine amazing stories. A space odyssey is the sort of movie that frequently gets called difficult. This may be stanley kubrick himself explaining the end of 2001. After the first encounter with the monolith, we see the leader of the apes have a quick flashback to the monolith after which he picks up a bone and uses it to smash other bones. So whats up with the title is that clarke is saying, that old greek dude went on a long voyage and had adventures way back when, and so heres a story about the future of 2001, when some other dude is going to go on an awesome voyage also. A space odyssey s ending is famous among strange film endings, and when you consider that the competition includes magnolia, mulholland drive, and rockadoodle, thats sayin something. A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. The director of the film, stanley kubrick, and the writer, arthur c. Listen to stanley kubrick explain the ending of 2001. The manapes of the world, who lived by gathering berries and nuts, were facing a lack of food.
A space odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by british writer arthur c. In the movie bowman dons a spacesuit, disconnects hal, establishes contact with earth and learns that learns that his mission is to explore iapetus to contact the society that buried the monolith on the moon. As far as my own interpretation of the ending goes, hmm well, my first reaction was to find it deeply disappointing and a bit silly. Clarke wrote an ending that had bowmanthestarchild detonate. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication satellites in geostationary orbit. A space odyssey wasnt so much a movie based upon a book as much as it was a collaboration between kubrick and clarke. According to same range movies, hal as an artificial intelligent computer should not be a big deal at these tens. The meaning of the ending of 2001 according to stanley kubrick. One of his short stories inspired the world wide web, while another was expanded into 2001. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c.
Hal kills poole by using the eva pod to cut his spacesuit air line while outside of the ship. Clarkes most celebrated single contribution to mass culture. Among his bestselling novels are childhoods end, 2001. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up as the official author. Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnu. With keir dullea, gary lockwood, william sylvester, daniel richter.
The book explains things more explicitly, but i read it years ago. The odyssey is a long greek poem by homer about a dude named odysseus who goes on a long voyage. A space odyssey has been analysed and interpreted by numerous people, ranging from professional movie critics to amateur writers and science fiction fans. The black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a way to nudge along the evolution of humanity. Still, that hasnt stopped the masses from hounding the likes of lynch for clearcut explanations, an experience to which enigmatic filmmaker stanley kubrick was also routinely subjected. A space odyssey begins with a manape named moonwatcher millions of years ago and leaps forward through time to the present day when dr. For the psychedelic sequence at the end, when keir seems to pass into a different dimension, we had. It was developed concurrently with stanley kubricks film version and published after the release of the film. The ending is largely symbolic, and reading the book helps with its interpretation. As a fan of stanley kubrick and cinema in general, i find that the cinematography of 2001. In a 1969 interview with joseph gelmis, he quickly summed up the entire plot in two paragraphs. In the book, the silent time is taken up by clarkes explanations of the science behind the novel, his attempts at characterization it says something that the most fully realized character in the book is the computer and his successful attempts to describe the solar system. My main interest lies along these broad areas, naturally assuming great plot and character.
Whats different in the above clip, which has recently been making the rounds on reddit, is that kubrick actually provides a fairly straightforward answer when asked to unpack the ending of 2001. A space odyssey movie and book you may not have noticed. A space odyssey symbolically describes the story of mankinds life. This instalment is in two parts and is slightly different. A space odyssey is a true classic in how films look on the screen and the artistic sensibility behind it. A space odyssey was the name of an oversized comic book adaptation of the 1968 film of the same name and a 10issue monthly series expanding on the ideas presented in the film and the eponymous arthur c. Understanding the film 2001 is best done through the lens of homers the odyssey hal as the cyclops, nietzsches thus spoke zarathustra and the genealogy of morals, along with finally frueds civilization and its discontents. Dave bowman keir dullea now an elderly man lays on his death bed, the monolith appears. A space odyssey is one of my favorite films and my favorite scifi of all time, i ve committed far too many hours of my life watching it and i m now here to share my thoughts on what the. As we see in the beginning of the movie a bunch of apes the early men come across the monolith and they have no idea what it is. A space odyssey has finally been explained by the 1968 scifi movies director, stanley kubrick, himself. A space odyssey by arthur c clarke fictionfans book.
A space odyssey and its mysterious ending, he did attempt to let viewers know what his intention was. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In this piece i will attempt to identify and explain a few of these phenomena, focussing on symbols, signs and metaphors present in the film. Clarke and the 1968 film directed by stanley kubrick.
Funnily enough, i watched 2001 with headphones on while my toddler napped with a fever in bed next to me. Which is, ultimately, never true of a film that costs that much money laid out by a major studio mgm, in this case, though ill concede that if by difficult one means the ending is a deliberately obscurantist explosion of borderline nonsense, then i can see why youd think that. A space odyssey is a film that is filled to the brim with symbols. The book disposes of several mysteries that the film intentionally withholds from the audience, and in my opinion it made for a much more cohesive story. To paraphrase david lynch, many ideas manifest onscreen because they couldnt be articulated in words. The one based on the book goes like this the black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a way to nudge along the evolution of humanity. A space odyssey is based on the final version of the script for the 1968 motion picture, but, even so, in some regards they differ due to late changes made by director stanley kubrick to that picture after the novel had largely been completed. Apr 07, 2018 the interactive transcript could not be loaded. Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moons surface, where. The ending is largely symbolic, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
After discovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the lunar surface, mankind sets off on a quest to find its origins with help from intelligent supercomputer h. A space odyssey, as compared to those you answered on for first men on the moon, given the year of production of the film 1964, the book upon which the film was based 1901 and the existence of space travel however limited in the early 1960s. Jack kirby wrote and pencilled both the adaptation and the series, which were published by marvel comics beginning in 1976. Transcript of the film 2001 a space odyssey miscel. A video has surfaced which appears to feature stanley kubrick himself explaining the end of 1968s 2001. A space odyssey returned to theaters earlier this summer and toured the country with an unrestored 70mm print. In a newly unearthed interview, the ending of 2001. What is the best rational explanation to the ending of 2001.
In terms of its themes and symbolism, 2001 was con. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response. A space odyssey and how they contribute to the plot of the book. Few directors allowed their movies to speak for themselves more than stanley kubrick. A space odyssey as one of the astronauts on the mission to track the source of an alien artifact found on the moon. What do you think about the cinematography in 2001. I always found this a pretty disappointing end to the film because it seemed to make no sense. Bowman ends up in a room somewhere in one universe or another, and we have no idea where. In fact it was a lifechanging film for me as, at age 11 1972 when i saw it in the theatre i recently found out it was reissu. The extreme horizontal format of this copy is a reflection on the films original cinerama format and its 24 pages are a mixture of glossy paper and translucent vellum.
Someone please explain the ending to me like im a 5 year old. Clarke, wanted to leave the film open to philosophical and allegorical interpretation, purposely presenting the final sequences of the film without the underlying thread being apparent. A space odyssey movie features bizarre colours and the main character appearing in a bed, then becoming an old man and finally a fetus. Understanding the film 2001 is best done through the lens of homers the odyssey hal as the cyclops, nietzsches thus spoke zarathustra and the genealogy of morals, along with finally frueds civilization and its discontents the film is structured around the odyssey, while it contrasts neitzschian transhumanism on the one hand against frueds thesis that civilization. For 50 years the films ambiguous ending has been the subject of debate among fans, with numerous theories providing a possible explanation. A space odyssey, which features one of the most striking, thoughtprovoking climaxes in film. Few artists are interested in articulating the meanings of their works. So then he is reincarnated in advanced spirit and new.
I decided to pass that information along to you with this explanation and analysis of the book. A space odyssey seem to become more relevant as time marches on. What is the best rational explanation to the ending of. Clarkes most famous works, due in part to the film versions popularity, he was a prolific and influential science fiction writer.
In fact it was a lifechanging film for me as, at age 11 1972 when i saw it in. A space odyssey so what happens at the end of 2001. A space odyssey which was released 50 years ago this week seems etched in stone. Heywood floyd is sent to the moon owing to a secretive and rumored disease that is believed to have inflicted the american portion of the colony. In the movie bowman dons a spacesuit, disconnects hal, establishes contact with earth and learns that learns that his mission is to explore iapetus to. Much room was left to imagine the future of the space program. As such it recreates the words spoken rather than those scripted. A space odyssey by arthur c clarke and its three sequels 2010. A space odyssey, which he cowrote with stanley kubrick. My dear friend wikipedia to whom thanks for all my newly acquired.
Clarke 19172008 wrote a hundred books and more than a thousand short stories and essays covering science fiction and science fact in a career spanning more than six decades. The novel and the film were developed concurrently, with the novel actually being released after the movie. Over the last three years, much of what the guardian holds dear has. Hal kills the crew in suspended animation by venting the ship to space.
Chandras full first name, sivasubramanian, can be translated as dear priest of shiva. A space odyssey ending explained by stanley kubrick. Or, if you prefer, lasercut into a giant black monolith. Rating is available when the video has been rented.
The plan was for the novel to be completed by mid1965, and for the script to then be. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. A space odyssey is based on the final version of the script for the 1968 motion picture, but, even so, in some regards they differ due to late changes made by director stanley. A few words were spoken quietly and are hard to transcribe such as the last by michaels on the moon shuttle. A space odyssey is the 1968 science fiction novel written by arthur c. A giant monolith appeared on earth one day and began to experiment with many of them, probing and developing their minds. This collection comprises the science fiction novels 2001.
The monolith is somekind of step to a higher evolution level made by aliens. The main idea of the movie, in my opinion, is the last scene of a movie that was about being at the same place at different time lapse. A space odyssey, which we analyzed and diagrammed, brings us full circle when compared with the opening scene of the film. Clarke, wanted to leave the film open to philosophical and allegorical interpretation, purposely presenting the final sequences. After dave and his crew head from the moon to jupiter to investigate some mysterious monoliths, their computer system, hal, takes over the ship. A space odysseys ending is famous among strange film endings, and when you consider that the competition includes magnolia, mulholland drive, and rockadoodle, thats sayin something. A space odyssey 1968 star child scene 66 movieclips.
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