The author of a new behindthescenes look at the scifi classic talks about his friendship with arthur c. The thing is once i watch a movie i have a really hard time reading the book after i have seen it because the imagination aspect is gone my favorite part of reading and i feel as if i am reading the script. From the savannas of africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001. Clarke photo above, finally put the screenplay down in black and white in the novelization of the film.
A space odyssey has fascinated audiences for years. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up as the official author. Hal feels backwardsand backwards, in this book, is the only way to feel human at all. A space odyssey, a benchmark science fiction film, a clockwork orange, a dystopian commentary on our society, the shining, a horror film that follows few rules, and full metal jacket, a vietnam movie filmed entirely in england. A space odyssey 1968 a one of the 15 films listed in the category art on the vatican film list. Stanley kubrick is an enigmatic director who put a lot of layers into all his work. The film begins with apes discovering a strange object called a monolith, which is of great power and immediately spurs their curiosity. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c.
Fifty years of parodies and homages might dull the impact of. A triple allegory,showing how all events come from nietzsches thus spoke zarathustrawhich also opens at dawn,ending with the heros interrupted last supper. Clarke and the 1968 film directed by stanley kubrick. The deliberately mannered tempo of the first 90% of the film reflects the unhurried pace of mans progress. A space odyssey was a visual and technical accomplishment, unparalleled at the time of its making. A space odyssey seem to become more relevant as time marches on. If you disagree with my interpretation please be polite and. This allegory about humanitys exploration of the universe, and the universes reaction to humanity, was the basis for director stanley kubricks immortal film. The film makes you think about what we have done with our existence, and it raises questions about what mankind will do in the future. Or read his online essays,from blurred horizon press,misconceptions about 2001 and fresh. A space odyssey concludes as a visual poem which tells a story about human evolution and steps taken to get there. Hal kills poole by using the eva pod to cut his spacesuit air line while outside of the ship. Fifty years ago this spring, stanley kubricks confounding scifi masterpiece, 2001.
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. The film is based of a book of the same name penned by none other than the author arthur c. Mar 27, 2012 here is the interpretation i learned in my film class and always thought was the most widely held. A space odyssey, had its premieres across the country. 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. 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. Man emerges as a species slowly, over tens of thousands of years, man explores the stars slowly and actual space travel is very slow. Much of the films luxe vision of space travel was overambitious.
A space odyssey the meaning of the monolith revealed variations on the same haunting piece of music, taken from gyorgi ligettis requiem, seem to occur every time an. Clarke, kubricks collaborator, was in tears at intermission. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response. How could we possibly appreciate the mona lisa if leonardo le. The book explains things more explicitly, but i read it years ago. 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. The thing is once i watch a movie i have a really hard time reading the book after i have seen it because the imagination aspect is gone my favorite part of reading and i feel as if i. A space odyssey moon children, polkadot aliens, suckling ape suits, and many more intergalactic wrong turns are chronicled in a new behindthescenes. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. Yes, you can spend an entire evolutionary stage debating the meaning of the. The ending is largely symbolic, and reading the book helps with its interpretation.
Sep 05, 2008 the meaning reveals itself in the context. An indepth shotbyshot analysis of stanley kubricks film 2001. Its a totally different kind of experience, of course, and there are a number of differences between the book and the movie. 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. One tagline for the movie was the ultimate trip, so clearly kubrick, or at least the films. A space odyssey and how they contribute to the plot of the book. Among his bestselling novels are childhoods end, 2001. They must all be considered as variations on the same theme, involving many of the same characters and situations, but not necessarily happening in the same universe. Director stanley kubricks landmark space saga, 2001.
Today, were analyzing the themes and motifs, and talk about what actually happened. 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, 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. Back in sri lanka, clarke watches the television and bursts into tears. Since 2001 is a visual experience, what happened when your collaborator, arthur c. Bowman survives by escaping to an airlock and donning a spacesuit. It was developed concurrently with stanley kubricks film version and published after the release of the film.
This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of 2001. 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. Mar 14, 2016 one film that expresses this feature is 2001. A space odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by british writer arthur c. A space odyssey is one of those rare movies you recognize even if youve never seen it. The passage detailing an ailing clarke bursting into tears on seeing. What is the meaning behind the opening scene 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. A space odyssey remains a mystery kubrick may have set out to make a sciencefiction film, but 2001.
It was my first exposure to a masterpiece in any medium or at least. Get closer than ever to the movie that changed the movies. The apemen use their tools to kill animals and eat meat, ending their. A space odyssey moon children, polkadot aliens, suckling ape suits, and many more intergalactic wrong. A space odyssey is one of my favorite films and my favorite scifi of all time, ive committed far too many hours of my life watching it and im now here to share my thoughts on what the ending means. One of his short stories inspired the world wide web, while another was expanded into 2001. The beginning of the odyssey, shots 1 thru 105 about 19. Like the hominid in the first act who looks at a bone and suddenly sees what no hominid has ever seen before, one. A space odyssey sheds light on the lead actors, senior production designers, specialeffects experts and masterminds of stanley kubrick and arthur c. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication satellites in geostationary orbit.
A space odyssey as a paean to the glories of psychedelic consciousness, a wonderful gift that has graced our planet since the days of the apes that first encounter the monolith at the dawn of the film. Clarke, who together revolutionized science fiction and. A space odyssey has been analysed and interpreted by numerous people, ranging from professional movie critics to amateur writers and science fiction fans. 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. A space odyssey but i have heard its actually better to watch the film before reading the book. A space odyssey, which turns 50 this week, is closer to home than we think, writes. Well explore the events in the book, discuss and analyze its main. The monoliths are a race of galatic watchers who work to ensure life forms they. Learn about the different symbols such as moon in 2001. A space odyssey, which he cowrote with stanley kubrick. The first encounter with a monolith gave our ancient ancestors the knowledge of how to use tools. Strangelove, the cult classic dark comedy about nuclear warfare, 2001. A space odyssey is the most important scifi movie of alltime.
Made before the days of digital scifi effects, 2001 was nothing if not a labor of love. A space odysseys mystery endures, 50 years on cnet. What on earth did the end of 2001 a space odyssey mean. Update, the new penguin galaxy edition is beautiful. One tagline for the movie was the ultimate trip, so clearly kubrick, or at least the films marketing team, were very aware of the psychedelic. The book is all about progressing beyond meat and flesh and worries about death and turning into super star people who know all and see all and are, as a result, really boring. From the savannas of africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of saturn as man adventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001. A space odyssey, david bowman enters in a room decorated as a hotel.
Jack kirby wrote and pencilled both the adaptation and the series, which were published by marvel comics beginning in 1976. Fifty years of parodies and homages might dull the impact of some films, but 2001 remains as powerful. I recall watching it for the first time about 12 years ago in high school, and all that was apparent to me at the time was the concept of evolution towards an inevitable battle between man and machine. When first released in theatres, it was a film that you either loved or hated. The classic science fiction novel that captures and expands on the vision of stanley kubricks immortal filmand changed the way we look at the stars and ourselves. Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnu. A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. A kind of zoo of humans for aliens where they can see y. Space age speculative writers, believing our species salvation to lie.
A space odyssey is a very good example to illustrate the point, if not the best. Kubrick liked to work from books, and since a suitable one did not yet exist they would write it. Well explore the events in the book, discuss and analyze its main themes, and finish with a short quiz. Here is the interpretation i learned in my film class and always thought was the most widely held. Dec 12, 2011 stanley kubricks 1968 scifi masterpiece 2001. A space odyssey, turns 50 this year, remaining remarkably relevant and influential even 17 years after surpassing its titular year. The odyssey is a long greek poem by homer about a dude named odysseus who goes on a long voyage.
Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot. A space odyssey is the 1968 science fiction novel written by arthur c. 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. An important thing to understand is that on the one hand there is nothing to understand about this movie, its express purpose is to make you think. A space odyssey is a film that is filled to the brim with symbols. Jul 09, 2014 weird, unseen images from the making of 2001. A space odyssey symbolically describes the story of mankinds life. Or read his online essays,from blurred horizon press,misconceptions about 2001 and fresh insights into 2001. Hal kills the crew in suspended animation by venting the ship to space. The director of the film, stanley kubrick, and the writer, arthur c. 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. The dawn of man is a testament to the genius of kubrick, and cleverly sets up the films forthcoming narrative, to produce one of the greatest science fiction films ever. If 2001 the year looked like 2001 the movie, it was partly because the films imaginary design trends were made real. Analysis of kubricks 2001 a space odyssey table of.
Upfront, somewhat of a refinement on some of the other answers. It explores these profound themes in a colossal manner that is overwhelming at times, and it encourages the viewer to ponder the meaning of our existence. Clarke, who together revolutionized science fiction and the art of cinema. A space odyssey from ultimately becoming one of the most revered films of the 20th century. 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 is, for me, primarily about the experience of total awe. May 27, 2011 try leonard wheats 2000 book,kubricks 2001. A space odyssey, so this book is not a linear sequel to 2010.