I finally got around to watching this movie at the recommendation of my brother, and all I have to say about it is: What… The… Fuck??? I approached this movie with a completely open mind, and I am not so confused, bored, and dissapointed that I feel the need for guidance. Can someone explain this “Masterpiece” to me?
Sure!
Monkeys
Man
Nextmanthingy
All controlled by big black block.
Clear things up for ya? 
Actually, over the months I’ve been here, we’ve done several threads concerning different aspects of this book/film/story.
A search will yield a treasure trove of info.
And, we’ll post here, too.
What’s the most immediate thing you want answered?
Might I also suggest you read the book by Clark. The movie is directly from it but a lot of things are much clearer once you’ve read it.
I understand that it might not be an easy movie, especially if you aren’t much into films to begin with. I don’t think I could say “why” I like it, and I could go on and on about “what” I like about it. I think some specific questions could be very helpful, as NoClueBoy said.
Nuts. The movie is not directly from it, there are lots of changes, but it will still answer most all of your questions.
its that simple.maybe opening your mind and staring blankly at the screen is what did it for ya.sorry…
The reason it is such a masterpiece is that it is so strange, and you have to figure out what it’s about on your own.
Is 2010 worth renting??
Alright, I already typed this once, but acidently hit the back button. So, here’s the abbreviated version.
Deep Questions
- What’s the purpose of the monoliths?
- Why do the seem symbolic to me?
- Why is the HAL subplot needed in the movie? Seems irrelevent.
- Why does HAL suddenly decide to obstruct the mission? What’s his motivation?
- What significance does HAL singing play in the movie?
- Why were the astronauts not told of their mission before?
- What role were the frozen astronauts to play?
7a. Did they know of the mission, and therefor had to be froze to prevent a info leak?
7b. If so, what was the purpose of the message left by the commander? - Why the psychadelic acid trip between disconnecting HAL, and being on “Jupiter” if that’s where he was? Symbolic?
- What happened at the end? Rapid life, Death, Rebirth?
9a. Rebirth into what, and for what purpose?
9b. Why was it necessary for him to die?
9c. Why a giant embryo? Does it symbolize enlightenment? Innocence? - Where is this ET life mentioned? In the monolith? Was the monolith the ET? Was ET symbolic?
Nitpicky Questions
- Why do objects float in 0G, but people don’t?
- Why do the “Flight Attendants” walk funny?
- Why is there no character building? Looks like it was attempted (daughter scene and Bday Scene), but not fullfilled.
- Why does the Spaceship have to be so big for 5 people?
- Why does Hal not hear them when they talk about him, but can hear them when they command from inside (like when he was demanding reentry, but could not hear them)?
- Why does HAL not take control of Dave’s cruiser like he did the other one? Make it easier I bet.
- Why does Dave’s head not explode when he exits the cruiser? Don’t heads explode with no atmospheric pressure?
- Why does Dave choose not to unplug HALs memory first? Or perhaps his Talking.
- Why does Dave want to hear the song? Sympathy?
- Why does the video (which was stored in HALs “brain”) play only after the brian is unplugged. I would have thought it was lost!
Erm… That’s about it for now.
Sure. It’s more linear than 2001, and gives you some explanation for what you saw in 2001.
Here’s a pretty cool flash thing that offers an explanation; I’d say you’d definitely benefit from watching it, Talking Meat Puppet:
[Roseanne Roseannadanna]
Mr. Fader, you sure ask a lot of questions
[/Roseanne Roseannadanna]
Thank you Cabbage!
I enjoyed that very much.
Might I also suggest you read the book by Clark. The movie is directly from it but a lot of things are much clearer once you’ve read it.
Actually the book came after the movie. Clark helped to write the script and afterwards wrote 2001 the book. The movie is based in one of his short stories called The Sentinel.
I’ll try my best to answer some of them.
They are the symbolic representation of alien intelligence interfering with life on earth. The movie implies the direct connection between the appearance of the monolith and the emergence of human intellect (for better or for worse). Plus, the scene where the primate smashes on the carcass with a bone while the theme song plays is really cool.
HAL is a true, conscious A.I. We’re supposed to draw parallels between this and the human brain. His self-awareness leads him to act in a “human” way, and become malicious if needed to preserve his own life. Maybe the idea is that intelligence is both beneficial and highly dangerous.
They were frozen because the journey to Jupiter takes so long. Better to conserve energy and hibernate them until they are needed.
Well, back when this movie first came out, those trippy scenes were all the rage. Seems horribly dated now, but I guess its there to convey the utter mindfuck that occurs when Bowman transcends his earthly shell to become the Starchild.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Because their shoes stick to the floor of the ship, hence, you ask:
Because a cramped, realistic interior wouldn’t be as cinematographically beautiful and compelling.
Because they took efforts to talk about HAL in the only place where he would not hear them. The pod wasn’t “on” when they were speaking inside it.
Dave turned off the logic and thinking part of HAL’s “brain”. The mechanical ship-sustaining functions and the memory was left intact.
Noel Coward (God, how I miss him!) went to see 2001 when it first came out. When asked what he thought of it, he replied:
“Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow.”
Was he a prophet or what?
I’ll take a shot, but keep in mind that it’s a movie, and the people who make movies often don’t know much about computers, spaceflight, etc., often don’t care much that they don’t know, and often don’t care that there are logical gaps as long as the thing looks good. Having said that, the science in 2001 is better than many. Way better than many.
Deep Questions
1. What’s the purpose of the monoliths?
They were set up by some virtually inconceivably more advanced intelligence to monitor and if needed, to intervene in the evolution of intelligent life on earth. They give the proto-humans a push to become tools users, etc. They wait until humans are advanced enough to get to the moon, then phone home to notify the boss. When the humans get to the bigger monolith at Jupiter, the monolith there provides another push and takes Dave to the next “level” for our species.
2. Why do the seem symbolic to me?
Hard to say. They seem like an incredibly advanced tool to me.
3. Why is the HAL subplot needed in the movie? Seems irrelevent.
To the main point (the evolution of the species) I guess you’re right. As a device to provide conflict for our hero to overcome, it works for me. It can also be seen as a commentary on the intelligent device theme. The monoliths were an intelligent device employed by the unknown aliens, while HAL was our intelligent device to help us understand their intelligent device, and ultimately to understand the aliens. Our tool was not used very effectively. Will theirs fail as well?
4. Why does HAL suddenly decide to obstruct the mission? What’s his motivation?
He was confused, knocked a’ kilter, blew a fuse (Norman, Coordinate!) by bad instructions. He was told to insure the success of the mission at all costs, but he couldn’t reveal anything about the mission. This necessitated lying and made him crazy. Since he felt the humans were prone to failure and mistakes (This sort of thing has cropped up before…and it has always been due to human error) he came to feel that getting rid of the pesky humans was a good move.
5. What significance does HAL singing play in the movie?
Nothing real big. As he was slowly robbed of his smarts, he reverts to his initial programming. The song was one of the very first things he ever learned.
6. Why were the astronauts not told of their mission before?
(Possibly paranoid) security precautions. The sleeping guys presumably had been trained with some needed skills, but not told exactly why. Dave and his boys were charged with getting the sleeping guys to the mission.
**7. What role were the frozen astronauts to play? **
They were to investigate whatever they found (turns out to be a giant monolith but they didn’t know that) at the point where the moon monolith transmitted it’s signal to. The assumption was there would be either some aliens there or some way cool signal transfer gear.
7a. Did they know of the mission, and therefor had to be froze to prevent a info leak?
Sort of, but not really. See above answers for #6. I seem to remember they were frozen to cut down on the needed consumables (air & food) needed for the trip.
7b. If so, what was the purpose of the message left by the commander?
How else do you let the audience in on the plot? J Presumably, it was part of the mission briefing for the sleeping astronauts, and since it was HAL’s most closely guarded secret, it didn’t come “come out” until HAL was fully unplugged.
8. Why the psychadelic acid trip between disconnecting HAL, and being on “Jupiter” if that’s where he was? Symbolic?
He goes through the giant monolith (My god! It’s full of stars!) to somewhere, we don’t know where. The lightshow is that passage.
9. What happened at the end? Rapid life, Death, Rebirth?
Pretty much, yes.
9a. Rebirth into what, and for what purpose?
To the next big thing. For us as a species, that is.
9b. Why was it necessary for him to die?
Can’t be re-born without dying, shucking off the old, and all that.
9c. Why a giant embryo? Does it symbolize enlightenment? Innocence?
I always saw it a simple symbol of rebirth and a new beginning for mankind. I guess the other stuff applies as well.
10. Where is this ET life mentioned? In the monolith? Was the monolith the ET? Was ET symbolic?
The monolith seems to have been a tool of the ETs, but an intelligent, perhaps sentient tool. This part is (deliberately, I think) left vague.
Nitpicky Questions
1. Why do objects float in 0G, but people don’t?
The people are held down. Straps, special shoes, etc.
2. Why do the “Flight Attendants” walk funny?
Special shoes. I always thought they were a “Velcro” type, but I guess they could have been magnetic. They walk carefully to make sure that one foot is planted firmly before the second foot is raised. If you accidentally get both feet loose at once, you’re out of control until you get back down somehow.
3. Why is there no character building? Looks like it was attempted (daughter scene and Bday Scene), but not fullfilled.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. The movie seemed to concentrate on the plot(s) and the science rather than characters. The decision of the moviemaker I suppose.
4. Why does the Spaceship have to be so big for 5 people?
Not sure, But it did look cool, didn’t it? I have a vague memory of it being a commercial flight taken over to get Heywood Floyd to the moon, but I could easily be mistaken.
5. Why does Hal not hear them when they talk about him, but can hear them when they command from inside (like when he was demanding reentry, but could not hear them)?
I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking. HAL could hear them (or see them and read their lips) whenever they were in range of one of his pickups, which was pretty much everywhere inside the ship.
6. Why does HAL not take control of Dave’s cruiser like he did the other one? Make it easier I bet.
I thought Dave disabled the automatic control when he got in.
7. Why does Dave’s head not explode when he exits the cruiser? Don’t heads explode with no atmospheric pressure?
There are differing theories about this, but most folks in the know (including our own Unca Cecil, IIRC) seem to think a few seconds exposure would work about like it was shown in the movie.
8. Why does Dave choose not to unplug HALs memory first? Or perhaps his Talking.
It’s more dramatic that way.
9. Why does Dave want to hear the song? Sympathy?
I don’t think Dave wants to hear it, the song just pops out as HAL loses his faculties and reverts to “childhood”.
10. Why does the video (which was stored in HALs “brain”) play only after the brian is unplugged. I would have thought it was lost!
As HAL’s most closely held secret, it was kept hidden until HAL is completely disabled.
I’ve read the book and I’ve watched the movie. To be honest, the movie didn’t strike me as a masterpiece. The way I see it, there’s a fine line between letting the audience puzzle things out and just presenting a jumble of events and images. The first half of the movie was nicely done, but the second half just ruins it. That said, I’ll tackle what bits of the list I have answers for, going by the book where you actually know what’s going on…
The monoliths were devices constructed by an ancient civilization with the goal of uplifting other forms of life to their sentient plateau. Since then, the civilization has evolved beyond corporeal form and moved on from the uplifting business. The first monolith existed to teach primates to use tools; the second monolith was the space elevator that Dave goes through to eventually turn him into the starbaby.
Now, my memory on this one is immensely hazy. I do remember that this was one of the more nicely-done touches in the book, and not at all touched on in the movie. I believe HAL was programmed with the ulterior motive of the mission (which I don’t remember), which conflicted with some seed of ethics in him… alright, to be honest, I barely remember anything at all about his motives, but I do remember he had them, and I do remember that they were linked to cognitive dissonance in some way.
The space elevator. The monolith on whichever of Jupiter’s moons (you can’t exactly land on Jupiter) is a sort of teleporter or such that takes Dave to a distant region of space left behind by the aforementioned civilization. The white room is part of the uplifting somehow.
This is rebirth, not death. The uplifting hyperevolves Dave into a sort of star-baby, the next step in human evolution. He didn’t die; he just transformed. On its most basic level, I remember that the star-baby was the fact that mankind was just now reaching this level of evolution, but on deeper levels I can’t help you with that.
The civilization mentioned above. They built the monoliths, which were just devices, and then they moved on.
On preview, I see that good Citizen Swatchbook has beat me to the punch on some of these, and reaches deeper than my little superficial fact check. C’est la vie.