2001: A Space Odyssey.

Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968, was a phenomenon to screens, a widely recognised true sci-fi, with its futuristic aspects and its complete own interpretation approach. The film, in fact, might be best described as a factual philosophical speculation, rather than as the drama it sets out as but never develops into: and like all good speculations, it leaves the spectator up in the air with a tantalising vision as food for thought {1}. The films idea of how 2001 would progress is not far from what 2001 was, not so much as space shuttle air lines, flying to planets occasionally and gravity boots, but the shapes and style of some of the air crafts is not wrong, especially under the fact space shuttles and satellites were not emitted into the atmosphere yet, so the design and idea was completely new. Even down to the presentation of video chat, talking face to face over the phone is seen very often these days but to 1968 a complete unknown factor of unbelievable creation. The first scene shows the title, Dawn of Man. The film opens on earth, first showing beautiful colour and contrast of the sunrise over land, changing as the atmosphere pans from silhouette mountains to baron landscape. The colour becomes dull and the music becomes quiet, the sight of bones and dry land takes to the screen. The first sign of life shows a small pack of wild Tapirs grazing on the very little dry grass, followed by a troop of apes. The apes show dominance over the tapirs for the food. Further in a cheetah attacks one of the apes showing dominance over them, allowing the concept of the food chain and the circle of life [1].

Fig [1] 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) We view an ape eating remains and bones, music starts to increase which evidently brings in the viewers attention. The ape picks up a bone and through realisation discovers it as a hard object, weapon like. The editing of slow motion and powerful music is to describe the absolute breakthrough of what which we would not find amazing. After showing evolution of intelligence we witness the first sighting of the monolith. It sings to the apes with music we have heard in the beginning of the movie, an eerie feel and a soft voice bellows out of this strange rectangular black box.

Fig [2] 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey consists of many props but the most symbolic of them all is, arguably, the monolith. The monolith is a representation of the cinema screen itself, so in the films opening and the intermission we are not looking at a black screen, we are in fact looking straight at the surface of monolith. The monolith is singing to the audience much like it was communicating to the apes and the humans. The sheer size and width of the monolith is the same representation of our cinema screens. So its almost as if we are there, we are part of the film and looking at the apes through this black box. Kubrick has taken us on a psychedelic ride of conscious evolution as he inspires us to think deeply about our own origins species and where we are heading in the distant future, he also literally demanding that we think outside the box. The term space odyssey now has a literal meaning it refers to the relationship between the screen, the audience and the audiences surroundings {2}. The monolith appears mainly through the stages of evolution, the apes evolving in using weaponry and the men on the moon, lastly spotted outside Jupiter. Once we have witnessed the journey to Jupiter we can only assume that the psychedelic show of colours and marble patterns is the doing of the monolith, but this again is where Kubrick leaves this open to interpretation. The sudden colours and the transitions end result is of Dave being inside a beautiful room, within is him in his shuttle.

Fig [3] 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

We witness him looking through his shuttle which transits into third person and we see Dave standing outside and aged. He travels around the room confused and the sheer horror on his face we can see. He hears movement and again it pans into third person and we witness Dave again, much older, eating. He reaches over and knocks his glass, this actual wasnt part of the script but was added to use as a transition to the next scene where Dave is lying in bed, dying. As Dave looks across the room we see that the Monolith is back and watches over him much like we were. As he passes he transforms into a space child and returns to earth. This idea of transforming is an act to the idea that life goes on, reincarnation or even the birth of god, but again this is to the viewer, their interpretation. The star child has now returned to earth and has a certain god like aspect to it and the theory of being it resides above earth, its comparative sophistication evoking our aura on the unknown, almost making a asperity of what is simply on advanced life form, indeed, a progression of us, the chose of an image of a child is perfect as it projects a stage of new stage, beginning, not an ending to existence, this suggests a humble progression and a continuing journey of which has just begun{03}.

Bibliography: {1} Milne,T. (2010) 2001: A Space Odyssey: Archive review, http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/space-odyssey-reviewscience-fiction (Accessed on 16/10/2013) {2} Learning Collative. (2007) 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY meaning of the monolith revealed 1 of 3. [5:33-5:58]. http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v =P95NWAHWLrc (Accessed on 16/10/2013) {03} Lampyman101. (2009) 2001:Analysis of the last 10 minutes. [8:008:44] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-OlW83b6U (Accessed on 16/10/2013)
Images [1] Fig [1]. 2001: A Space Odyssey. At http://www.scifimoviezone.com/2001Script01.shtml (Accessed on 16/10/2013) [2] Fig [2] 2001: A Space Odyssey. At http://geekspeakmagazine.com/2012/09/geekvs-geek-2001-a-space-odyssey-a-terrible-terrible-movie/ (Accessed on 16/10/2013) [3] Fig [3] 2001: A Space Odyssey. At http://www.hikingfiasco.com/2011/12/mtdifficult-gar-grampians-national_13.html (Accessed on 16/10/2013)