Figure 1: 2001: a space odyssey movie poster Figure 2: 2001: a space odyssey movie poster

2001: A Space Odyssey starts with the dawn of mankind, showcasing the primitive apes discovering a
monolith and, possibly subsequently, one ape discovers the power of using a bone as a tool to kill. The
bone is then morphed into a spaceship through the power of editing as we majorly jump forward in
time. We then follow the story as the monolith has been found buried in the moons surface before we
jump forward in time again, and we find they are on a mission to Jupiter. During the journey the
artificial intelligence onboard the spaceship- HAL 9000 refuses the mens accusations of it making a
mistake, and so turns against them killing all but one- Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea), who reaches the
destination (after a hallucinogenic journey through space) to find nothing but a house, in which we see
his past, present and future selves, before the film ends with an unexplained baby-like creature floating
in space towards earth.

The way in which 2001: A Space Odyssey ends is a bit of a mystery and is widely open to the individuals
interpretation. Due to the lack of dialogue and establishing or explanatory shots we do not have much
information to go from when trying to explain the end of the film. Although the final sequences do not
have dialogue and they do not explain what is happening as Kolker suggests The final sequences of
2001 are the most disturbing, for they are at once beautiful and overwhelming, vague and ambiguous,
and suggestive of human impotence in the face of a higher authority. (Kolker, 2000). So Kolkers
interpretation suggests that the ending of the film talks about the human incompetence and
helplessness when it comes to facing an authority figure which in the case of the film could relate to
HAL.

Figure 3: HAL 9000- The artificial

intelligence that is onboard the
spaceship.
Furthermore, Milne suggests another way of looking at the ending of the film; The final sequence of
2001 is speculation through imagination, positing a new Xanadu, a world of wonders where time and
space no longer exist, just as the rest of the film speculates on various levels, exploring the new vista
opened up by the encroaching space era. (Milne, 2010). He suggests that the purpose of the ending of
the film is to put forward the idea of a new idyllic place where time and space no longer exist, found
through the exploration of space made possible by the advances in technology, as imagined by the
director Stanley Kubrick. This is an interesting idea of the endless new Xanadus we could find through
space exploration, and the thought of how different each one could be compared to each other and to
Earth.

Figure 4: House which contains

Bowmans past, present and future
selves.

In Philips review of 2001: A Space Odyssey he puts forward what Kubrick himself says about the ending
of the film; The film ends with Bowman, the only survivor of the mission, being reborn as an enhanced
being, a star child, an angel, a superman, if you like, Kubrick explains, returning to earth prepared for
the next leap forward of mans evolutionary destiny. (Philips, unknown). Kubrick lists a few
possibilities of how you could describe the baby-like creature shown at the end of the film, but as the
director, Kubrick not having a firm idea on what the creature is solidifies the fact that the ending is
meant to be open for interpretation. Philips interpretation of the ending involves the idea that Bowman
is reborn as the baby-like creature, which is supported by the fact that we do see all of the stages of his
life in the house up until the point in which it looks like he is dying, which is when the monolith appears
once more before the baby-like creature appears.

Figure 5: an enhanced being, a star child, an

angel, a superman...

Illustration List

Figure 1: 2001: A Space Odyssey Movie Poster (1968) [poster] At: https://www.amazon.com/2001-
Odyssey-Poster-POSTER-ONLINE/dp/B0016D58FM (Accessed on 15 October 2017)

Figure 2: 2001: A Space Odyssey Movie Poster (1968) [poster] At: http://www.fatmovieguy.com/all-22-
dc-comics-march-movie-poster-themed-variant-covers/2001-a-space-odyssey-movie-poster/ (Accessed
on 15 October 2017)

Figure 3: Oliver Djaja (2010) [YouTube video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwBmPiOmEGQ

(Accessed on 15 October 2017)

Figure 4: lampyman101 (2009) [YouTube video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-

OlW83b6U&t=84s (Accessed on 15 October 2017)

Figure 5: Ivan Devald (2010) [YouTube video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXS8P0HksQo

(Accessed on 15 October 2017)
Bibliography

Milne, T (2010) 2001: A Space Odyssey: Archive Review In: The Guardian [online] At:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/space-odyssey-review-science-fiction (Accessed on 15
October 2017)

Kolker, R (2000) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) In: BFI [online] At: http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-
people/4ce2b6b9450a5 (Accessed on 15 October 2017)

Philips, G.D. (unknown) 2001: A Space Odyssey- Film (Movie) Plot and Review In: Film Reference
[online] At: http://www.filmreference.com/Films-Tw-Vi/2001-A-Space-Odyssey.html (Accessed on 15
October 2017)