2001: A Space Odyssey

Having just watched this *very* impressive Flash presentation:

http://www.kubrick2001.com/ space odyssey explained!!!

First, thanks to 50420 (I hope that's the right spelling ) for posting it and I'd be interested in other people's views on the presentation and on 2001.

Here's some of my comments (there's more where this came from because 2001 has so many levels) but it's a starting point:

I can't agree with all their conclusions, one thing that's clear from virtually all of Kubrick's films is that he has a *low* opinion of human nature, so IMO one point Kubrick is trying to make is that mankind misuses his tools, eg the Monolith teaches him to make a tool to get food, he immediately abuses it to get rid of the competition (ie the other tribe of ape men)

We then flash forward from the bone to the orbiting nuclear bomb (the only bit I wish SK had made clearer) and we have two "tribes", the USA and the USSR still threatening each other with "big sticks".

Man builds HAL but then corrupts his work by getting it to lie: "no 9000 series computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information", but only HAL knows the purpose of the mission, and he's not allowed to tell, so he eliminates the astronauts to eliminate the conflict in his programing.

Finally with the Star Child, IMO Kubrick and Clarke are saying "you may think you're a pretty smart ape, but compared to the rest of the universe, you're not even a baby, so don't get too over-confident"!

Comments?

[sir_drinks_alot]

my god it's full of Star

[50420]

aye the spellings correct dude...cant go far wrong wit it i suppose

same here though...dont agree with all the conclusions...but aint seen the film for a few years, so couldnt really detail what points in the animation that would disagree with....if that makes any kinda sense

just that the way i percieved the film at the time... and how i recall that perception... differs slightly from the animators perception....which i suppose is only human

if watched the movie again...may look at it in a different light ???

[Xaccers]

Makes sense to me.

Kinda ties in with the fear that the monolith creator is going to be sent a message to say we're a failure in 3001

Now could someone please explain vacuum energy in simple terms?

[sir_drinks_alot]

just one thing what in the name of **** is that ending about ???? !!!!!!

[50420]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Makes sense to me.

Kinda ties in with the fear that the monolith creator is going to be sent a message to say we're a failure in 3001

Now could someone please explain vacuum energy in simple terms?

http://focus.aps.org/story/v10/st7 as simple as could find bud

[danielf]

I'll have to watch part 4 some other time, as it's bed time now, but if anything, this is one of the best flash presentations I've seen in a long time.

Content wise: I read the book, watched the movie, and still don't have a clue

Originally Posted by sir_drinks_alot

just one thing what in the name of **** is that ending about ???? !!!!!!

Which bit of it?

[erol]

Interesting and thought provoking flash anim.

2001 the film certainly does ask a lot of questions and presents a lot of mysteries. For me however on question / mystery simply towers over all others and that is


wtf is Rigsby doing on an international space station pretending to be a Russian doctor ?

Originally Posted by erol

wtf is Rigsby doing on an international space station pretending to be a Russian doctor ?

It's not Rigsby, it's the Rise of Reginald Perrin...! :pp