Clarke, that the ending of the movie is meant to represent our. He notices a missile heading towards the earth and he destroys it with his mind. A space odyssey symbolically describes the story of mankinds life. The big leaps of time and space are meant to be cool and aweinspiring. While the novel, developed by clarke and kubrick at the same time as the film, is more straightforward than the film, several events are different than in the film, so the film needs to be interpreted on its own. The manapes of the world, who lived by gathering berries and nuts, were facing a lack of food. 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.
Bowman can travel through space with his mind and he is not alone. A space odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by british writer arthur c. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. In a newly unearthed interview, the ending of 2001. A video has surfaced which appears to feature stanley kubrick himself explaining the end of 1968s 2001. Bowman ends up in a room somewhere in one universe or another, and we have no idea where. A space odyssey was written, mankind had not yet set foot on the moon. A space odysseys ending is famous among strange film endings, and when you consider that the competition includes magnolia, mulholland drive, and rockadoodle, thats sayin something. Yet there is at least one logical structureand sometimes more than onebehind everything that happens on the screen in 2001, and the ending does not consist of random enigmas, some simpleminded critics to the contrary. A giant monolith appeared on earth one day and began to experiment with many of them, probing and developing their minds. The ending of 2001 a space odyssey explained by stanley. Christopher nolan returns kubrick scifi masterpiece 2001. The dinosaurs are gone, and the manapes are surviving on the equator in what will one day be africa. The book goes hand in hand with the 2001 space odyssey movie.
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. Clarke 19172008 wrote a hundred books and more than a thousand short stories and essays covering science fiction and science fact in a career spanning more than six decades. A space odyssey community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. A space odyssey explained were now 18 years past 2001, weve never been to jupiter, and the enigmatic ending of the movie still haunts the generations who watch it. New york and started hashing out a story that became 2001. A space odyssey began as a 1968 movie developed in concert between clark and filmmaker stanley kubrick. A space odyssey opens with a ten millionyearolddrought. Today, were analyzing the themes, motifs, and talking about what actually happened. A space odyssey by arthur c clarke and its three sequels 2010. Kubrick liked to work from books, and since a suitable one did not yet exist.
Hal is also in the sequel novels and the film sequel 2010. Clarke s theory of the future symbiosis of man and machine. This theme is a successful literary bridging of secular evolutionary theory with religious ideology, making the book appealing to both sides of the evolutionary debate. Friedrich nietzsche s philosophical tract, thus spoke zarathustra. The ending of 2001 a space odyssey explained by stanley kubrick august 7, 2012 8 comments this one goes out to all the folks that love 2001 a space odyssey but still dont know what the hell was going on at the end. Get a full month of mubi, a handpicked selection of cult, classic and award winning films, for free. I was asked by a friend why had i never read the iconic scifi book, 2001space odyssey. May 03, 2018 one of cinemas most acclaimed directors, christopher nolan, is supervising the creation of new prints of stanley kubricks 2001. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response essay. Id like to hear some interpretations from others and see if i cant grasp what kubrick was going for. A space odyssey is a series of vignettes about an ancient and unknown race of aliens that use a device in the shape of a monolith to encourage the development of intelligent life. The book covers huge amounts of time, from the dim distant prehistoric past on earth into the future. I was asked by a friend why had i never read the iconic scifi book, 2001 space odyssey.
It depicts the differences between the written work and the movie production, and analyzes possible alternate meanings to certain themes and motifs. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke. The space exploration programs in the united states and the soviet union were only in the early stages. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of 2001. It was developed concurrently with stanley kubricks film version and published after the release of the film. This may be stanley kubrick himself explaining the end of 2001.
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. But in the final film a lot was left up to interpretation. The monoliths first appearance on earth appears in ancient africa four million years ago where it helps a group. There are many people who think 2001 is about the afterlife, or how nothing really matters. One of the biggest differences is that in the book, hal, dave bowman. Jul 05, 2018 movie endings dont get any more iconic or enigmatic than the final 15 minutes of stanley kubricks 2001.
Im excluding things that were explained in the book for that reason. A space odyssey has finally been explained by the 1968 scifi movies director, stanley. Among his bestselling novels are childhoods end, 2001. Going back to the transformation of bowman into the starchild, a good example of this book s excellence, bowman, who has been one of the main characters throughout the story, ends the story with one last act of characterization that ties his whole character together, becoming the starchild, which is a very good end.
Aug 12, 2017 the following content is mainly based off of arthur c. He approaches the jupiter monolith, and is subjected to an experience that draws him away. A space odyssey is a landmark in visual and cinematic storytelling. A space odyssey is based on the final version of the script for the 1968 motion picture, but, even so, in some regards they differ due to late changes made by director stanley kubrick to that picture after the novel had largely been completed.
The following content is mainly based off of arthur c. A space odyssey has finally been explained by the 1968 scifi movies director, stanley kubrick, himself. The films narrative trajectory pointed inexorably toward a big ending, even. Stanley kubrick was less inclined to cite the book as a definitive interpretation of. Going only on whats on the screen, this question may be impossible to answer without resorting to interpretation, and there are many interpretations of the ending of 2001. When asked by eric nordern in kubricks interview with playboy if 2001. One of the greatestselling science fiction novels of our time, this classic book will grip you to the very end. Homer s epic poem the odyssey, which is signalled in the films title.
After seeing space odyssey, i read arthur clarkes book. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of 2001. Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot. What is the best rational explanation to the ending of 2001. A space probe with a landing and exploration of the moon and mars. It entails the nature between man and the unknown while giving life to the universe around the main cast of characters. It took many years to figure out the meaning of the ending alone.
I decided to pass that information along to you with this explanation and analysis of the book. Get a full month of mubi, a handpicked selection of cult, classic and awardwinning films, for free. The acclaimed director then goes on to explain the final scene of 2001. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up as the official author. A space odyssey spoilers i just finished watching 2001. Just finished reading the book, 2001 space odyssey. One of its most enduring qualities is how open to interpretation it isover the years, the enigmatic film has. Nonetheless, in july 2018, kubricks interpretation of the ending scene was. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication.
Both developed the story as the film was shot, but in the end, only arthur c. Jack kirby wrote and pencilled both the adaptation and the series, which were published by marvel comics beginning in 1976. A space odyssey for the first time, and although the ending sequence was. After dave points to the monolith he is transformed into the starchild which is a glowing, fetus like being but also has the appearance of a man in the face. Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel, and kubricks famous film, 2001. Today, were analyzing the themes and motifs, and talk about what actually happened. David dave bowman serves as the protagonist of 2001. It also covers huge amounts of space, from earth to the moon to saturn and then way beyond into impossibly distant galaxies. 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.
This site is dedicated to the science fiction work 2001. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. Jul 09, 2018 in a newly unearthed interview, the ending of 2001. Will you discuss them or would that be part of the road map youre trying. A space odyssey, which is being rereleased this year for its 50th anniversary, baffled film critics when it first came out but now tops their lists of the most important. 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. Hal 9000 is a sentient computer or artificial intelligence that becomes the primary antagonist of 2001. A space odyssey for the first time, and although the ending sequence was really cool, i didnt quite understand what was going on. Much of the dialogue exists only to show people talking to one another, without much regard to content this is true of the conference on the space station. A space odyssey s ending is famous among strange film endings, and when you consider that the competition includes magnolia, mulholland drive, and rockadoodle, thats sayin something. 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. Much room was left to imagine the future of the space program. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c. Aug 07, 2012 this one goes out to all the folks that love 2001 a space odyssey but still dont know what the hell was going on at the end gelmis.
He has a long argument with hal, at the end of which, because bowman threatens to disconnect him, hal agrees to give him. In a career that brought us such films as a clockwork orange, dr. This book also shows a realistic interpretation of how ai and man react to each other. What we know about the events in the last act of the film, jupiter and beyond the infinite. Strangelove, the shining and full metal jacket, it is important to note that no film is more synonymously identified with stanley kubrick than his film 2001.
A space odyssey is based on the final version of the script for the 1968 motion picture, but, even so, in some regards they. Clark was credited with writing both the film and the movie. The odyssey is a long greek poem by homer about a dude named odysseus who goes on a long voyage. I will say that the god concept is at the heart of 2001 but not any traditional, anthropomorphic image of god. Bowman ends up in a room somewhere in one universe or. I want to end with a great quote from kubrick when asked to explain the meaning behind the ending, and subsequently, the whole film.
The apemen use their tools to kill animals and eat meat, ending their. A space odyssey has fascinated audiences for years. Bowman is all alone on the discovery, and exits the ship in a pod. The monolith is somekind of step to a higher evolution level made by aliens. A space odyssey film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. There are few conversations that could not be handled with title cards. A space odyssey was a religious film, kubrick elaborated. Did you even realize the thing was based on a book. After this scene dave is sent back to earth by the monolith and the film ends as dave, now the starchild, looks on at our planet.
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. Stanley kubrick is an enigmatic director who put a lot of layers into. A space odyssey, in which astronaut david bowman keir dullea, after travelling through a psychedelic star gate, awakens. A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. The final scenes of the film seemed more metaphorical than realistic. This collection comprises the science fiction novels 2001. A space odyssey is more than just an epic adventure across the solar system. A space odyssey ending explained by stanley kubrick. Clarke and stanley kubrick teamed up on the mindblowing 1968 film 2001. A space odyssey novel actually explains the crazy ending. In fact it was a lifechanging film for me as, at age 11 1972 when i saw it in the theatre i recently found out it was reissu. What is the best rational explanation to the ending of.
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