The ending of 2001: Space Odyssey

[Cally]

A friend and I were talking about this movie and he mentioned that he didn't understand it. One thing I thought was amazing was that Arthur C Clarke, the co-writer of the script, said he had no idea what the ending meant.

I saw it easily this way: The monolith was an alien thing that supposedly helped the apes evolve in the beginning. The Odyssey went toward it and the monolith evolved HAL into consciousness (also making him crazy), helped Dave live out the rest of his life in that weird virtual world, and when he died, evolved and reincarnated Dave into a post-human creature and sent him back to the Earth.

Very weird stuff, atheistic pseudo-religion and a good example about how they try to entice with mysticism. Atheists always have a warped religious side, do they not?

But all mysteries are answered in Christ.

[zoonance]

At least it wasn't 2001 reasons why water baptism doesn't save you.  It would make more sense than the 101 nongiven reasons thread.  Both are space oddities.

[Huscarl]

i'm a big fan of science fiction and I like a lot of Kubrick's work (though not Clockwork Orange, disturbing film) and I can honestly say that 2001: A Space Odyssey is, in my humble opinion, one of the most over rated films of all time

It just doesn't make any sense, and I found it to be largely pretentious.  I've heard lots of people defend the ending, claiming it has some great meaning, but like Arthur C. Clarke himself said it really doesn't make any sense

More enjoyable was Clarke's earlier short story "The Sentinel" which certainly influenced the story of 2001. 

Although the depiction of space travel in the film was fairly extraordinary and had a sense of authenticity to it lacking in most films about space.  From a technical standpoint it has aged very well and remains a remarkable achievement.  As a narrative I think it has always been pretty weak

[normfromga]

"2001" was an extension of "the Sentinel", which is a clue that the monolith (which was a pyramid in the short story, and the Byrd's song) only monitored the progress of us earthlings as we supposedly evolved.

And, of course, HAL was apparently programed to carry out some secret mission, which he couldn't allow the humans to jeopardize, at least according to the sequel. His "conscientiousness" was also pre-programmed.

What any of this had to do with the psychedelic ending is anyone's guess.

[Jaime]

Huscarl, I agree that A Clockwork Orange was an extremely disturbing movie, also Strawdogs was is that genre also.

[k-pappy]

The book explains a lot that the movie leaves open.  Kubrick wanted to make the film more enigmatic.  HAL's malfuctioning is also explained.  He could not internalize the need to keep the mission secret with the need to provide the crew with all the information and that caused him to breakdown.

Bond

[s1n4m1n]

The Discovery space ship is a phallic symbol, it injects the sperm (Dave) into Jupiter which represents an ovum. The whole psychedelic light show is the process of conception, which results in the evolution of man which is the Space Baby.

[Huscarl]

The Discovery space ship is a phallic symbol, it injects the sperm (Dave) into Jupiter which represents an ovum. The whole psychedelic light show is the process of conception, which results in the evolution of man which is the Space Baby.

I've heard that one before.  However, does that really make any sense to you?  It still does not to me; Jupiter isn't an ovum, and the monolith was inanimate

[s1n4m1n]

The Discovery space ship is a phallic symbol, it injects the sperm (Dave) into Jupiter which represents an ovum. The whole psychedelic light show is the process of conception, which results in the evolution of man which is the Space Baby.

I've heard that one before.  However, does that really make any sense to you?  It still does not to me; Jupiter isn't an ovum, and the monolith was inanimate

Its the best I can come up with. Certainly most of it is symbolism, so Jupiter doesn't have to physically be an ovum. The monolith is presented as some sort of "angelic being" present at and apparently causing the evolution of man.

The entire series is kooky:

1) 2001, apparently about the next stage of man's evolution (my take)

2) 2010, apparently about the formation of life on Jupiter's moon Europa

3) 2061, apparently about Jupiter going supernova and leaving behind enough diamond material to bring about a revolution in human society (as if 2001 wasn't enough!)

[OUmillenium]

Its been almost 20 years since I read 2061. I really enjoyed it but don't remember the diamond stuff too well.  I do remember the ocean life described on Europa but that's about it.

[Alan1]

It's obviously one of those "the human race has alien origin" films.   Pretty ridiculous.  But I was smitten with the film for decades, and it took me quite a long time to shake loose.  It's not that I subscribed to that world-view, but I wasn't listening to the Lord who was trying to tell me that I shouldn't be admiring the film.  That said, I always thought that the aliens had used our solar system as their laboratory, and the earth as a sort of Petri dish.  When the life form (which is us) was sufficiently developed it was encouraged to break free and explore, with the help of the monolith (the scientist in the laboratory).  The ending is just too weird to even discuss.  Grace & peace to ya.