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. Yet, despite that, the plot actually isnt all that complicated. A space odyssey was written, mankind had not yet set foot on the moon. The black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a. A space odyssey by arthur c clarke and its three sequels 2010. A giant monolith appeared on earth one day and began to experiment with many of them, probing and developing their minds. The manapes of the world, who lived by gathering berries and nuts, were facing a lack of food.
Before the first strains of richard strauss also sprach zarathustra echoed in movie theaters and the public consciousness for decades to come, 2001. Of course, there have been intelligent science fiction films released recently, including ex machina, annihilation, arrival, and blade runner 2049, and the genre has been. On one hand, as a science fiction work, it enthusiastically explores the possibility of new technologies. A space odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by stanley kubrick. Movie endings dont get any more iconic or enigmatic than the final 15 minutes of stanley.
David bowman was being reborn, but this time, immortal. The director of the film, stanley kubrick, and the writer, arthur c. The screenplay was written by kubrick and arthur c. The dawn of man in a sere african landscape, a group of apelike hominids and some tapirs compete for the meagre green plants. A big part of that is because theres no real character development to speak of. How does the ending of 2001 fit with the rest of the book. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response essay 1819 words 8 pages.
Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. Clarkes most famous works, due in part to the film versions popularity, he was a prolific and influential science fiction writer. After you have read the story of lazarus in the bible, you dont need anyone to explain it to you. The outlines of a simple plot were already in place. Well explore the events in the book, discuss and analyze its main. Floyd step into a booth to make a call, he also has to remember. It took many years to figure out the meaning of the ending alone. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Heywood floyd is sent to the moon owing to a secretive and rumored disease that is believed to have inflicted the american portion of the colony. After the first encounter with the monolith, we see the leader of the apes have a quick flashback to the monolith after which he picks up a bone and uses it to smash other bones. Clarke, wanted to leave the film open to philosophical and allegorical interpretation, purposely. Fifty years ago this spring, stanley kubricks confounding scifi masterpiece, 2001.
The novel, for example, attempts to explain things much more. The book does a magnificant job of rendering detailed images to us. The single thing that i think the film gets most wrong about the future is the video call sequence. A space odyssey, so we took a school bus to the cooper cinerama theatre in st. A space odyssey begins with a manape named moonwatcher millions of years ago and leaps forward through time to the present day when dr. Finally, as i continue learn more about kubricks masterpiece, ill precede to. Still, some others say its just daves fever dream as he runs out of oxygen on the planet. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response. His memory was being drained from his brain, but stored elsewhere. Did stanley kubrick finally explain the films ending. A space odyssey and you loved it but you kinda dont. Let us explain if 2001 is a nutshell, its a nutshell that splits open and grows nut tree so big that its nut branches reach way out to the nut stars. A novelisation of the film released after the films premiere was in part written concurrently with the screenplay.
As massively clever as it is even after one viewing, 2001. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of 2001. While one group of apes is drinking at a waterhole, another group. The result is that 2001 manages to cover a lot of ground without much plot. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet earth. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. It seems to explain the ending of the film more clearly. Clarke foreword behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.
A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. With the launch back in august 2019, weve had amazing support from various communities help contribute to the site and bring us to where we are today. A suggested list of literary criticism on arthur c. There are some rather ominous themes apparent throughout 2001. A space odyssey was a visual effects pioneer 2001 casts an enormous shadow on the last halfcentury of pop culture, let alone the sciencefiction genre. A space odyssey is a landmark in visual and cinematic storytelling. A space odyssey sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. It contains the answers to all the questions it advances. The novel starts millions of years in the past, with a bunch of manapes. Though, of course, that pithy oneline summary cant possibly capture the cinematic journey that is 2001. The same is true, i believe, of stanley kubricks parable 2001. In fact, although on present day earth mobile phones are more prevalent than toothbrushes, in 2001.
As we see in the beginning of the movie a bunch of apes the early men come. A space odyssey symbolically describes the story of mankinds life. A space odyssey has been analysed and interpreted by numerous people, ranging from professional movie critics to amateur writers and science fiction fans. On one hand, as a science fiction work, it enthusiastically explores. Plain and simple, movies wouldnt be what they are today if not for stanley kubricks 2001. The meaning of the ending of 2001 according to stanley kubrick. A space odyssey is about progress, evolution, and manapes leaping off the planet and turning into cosmic babies who spread peace and blow up nuclear bombs yeah, that escalated quickly. I decided to pass that information along to you with this explanation and analysis of the book. And unless youre 90 years old and remember the good old days of hubcap flying saucers and rubbercostumed monsters, this is a good thing coauthor arthur c. 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. To richard strauss tone poem thus spake zarathustra, the title sequence shows the sun rising behind the earth, which is behind the moon. A space odyssey and indepth analyses of hal and david bowman. A space odyssey ending explained by stanley kubrick. The listed critical essays and books will be invaluable for writing essays and papers on 2001.
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. What function is served by the story about the manape. Were currently focusing on media items like collections, movies, and shows but we have some rich plans for the future to expand even further and maybe throw some other goodies along the way. Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot. As if they had been waiting for his signal, the rest of the tribe emerged from their own homes further down the rockface, and began to hasten towards the muddy waters of the stream for their morning drink. A space odyssey there are no personal mobile communication devices on display at all not only does dr. If you have a question please ask below and i will get back to you as soon as possible. The following content is mainly based off of arthur c. The odyssey is a long greek poem by homer about a dude named odysseus who goes on a long voyage. There are many people who think 2001 is about the afterlife, or how nothing really matters.
Arrays of light and shape appeared before him and he saw that he would no longer need the star gate to travel through space. 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. On the other hand, it seems to criticize unchecked technological innovation. Few directors allowed their movies to speak for themselves more than stanley kubrick. The space exploration programs in the united states and the soviet union were only in the early stages. A space odyssey was everything a great science fiction novel should be.
It depicts the differences between the written work and the movie production, and analyzes possible alternate meanings to certain themes and motifs. But in the final film a lot was left up to interpretation. Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel. Essay about 2001 a space odyssey analysis 904 words. The book explains things more explicitly, but i read it years ago. The one based on the book goes like this the black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a way to nudge along the evolution of humanity. A space odyssey and its mysterious ending, he did attempt to let viewers know what his intention was.
Clarke, and was inspired by clarkes short story the sentinel and other short stories by clarke. A space odyssey is full of hidden details and explanations that elevate it to one of, if. Summary read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel, and kubricks famous film, 2001. A space odyssey is still the best and most important science fiction film of all time, and modernday science fiction movies have yet to top what the directors 1968 release was able to do. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of 2001. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c. The day i started to read this book i found it so engrossing that i finished it the same day. This site is dedicated to the science fiction work 2001. This collection comprises the science fiction novels 2001.