2001: A Space Odyssey (WTF!? , I need help understanding...)

[6Christ6Denied6]

I watched this movie for the first time yesterday and was left with many questions; what is that black rectangular structure that makes strange noises, and why is it so important, why were scientists going to Jupiter, and WTF happened the last 15 minutes of the movie with the whole acid trip thing and appearing in some random room and being old and then appearing in space as a giant fetus?! that was the weirdest shit i have ever seen. Someone please help me get this.








EDIT: if a mod happens to stumble across this could you edit the thread title, just get rid of the stuff in the parentheses. i have begun to understand the movie more.

 

[FractalEffect]

The big giant rectangle aka the monolith was supposed to have helped with evolution on planet earth. It is supposed to be of alien origin. When they found the monolith on the moon it sent off a signal which they tracked to Jupiter. The trippy ass part at the end of the movie is Dave's meeting with the monolith.

 

[6Christ6Denied6]

The big giant rectangle aka the monolith was supposed to have helped with evolution on planet earth. It is supposed to be of alien origin. When they found the monolith on the moon it sent off a signal which they tracked to Jupiter. The trippy ass part at the end of the movie is Dave's meeting with the monolith.

what about the very end, the whole star child thing, what does that represent... the next step in human evolution?

 

[ry_z]

what about the very end, the whole star child thing, what does that represent... the next step in human evolution?

That's more or less how I take it. A big part of the film (as I see it, anyway) is the idea of transcendence - of moving on to the next evolutionary step, to other planets, to other stars.

It's purposely vague as hell, though. Just take it however you want.

 

[t3sser4ct]

Everything said so far is basically right. Check out the book(s) if you want a clearer understanding. Reading a plot overview/synopsis might be helpful too. 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[LUCKY7]

Kubrick 2001: The space odyssey explained

 

[synrgy]

It means that Kubrick was completely out of his mind, in a good way.

 

[ShreddingDragon]

I haven't read any "Space Odyssey explained" articles on the film, but the final room scene I have understood as a symbol of a human's life cycle, which ends in death - and on his dying bed, Dave points at the monolith (which has served as a marker of the start of a "new era" several times throughout the movie). And the "new era" this time, is to be born again

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I thought this was the worst movie I've ever watched. The only people I know who liked it are the ones who do drugs. That should tell you all you need to know about the movie I actually made it all the way to the end though, how I managed is still a mystery to me. I've stopped watching better movies half way through out of sheer boredom.

 

[6Christ6Denied6]

i dont do drugs whatsoever and at first right when it ended i wanted to hang myself but now that i understand (somewhat) what the director was trying to portray, i dont mind it anymore. i will probably watch it again any maybe i wont be so the next time

 

[Origin]

I loved that movie and I hate stoners. Most of it's open to interpretation but what everyone's said is right basically.

 

[playstopause]

I thought this was the worst movie I've ever watched. The only people I know who liked it are the ones who do drugs. That should tell you all you need to know about the movie I actually made it all the way to the end though, how I managed is still a mystery to me. I've stopped watching better movies half way through out of sheer boredom.

That's fucking bullshit.

I'm a bachelor in Film Production and "2001" is without a doubt one of the 10 best film ever. Back in University, I've had whole classes about this single film. Not only was it a HUGE breaktrough in filmmaking at the time, but it's one of the only movie out there that people still ask themselves what the hell it is about... And it's not because it's confusing, because it is open to interpretation. There is only a handful of films which are as accomplished as this one. Kubrick's mastery at its finest. A true twisted space ballet, an object of beauty.

A big part of the film (as I see it, anyway) is the idea of transcendence - of moving on to the next evolutionary step, to other planets, to other stars.

Voilà. That's a huge part of it. The end also show how all things come full circle. The monolith could also be seen as a representation of human's endless quest for knowledge (religion, science, power, truth, etc.) from the start of humanity to this present day.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I'm just not into artsy movies with deep meaning I guess. However, it ISN'T bullshit that the only people I know in real life who like this movie are all brain dead stoners

 

[metalvince333]

I love most of his movies but that one..bored me to death but I went trough it thinking something interesting would happen soon...I was pretty disapointed..

 

[6Christ6Denied6]

I'm a bachelor in Film Production and "2001" is without a doubt one of the 10 best film ever. Back in University, I've had whole classes about this single film. Not only was it a HUGE breaktrough in filmmaking at the time, but it's one of the only movie out there that people still ask themselves what the hell it is about... And it's not because it's confusing, because it is open to interpretation. There is only a handful of films which are as accomplished as this one. Kubrick's mastery at its finest. A true twisted space ballet, an object of beauty.

i agree, many people must think it is bad at first because they dont think about it, what Kubrick was trying to accomplish was to create a movie that will get people really thinking about it. i believe he did that.

 

[Randy]

File me under the "loved the movie and I don't use mind altering substances" category. It's a work of art.

 

[MFB]

That's fucking bullshit.

I'm a bachelor in Film Production and "2001" is without a doubt one of the 10 best film ever. Back in University, I've had whole classes about this single film. Not only was it a HUGE breaktrough in filmmaking at the time, but it's one of the only movie out there that people still ask themselves what the hell it is about... And it's not because it's confusing, because it is open to interpretation. There is only a handful of films which are as accomplished as this one. Kubrick's mastery at its finest. A true twisted space ballet, an object of beauty.

Voilà. That's a huge part of it. The end also show how all things come full circle. The monolith could also be seen as a representation of human's endless quest for knowledge (religion, science, power, truth, etc.) from the start of humanity to this present day.

Frenchy, there's two ways people interpret Kubrick : one really enjoy the shit out of them because of the technical aspect and whatnot, and others find it to be bullshit and pointless

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I like a few of Kubrick's other movies, but when you need to Google it and ask other people to find out what's going on, you know there's something wrong

I know what he was trying to accomplish because my friends told me, I just found myself not caring

 

[MFB]

I'm a fan of "A Clockwork Orange" and "Full Metal Jacket", so I don't hate Kubrick's works but I find him to be grossly over-rated for reasons like this. The film junkies love his work and hype the shit out of it, and stoners love this one because it's trippy, but to the common folk his films can be over-whelming and confusing to the point where instead of becoming interested and wanting to understand; we dislike/hate it.

 

[Randy]

Most of Kubrick's films have a reasonably "surface level" story going on, along with the more cerebral stuff (FMJ and ACO). 2001 is almost all cerebral, and doesn't hold the interest of people who are looking for something else, like the others.