Just saw Kubrick's 2001. What are your interpretations?

[Agent Mulder's Hair]

I finally got to see 2001 from start to finish. I refuse to add spoiler tags because it was made in 1968. So, uh, WTF was going on there? What was the monolith or what did it represent? What was the star baby at the end? That was a BIG fucking baby! Was that what Dave turned into? Was that the next phase of human evolution? Was the monolith an alien that evolved from biological into technological being?

Also, with this film I can see where Kubrick gets his reputation for genius level director. The rotating sets and the way he mounted cameras at different angles in those spinning shots....that was amazing. Especially so since it was way back in 68. Those spinning shots still kick the shit out of what Christopher Nolan did in Inception.

And I'm somebody that appreciates ambiguity in a movie. Or a story of any kind, really. I like when artist's leave room for individual, unique interpretations. That can be done masterfully, and it can also sink a movie if it's done poorly. But Kubrick did it masterfully and I figure that's why his films continue to generate so much discussion.






And has anybody seen 2010? I saw it as a kid and I like it but haven't seen it in probably 30 years. And now that I have an appreciation for Kubrick, I want to see how 2010 stacks up to 2001. I'm sure it can't be AS good as 2001, since no Kubrick, but if it's at least a decent flick I'll probably rewatch it soon.

 

[fightingrabbit]

Watched it a while back. Fell asleep. Going to give it one more go though.

 

[Iscariott]

Boring as fuck and up it's own ass.

 

[mrbaapt]

Rob Ager has some good theories on this film.

 

[BisexualMMA]

2010 was a pretty boring film and not really a worthy successor to 2001. 2010 isn't terrible, but it isn't really good either - it's one that you can skip watching if you aren't hell bent on seeing the sequel to 2001.

Helen Mirren had a ridiculous Russian accent the whole movie, if I recall. And Roy Scheider didn't really have enough action and tension in the script to put on a good Roy Scheider performance.

 

[Thunderflash500]

Fell asleep every time I tried watching.

 

[mushishi]

Never got through it. Boring as heck, man.

 

[fightingrabbit]

Lol every single response so far has been "boring" or "didn't finish". Is this movie actually worth sitting through? In terms of pay off?

We need to summon @shadow_priest_x @Dragonlordxxxxx

 

[Agent Mulder's Hair]

Lol every single response so far has been "boring" or "didn't finish". Is this movie actually worth sitting through? In terms of pay off?

We need to summon @shadow_priest_x @Dragonlordxxxxx

That's why I had never watched it all the way through until recently. It just seemed so damn boring. Plus I never caught it from the beginning so I didn't know what was going on. Now that I've seen it all, I still don't know what was going on but I think the payoff was worth the boring parts. Not that it ever gets really exciting or anything, but the story is actually pretty interesting. And I'm not sure what to make out of the end. Not sure anybody knows. But that's just the way Kubrick did things, so I can dig it.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

Visual porn

 

[Stranger Come Knocking]

Toynbee idea
In movie 2001
Resurrect dead
On planet Jupiter

 

[Devout Pessimist]

Lol every single response so far has been "boring" or "didn't finish". Is this movie actually worth sitting through? In terms of pay off?

We need to summon @shadow_priest_x @Dragonlordxxxxx

I've watched it a couple of times. It is a great movie. Hal is the best character.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

Ok, so there's an obvious theme of technological and human evolution going hand in hand.

Monkeys with weapons, humans with space exploration...the monolith always showing up in these critical moments.

If you pay attention, the Humanity and interactions between the characters are very distant and detached in the HAL act.

I believe 2001 eventually posits that the next step in human evolution is a spiritual one and that technology is a hindrance to it.

This is marked by the unplugging of HAL, the re-emergence of the monolith, and the transformation into the Star Child.

 

[Guestx]

Lol every single response so far has been "boring" or "didn't finish". Is this movie actually worth sitting through? In terms of pay off?

We need to summon @shadow_priest_x @Dragonlordxxxxx

It's interesting you bring this up, because not only have I watched 2001 (and own it on Blu-Ray) but I've also read the book. The story behind the book is interesting in itself because the book was written CONCURRENTLY with the screenplay. That is, the book and the film were developed side-by-side. (Though Clarke outpaced Kubrick and so there end up being some interesting differences between the two.)

To answer your question, "Is it worth sitting through?" It's probably the most iconic sci-fi film of all time, so for that reason alone the answer is yes. It's one of those movies that you just need to see to be a part of the cultural conversation, if nothing else.

But for me, it was also a huge mindfuck. After watching it, I thought about the movie for about three days straight. Here's what you need to know: It's long. In some ways it is slow. And most importantly, it's incredibly opaque in terms of plot. The movie does not explain itself and, in some ways, it's almost as if Kubrick intentionally left certain plot pieces out of the puzzle just so viewers would have to wrestle with its meaning and come up with their interpretation.

But I personally enjoy movies that challenge me and force me to really think about them. Kubrick did something special here. There's no other movie like 2001 and I personally love it, both for the enigmatic plot as well as Douglas Trumbull's INCREDIBLE practical effects that I think still hold up very well today.

 

[Da Speeit]

Ok, so there's an obvious theme of technological and human evolution going hand in hand.

Monkeys with weapons, humans with space exploration...the monolith always showing up in these critical moments.

If you pay attention, the Humanity and interactions between the characters are very distant and detached, in the HAL act.

I believe 2001 eventually posits that the next step in human evolution is a spiritual one and that technology is a hindrance to it.

This is marked by the unplugging of HAL, the re-emergence of the monolith, and the transformation into the Star Child.

perfect post, but i'll add the "Transformation" is also a regression, indicating that it's all cyclical; someone mentioned all of the rotation and there are also themes of circles. A key point many miss from this film.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

perfect post, but i'll add the "Transformation" is also a regression, indicating that it's all cyclical; someone mentioned all of the rotation and there are also themes of circles. A key point many miss from this film.

Yeah i actually never made that connection, but it works with the camera mechanics and the fact that Bowman evolves back to infancy.

 

[ralphc1]

When it came out in 1968, we all assumed Arthur C Clarke was using LSD.

 

[Agent Mulder's Hair]

perfect post, but i'll add the "Transformation" is also a regression, indicating that it's all cyclical; someone mentioned all of the rotation and there are also themes of circles. A key point many miss from this film.

Interesting thought. I didn't catch that about the circles either. But yeah that works. I did wonder if the entire movie isn't an allegory for the cycle of birth, life and death, then rebirth into the spiritual.

Circles, circles everywhere. Then bam! A black rectangle appears. The monolith is clearly alien so it being rectangular still works with the circle concept throughout the film. That's interesting, man. Nice one.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

I haven't seen that movie in forever. But I believe the monolith is supposed to be God. Not literally, but a representation of God or the godlike power that moves the universe forward. I'm shitty at interpreting these things though.

 

[SouthoftheAndes]

The film sucks. I think most people who say they like it just say that to appear cultured and artistic. In reality the first 30 minutes of the film suck ass and are super boring.

I have never gotten past the first 30 minutes. And the first 20 are horrible with all that monkey screaming and crappy special effects. Film is overrated for the old. And no I won't fastforeward the first half hour. When I watch a movie I watch from start to finish and I can never make it past the first 20 minutes since it sucks so bad.

No sane person. Enjoys hearing monkeys scream and jump around for 20 minutes.