Preview

2001 a Space Odyssey Analysis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
930 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
2001 a Space Odyssey Analysis
2001: A Space Odyssey

The following paper will analyze the movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick" and "The Centinel" by Arthur C. Clarke. Although there are many themes present between the story and the film, the following are the most dominant. I will be discussing Scientific themes, Religious and Moral Themes, and Clarke's development of the short story into a full-length film. The first issue, I will be discussing the scientific themes of the movie. The movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey," has a one of a kind vision of science and technology. The movie "2001" brings a great new style of reality and realism to space technology and travel. Since there was no great technology in 1968 and space travel was not as well defined as today, Kubrick stayed away from fantasy and focused more on reality of space travel, a scientific theme throughout the movie. "2001" definitely shows the viewer the outer space in a very effective way. The outer space is large and empty, which Kubrick displays very well. His computer, HAL 9000, is one of the most popular computers in my opinion. HAL 9000 is a big machine, and speaks like we expect machines to speak, and is apparently designed to have some emotion. HAL 9000 was built to be invincible with very little flaws and that characteristic is typical to be put in movies, illustrating the point that often movies have too much faith and trust in machines. HAL 9000 was designed to finish his mission and was given enough intelligence and feelings to do so, but when he begins to malfunction, he starts killing the humans onboard as a symbol of his dominance over the human race. Therefore, even though HAL 9000 is a computer, he possesses many humanlike characteristics. The discussion about science leads into the second point of monoliths and technology. www.dictionary.com defines a monolith as something, such as a column or monument, made from one large block of stone. This is first portrayed in the first couple of scenes in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Chapter 17 Roman Art

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Another work of art was Megaliths or ‘big stones’ were constructed without the use of mortar and represent the most basic form of architectural construction. The original purpose is still unknown but its orientation toward the rising sun of the summer solstice indicated a connection to planting and harvest.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Right from the start of the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy hits you with a foreshadowing of how small you are compared to community with the example of the demolition of Arthur Dent’s house. It shows how powerless Arthur Dent is to stopping the destruction of his house and how high and mighty humans feel by controlling what gets destroyed and what does not. Earth is treated just like Arthur Dent’s house, useless and in the way for something better. The Vogans address Earth as nothing more than construction and insinuate that if they couldn’t travel light years to read the fine print of the demolishment of Earth than they are better off dead. In the Hitchhiker’s guide to save room, humans were written in as “harmless” and why shouldn’t they be? Humans were for their whole existence ignorant to the fact that there was more than just…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Divergent Movie Analysis

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Based solely on the novel of Divergent a movie was made lasting two hours and nine minutes. This isn't a short span of time for a movie yet, could it be pure coincidence that they left out some details. Could it have been some of the effects were to gruesome for a film rated PG-13? Or were these actions of leaving the details out more purposeful? Does it give the movie somewhat of a different meaning than the original script of the book? So it brings into question, who wrote it better the writer of the novel Veronica Roth, or the director of the film Neil Burger?…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Young Men Come of Age through Adventure: Compare and Contrast between Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Forbidden Planet

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There are many themes in “Forbidden Planet” such as greed, jealousy, and . But the most important theme is using technology as a means of extending intellectual consciousness. The “Id Monster” represents mans deepest fears and it was made possible by technology. Basically, the underlying message is that technology will progress faster than the human mind will, and the fall of mankind will be because of technology.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wall-E Film Analysis

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Science fiction films give audiences an understanding of technological advances and take its audiences to the future with its films. Andrew Stanton’s film Wall-e and Spike Jonze’s film Her are examples well-made science fiction films identify and explores the ideas of technology and humanity. In the film Wall-e, the main character Wall-e is a lonely robot living on earth after all the life forces has died or left the planet. Wall-e’s main function and purpose within the film is to collect garbage and minimize waste. Wall-e later meets Eve, a robot who comes to earth to explore if the planet is sustainable for humans. The film explores areas of love, technology, race and gender. In the film Her, the main character Theodore is a sensitive, soon…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.” (Adams Chapter 1) From the beginning of Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” it has seemed as though this was indeed the case; at least in terms of the haphazardness, randomness, and unpredictability. Throughout my time reading this particular novel, I have hardly been able to accurately predict or infer the progression of the plot, characters, settings, or conflicts. This uncertainty of the dynamics of the literary elements has made it extremely difficult to call attention to the themes or morals. However, there must be some meaning hidden behind the seemingly random events strung together.…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    2001 A Space Odyssey Summary

    • 2958 Words
    • 12 Pages

    My goal in this paper is to discuss the accuracy of the physics and astronomy in Interstellar, and compare it to 2001: A Space Odyssey. To achieve this goal, I have divided my paper up into 3 sections. The first section is a brief plot summary of Interstellar. The second section is a discussion of the scientific accuracy of Interstellar, and the third section is a literary…

    • 2958 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Space Odyssey Analysis

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The film is largely silent, with periodic groupings of dialogue throughout. The dialogue is therefore inherently more noteworthy. Classical music fills some of the empty background, yet the bulk of the film is taken in through the eyes. The scenery and backdrops are incredibly grandiose, highlighting man’s small place in the universe. The overall theme of the movie appears to be man’s exploration and ascent to something higher. The early hominids in Part 1 are greeted with a triumphant chorus upon discovering and utilizing tools to enhance their survival. Part 2 of the film showcases the comfort of space travel – comfortable space planes, space stations, and moon bases. Only the monoliths appear out of place and are always welcomed with dramatic turns of music. Part 3 continues to highlight the importance of technology and the comfort it brings. Discovery One is a practical, yet spacious ship that offers everything Dave and Frank might need. HAL is an impressive on-board computer that can run all of the ship’s systems and communicate problems with the crew. Part 4 and Dave’s transportation through the tunnel of colors and light leaves the viewer utterly lost. Much like Dave, the movie watcher is being taken into the unknown. As Dave experience a rebirth, the viewer does as…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Space Odyssey

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Computer science is the pinnacle of human invention. Infer,and bestow the greatness and holy benediction computer science has with its divine intervention. This my friend is the reason why humanity survives, thrives, and dominates. With a lavish lucrative machine provided, the only downside is when they take over. 2001: Space Odyssey will forever be missed.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Edward Tufte Steady Flow

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Kansas City, in 1942, innovation and creation were born (Tufte). Out of a small mind, a small wonder, a small universe, the mind of a scholar sculpted a visual representation of life’s smallest wonders and existences. Through a compilation of lines, stainless steel, space, curves, and shadows, Edward Tufte depicts the subatomic behavior of nature’s varying fundamental elements. His ability to demonstrate the multiplying and unique forms of nature allows the viewer to form statistical and analytical conclusions about the makeup of the world. This is achieved through the varying paths that each particular figure takes within the piece. Upon first observation, the medium-sized figures plastered evenly along the front of the white wall appear to resemble small organized snowflakes falling in mid-air. As if frozen in time, the arrangement of these snowflakes resembles a rectangular…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hal 9000 Analysis

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hal 9000 has the ability to control the systems of the Discovery 1 spacecraft and is able to interact with the ship crew. Hal 9000 was in charge of keeping control and managing all the systems on the ship. Further, Hal 9000 is capable of talking, lip reading, expressing emotions, recognizing emotions, and recognizing people’s faces. Furthermore, an artificial general intelligence has similar abilities as humans do to achieve a task (Goertzel & Wang, 2006, p.5). Hal 9000 is considered to be a strong AI because he is capable of modelling himself to the human mind to such an extent that it matches or exceeds it. Kumar (2008, p.14) points out, strong AI assumes that a program has the potential of being conscious, self-aware, however it may not have the ability to process thoughts like humans. Hence, Hal 9000 is self-aware because he is able to recognize his personalities, he has his own personality and has the abilities to handle situations as humans can or even more; overall he is just like a human being. He is self-aware because he decided to kill the members of the ship and he began to show emotions which he was not designed to. Moreover, Hal 9000 on his own goes against his crew members of the Discovery 1 spacecraft and does everything on his own. Thus, Hal 9000 is a robot that is a strong AI and has the constructivist approach.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This novel portrays convenient ways for humans to get around such as illusions of being in multiple places at the same time, recognizing the time difference on Earth versus outer space, and creating air transportation. When the Overlords first arrive on Earth, space ships appear over the major cities enabling humans to believe that there are aliens inside each ship. These aircrafts are later discovered that, “the ships above man’s other cities had never existed. The day before, the great fleet of the Overlords had dissolved into nothingness...the ships over the capitals of Earth had been an illusion” (59). This invention allows humans to be in multiple places at once because the Overlords create illusions which will be useful in the future. Transportation of space ships undergoes many tests that allow the humans to recognize that space time is shorter than Earth’s time. The humans realize, “the Overlord ships reach more than 99 percent of the speed of light, so the trip must last forty years of our time...strange things happen as one approaches the speed of light. Time itself begins to flow at a different rate- to pass more slowly, so that what would be months on Earth would be no more than days on the ships of the Overlords” (116-117). This conveys that Arthur C. Clarke is a good astronomer for including his knowledge from his studies into this…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While writing a summary of the movie that interpreted the scenes, and feel he applied what was happening in America during 2008 as well as in the past of 1951. The movie was influenced by the use of the atomic bomb and our wars against each other. Which he used to compare terrorism of the Cold War; the need of media's current events be written to stray away the real issues of 1951 and today; and finally the people's trust issue's toward scientists who researched bases of evolution, climate changes, and stem cell debates. This article consisted of the events of the 1950s background information and interpreted the messages of the movie, which consequently gave us a relatable view for the events currently happening…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    2001: A Space Odyssey

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages

    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick is a classic movie that combines nearly every cinematic element imaginable into a single movie that was revolutionary for its time. Right off the bat, the movies captures your emotions with an iconic score, and strong, vibrant visuals. At the very beginning of the movie, the watcher is given a pitch-black scene, while music plays in the background for several minutes, gradually intensifying until it builds to a climax. The music itself takes the watcher on a journey of their own, causing mixed emotions to be felt as the music changes volume. The iconic opening theme catches your attention immediately, setting the tone of the movie.…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics