Have you ever seen 2001 space odessey from beginning to end?

Question

I think its really amazing movie, thers anly a few parts where you can tell its 70's movie. most of it looks totall realistic. even the acting. But heres my question:
What is sposed to be the point of the last part where the guy has his little acid trip or whatever. And also, what is the the black slab supposed to be/represent?

Answer 1

Yes, I've seen it through several times. Saw it when it first came out. Read the book beforehand. Kubrick always had a "thing" for realism.

Anyway, the "acid trip" was a representation of the experience of travelling through the stargate-like attributes of the monolith. Bowman was being transported/comported to a place where he old self would cease to exist and his new self would be conceived. (Hence the embryo juxtiposed over the starscape at the end)

The monolith is/was a machine of alien origin. It appeared at a time when Man was on the verge of extinction (in the book by Arthur C. Clarke), enhancing the brains or thought processes of a number of "Ape men" in order to increase their chances for survival as well as the preserving their potential to, perhaps, evolve into something nearer to the monolith's creators.

You can get better insight into this from the rest of the books in this series (2010, 2060, etc..) The movie, 2010 - The Year We Make Contact, is pretty good, too. I like the space scenes, the atmospheric braking and especially the bit expaining why HAL went psychotic.

Answer 2

"2001, A Space Odyssey (a 2 to3 hour movie) is based on a short story by Arthur C. Clarke called "The Sentinel" which is about 4 pages long. They are both based on a concept that a Supreme Being (The Monolith in 2001) has been and is watching over mankind from the dawn of creation.
That's it, the whole story. Everything else is fantastic window dressing including what has come to be called Stanley Kubrick's "light show" (abstract landing on Jupiter) at the end. The name HAL which is one letter each prior to IBM for the computer was used because IBM did not want their name to be used.
Later on Arthur C. Clarke wrote another short story based on the movie with HAL and the rest etc. This movie was an unbelievable showing of Kubrick's artistry from the photography and special effects to his selection of Richard Strauss' tone poem " Also Sprach Zarathustra" as the Space Odyssey Theme. Next time you watch the movie notice that the opening scene merely shows you the sun rising behind the Monolith yet the music keeps you riveted in your seat.

Answer 3

Stanley Kubrick is known for being iconoclastic in the movies that he makes. Space odyssey is no exception: ending with the enigma of the black slab. Knowing the past nature of Kubrick films, it appears to be his attempt to explain man's infatuation with a "higher power." The significance is noted in how the Cavemen are shown: Kubrick's attempt to explain how man's near seeming innate need to worship some higher power. The significance is further obviously jaded, in that the "being" that is worshiped is a black rectangular object: either Kubrick's attempt to further the enigma idea, or an attempt to belittle the nature of worship by making the worshiped figure one that is so inane.
I agree, "Space Odyssey" is a well made movie. The special effects are believable.
Another tidbit of information: the reason that the computer entity is named HAL, can be easily explained by adding one letter to each letter of H A L (or in other words I B M-->considered the forefront of emerging technologies at the time). Kubrick, in his attempt to search into the future, in many ways, was making commentary on his present day.

Answer 4

My very own opinion, "2001" is the main over rated movie of all time. I even have tried to observe it three times: on the theater while it replace into initially released and that i've got rented it two times. each and every time I even have been bored to tears. HAL is exciting, although.

Answer 5

The "black slab" symbolizes knowledge. The development from apes to man who will destroy themselves through their own inventions...

It helps if you are stoned when you watch this movie!

Answer 6

He was being deprived of oxygen by HAL.

And the Monolith is our God, supposedly.