Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey will go down in cinematic history as one of the finest films ever made. In 1968, the film was released to mixed reviews, indeed after some 35 years the film has gained status as Kubrick's masterpiece and a film of such power and idealogy it is hard to dispute its cinematic license. Combining heavy philosophy, irony, superb visuals and a certain horror aspect, the film successfully demonstrates what a serious imaginative journey can mean in today’s world.

Perhaps proof that imaginative journey’s are indeed just as powerful as physical and realistic journeys comes in this film where no words are spoken for over the first half hour and even after that 75% of the film features no voice at all, yet the film has a profound impact – this has taught me that not everything has to be apparently stated, many of the images created for a person can set them on an imaginative journey far beyond the reaches of a realistic and physical journey.

HAL is an aloof, egoistical and “flawless” one eyed computer who pretty much runs the space shuttle on which is Dave, an astronaut. A situation arises where HAL’s integrity is questioned, in this instance Dave and his co astronaut say that the problem is with HAL and his “infallibility” is scrutinized. HAL notices this and turns against his crew killing one and nearly killing another. (Sound similar to Cyclops from Homer’s Odyssey?) Kubrick is perhaps trying to tell us that computers if used too much could cause our downfall. This has shaped my understanding of the imaginative journey as it has told me that the imaginative journey is a powerful and emotional way of teaching and warning an audience of events, effects and purposes. This point is also touched upon in the Coleridge poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The Monolith figure which changes apes into more violent beings, nearly kills some human explorers and sends the humans on an intergalactic wild goose chase is perhaps Kubrick’s explanation of what is happening in the world

The final sequence in which Dave the astronaut sees himself ageing rapidly, coming face to face with the monolith and ultimately becoming a baby which is in the womb poses some interesting questions about where the ultimate reality is and who is the most advanced… the baby or the man? However Kubrick’s choice of the baby is quite disturbing as this is no ordinary baby; in the foetus of the mother (who or what we don’t know) this baby has its eyes open! Is Kubrick hinting that when we die we are ultimately and quintessentially enlightened beyond human comprehension? Certainly these grand concepts are explored and have shaped my understanding of imaginative journeys as being a universal medium that can highlight and gratify any possible theory or ideology.

At the end of Dave’s Experience:
The cyclical evolution from ape to man to spaceman to angel-starchild-superman is complete. Evolution has also been outwardly directed toward another level of existence - from isolated cave dwellings to the entire Earth to the Moon to the Solar System to the Universe. Humankind's unfathomed potential for the future is hopeful and optimistic, even though HAL had momentarily threatened the evolution of humanity. What is the next stage in man's cosmic evolution beyond this powerful, immense, immortal, space-journeying creature?

Now which physical journey can pose such serious and thought provoking questions?

(Further reading at 2001 Internet Resource, some information in this article has been influenced by this site.)

This entry was posted by Blogpur, on Monday, September 05, 2005. You can leave your response.