Explaining 2001: A Space Odyssey

[Tom]

Very interesting flash site in 4 parts lasting about 15 minutes to explain more items of symbolism and inner meaning to the movie 2001, in case you still don't totally understand it after seeing it 20 times (like most of us):

http://www.kubrick2001.com/

Allow streaming if you have the pipes, if not, click on the "Load" link.

[Daytripper_MI6]

Wow, very nicely put together.

[YFS200]

But does it go into 2010?

[sheila]

No, it ends with 2001.

It is well put together. However, being the natural contrarian that I am, I almost feel compelled to read the book (which I've not done yet) as the author of this piece states in many places that "Kubrik does this" or "Kubrik does that", essentially ignoring the fact that the movie is an adaptation of another work. It just makes me wonder how much of the stuff this person attributes to Kubrik is actually Kubriks own stuff, and how much is from the book.

An interesting interpretation and attempt at explaining the meaning of the movie.

As I've only viewed the movie, and not read the book, the movie was (in some parts) a bit bewildering to me. However, my spouse and son have both read the books (all of them), so if you watch the movie with them and express confusion, they give additional info that helps it "to make sense". Of course, these bits of info were more along the lines of story elements or plot elements. We recently viewed it with our 14 year old daughter, who thought the movie was really cool and creepy. She asked a LOT of questions during the movie, so we had many editorial comments from spouse/son.

This flash piece is more of an attempt to analyze the art form and interpret what the movie is trying to "say" to us. It really is worth the time to download and view it.

[Randall]

Originally posted by sheila:
As I've only viewed the movie, and not read the book, the movie was (in some parts) a bit bewildering to me. However, my spouse and son have both read the books (all of them), so if you watch the movie with them and express confusion, they give additional info that helps it "to make sense".

I read the book first (sort of -- it took me something like 15 or 20 years to finally see the whole movie, and I may have read the book somewhere in between). And I still couldn't understand half of what Kubrik was getting at.

Having some experience as an editor, my first thought was, "Man, I could have cut that down to 20 minutes and it still would have made just as much/little sense." At the risk of committing film geek heresy, let me say that I was supremely bored.

Randall

[dank]

the movie was (in some parts) a bit bewildering to me.

the risk of committing film geek heresy, let me say that I was supremely bored.

Amen to that! I never could stay awake through that movie, which is really saying something, seeing as how I can't think of another movie I've fallen asleep during... I was so thoroughly bored and confused that keeping my eyes open seemed completely unappealing. Of course, my impression of 2001 is pretty much the same as how I feel about Kubrick's work in general. Do I wanna trip out on acid or watch a movie? Hmm, I think I'll opt for the movie.

Dan

[kregh99]

Very impressive.