A space odyssey from the classic stanley kubrickdirected film, the original story and novel were developed by arthur c. And while kubricks unique vision doesnt give the viewer a lot of explanation for the events that take place, clarkes novel. Learn about the different symbols such as moon in 2001. A space odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by british writer arthur c. A space odyssey, american sciencefiction film, released in 1968, that set the benchmark for all subsequent movies in the genre and consistently ranks among the top 10 movies ever made, especially known for its groundbreaking special effects and. A space odyssey consists of testimony from kubricks collaborators and commentary from critics and historians. The black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a. The two soon met at trader vics in new york and started hashing out a story that became 2001. And to end the whole thing i mean im still blown away by it. A space odyssey 1968 the story of the evolution of the humankind. After this scene dave is sent back to earth by the monolith and the film ends as dave, now the starchild, looks on at our planet.
In 1969, kubrick told joseph gelmis you begin with an artifact left on earth four million years ago by extraterrestrial explorers who observed the behavior of the manapes of the time and decided to influence their evolutionary progression. Author michael benson first saw space odyssey when he was six years old. I am not saying they were wrong, just not how i interpreted it. A big part of that is because theres no real character development to speak of. I still found time to read, but other books, and not that one. For the first time since the original release, this 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from. In a neverending quest for books that will challenge middle school readers who read above. I decided to pass that information along to you with this explanation and analysis of the book.
I saw it in the theater at age 6, during its first run, and it turned me on to spaceflight, science fiction, and classical music. At more than 22,000 words, it contains still images, film clips, musical score selections and copious references, including by piers bizony, author of filming the future. A space odyssey, which he cowrote with stanley kubrick. Among his bestselling novels are childhoods end, 2001. I had wanted to read it for a long time, and kept trying to find time, but things got in the way. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication.
Kubrick liked to work from books, and since a suitable one did not yet exist they would write it. A space probe with a landing and exploration of the moon and mars. A space odyssey premiered 50 years ago this week, making now a. The movie is quite abstract, which is fine as an experience, but the boo. The space exploration programs in the united states and the soviet union were only in the early stages. Instead, the film opens 4 million years ago in prehistory and ends in the onetimefuture year of 2001. A space odyssey symbolically describes the story of mankinds life. Clarke 19172008 wrote a hundred books and more than a thousand short stories and essays covering science fiction and science fact in a career spanning more than six decades. The meaning of the end posted on march 3, 2016 by roger walck when writing the earlier posting on the movie, 2001.
This instalment is in two parts and is slightly different. Yeah, we hear you say, of course there are screens everywhere. A space odyssey is one of my favorite films and my favorite scifi of all time, ive committed far too many hours of my life watching it and im now here to share my thoughts on what the ending means. Deze maand is het 50 jaar geleden dat stanley kubricks sciencefictionklassieker 2001. This is the most complete book on the film to datefrom stanley kubricks first meeting with screenwriter arthur c. However, after finally finishing the book, i would say this book definitely improved upon my childhoods loose interpretation of the story, and surpassed my. For a more detailed account of the production history of 2001. See more ideas about 2001 a space odyssey, stanley kubrick and sci fi movies. Hal kills poole by using the eva pod to cut his spacesuit air line while outside of the ship. Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot. But its trippy visuals, long scenes without dialogue and.
A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c. The film is based of a book of the same name penned by none other than the author arthur c. In addition to space odyssey he has written such books as cosmigraphics. The deliberately mannered tempo of the first 90% of the film reflects the unhurried pace of mans progress. I was asked by a friend why had i never read the iconic scifi book, 2001 space odyssey. Clarke, and was inspired by clarkes short story the sentinel and other short stories by clarke. Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel, and kubricks famous film, 2001. A space odyssey was a turning point in my young life. A space odyssey, alien and her so dont be surprised to see those pop up in my writing from time to time.
The screenplay was written by kubrick and arthur c. Stanley kubrick was less inclined to cite the book as a definitive interpretation of the film, but he. A space odyssey wasnt so much a movie based upon a book as much as it was a collaboration between kubrick and clarke. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. A space odyssey creation and legacy probed in 50th. A space odyssey is a very good example to illustrate the point, if not the best. The one based on the book goes like this the black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a way to nudge along the evolution of humanity. Kubrick stuffs so many screens into his shots that even a verizon store floor planner would think its a tad overkill. What it means, and how it was made fifty years ago, stanley kubrick and arthur c. Dit is waarom sterrenkundige govert schilling bij het kijken van.
Scientists find a threemillionyearold alien artifact buried under the moons surface which sends a transmission to one of saturns moons. Or read his online essays,from blurred horizon press,misconceptions. Kubricks bizarre statements of a visually encoded meaning seem to suggest that the films formal narrative is only a part of the story. Over the course of the next four years, kubrick and clarke talked and corresponded frequently. A space odyssey explained were now 18 years past 2001, weve never been to jupiter, and the enigmatic ending of the movie still haunts the generations who watch it.
A space odyssey has been analysed and interpreted by numerous people, ranging from professional movie critics to amateur writers and science fiction fans. Clarke, who together revolutionized science fiction and the art of cinema. After dave points to the monolith he is transformed into the starchild which is a glowing, fetus like being but also has the appearance of a man in the face. The book explains things more explicitly, but i read it years ago. A space odyssey was written, mankind had not yet set foot on the moon. As we see in the beginning of the movie a bunch of apes the early men come across the monolith and they have no idea what it is. Hal kills the crew in suspended animation by venting the ship to space.
A space odyssey was the name of an oversized comic book adaptation of the 1968 film of the same name and a 10issue monthly series expanding on the ideas presented in the film and the eponymous arthur c. A group of astronauts is sent to investigate, but only one will survive the journey after the ships computer deve. A rare and never before seen alien race uses a tool with the appearance of a large crystalline monolith to investigate worlds across the galaxy. At more than 22,000 words, it contains still images, film clips, musical score selections and copious. A space odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by stanley kubrick. It took many years to figure out the meaning of the ending alone. The movie deals with human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life. Picturing space through time, a finalist for the science and technology award at. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up as the official author. After seeing space odyssey, i read arthur clarkes book. Clarke, and the making of a masterpiece 9781501163937. A space odyssey, american sciencefiction film, released in 1968, that set the benchmark for all subsequent movies in the genre and consistently ranks among the top 10 movies ever made, especially known for its groundbreaking special effects and unconventional narrative. Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnu. The lunar, spaceflight, and space walk scenes were mesmerizing.
As we see in the beginning of the movie a bunch of apes the early men come. True, but when we say everywhere, we mean everywhere. A space odyssey the meaning of the monolith revealed variations on the same haunting piece of music, taken from gyorgi ligettis requiem, seem to occur every time an evolutionary step is being taken in 2001. The lunar, spaceflight, and spacewalk scenes were mesmerizing. A space odyssey is the 1968 science fiction novel written by arthur c. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In 1993, i saw it in denver as it was meant to be seen, on a big cinerama screen. A space odyssey, i came across several interpretations of the cryptic ending that consists of only images with no explanatory dialog, and i agreed with none of them. In this piece i will attempt to identify and explain a few of these phenomena, focussing on symbols, signs and metaphors present in the film. They were written and made concurrently, so its not an adaptation of the source. Sep 05, 2008 the meaning reveals itself in the context.
The black monolith you saw in the beginning of the film, and the one found buried on the moon, were placed there by a supremely advanced alien race as a way to nudge along the evolution of humanity. A space odyssey is a film that is filled to the brim with symbols. I found the book gripping and intellectually satisfying, full of the tension and clarity which the movie lacks. A space odyssey and how they contribute to the plot of the book. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up.
The ending is largely symbolic, and reading the book helps with its interpretation. Clarke and the 1968 film directed by stanley kubrick. There are many people who think 2001 is about the afterlife, or how nothing really matters. Leave it vague, and let the viewer interpret it to fit. A space odyssey simple english wikipedia, the free. A space odyssey see my 50 min video kubricks cover story and my 60 min video 2001. Today, stanley kubricks big screen adaptation of arthur c. Its unavoidable that it would be, once you believe that the universe is seething with advanced forms of intelligent life. A novelisation of the film released after the films premiere was in part written concurrently with the screenplay. It was developed concurrently with stanley kubricks film version and published after the release of the film. Both can be ordered from my digital download store. My favorite movies are before sunrise, pulp fiction, 2001. When first released in theatres, it was a film that you either loved or hated. The widely held belief is that arthur c clarke wrote the book and kubrick then adapted the book into a film.
Jack kirby wrote and pencilled both the adaptation and the series, which were published by marvel comics beginning in 1976. Clarke, based on a short story called the sentinel. Clarke to kubricks exhaustive research to the actual shooting and release of the movie. The following content is mainly based off of arthur c. When writing the earlier posting on the movie, 2001. Bowman survives by escaping to an airlock and donning a spacesuit.
What on earth did the end of 2001 a space odyssey mean. Clarkes most famous works, due in part to the film versions popularity, he was a prolific and influential science fiction writer. A space odyssey is one of my favorite films and my favorite scifi of all time, i ve committed far too many hours of my life watching it and i m now here to share my thoughts on what the. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of 2001. First, there are five things in the dawn of man that show the endangerment of a. Clarke, wanted to leave the film open to philosophical and allegorical interpretation, purposely presenting the final sequences of the film without the underlying thread being apparent. The director of the film, stanley kubrick, and the writer, arthur c. Clarke and stanley kubrick, the plot sequences that are symbolic. Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response. Just finished reading the book, 2001 space odyssey. Both the novel and the film are partially based on clarkes 1948 short story the sentinel, an entry in a bbc short story competition, and encounter in the dawn, published in 1953 in the magazine amazing. A space odyssey is one of my favorite films and my favorite scifi of all time, i ve committed far too many hours of my life watching it and i.
Man emerges as a species slowly, over tens of thousands of years, man explores the stars slowly and actual space travel is very slow. A space odyssey doesnt have a typical story structure where we follow a single hero from humble origins to becoming the one or a jedi or whichever of the 31 flavors of hero that fate has scooped up for him. There are a hundred billion stars in the galaxy and a hundred billion galaxies in the visible universe. Get closer than ever to the movie that changed the movies. Clarke, wanted to leave the film open to philosophical and allegorical interpretation, purposely presenting the final. Yet many people mistakenly write that it is in four sections, with the second section not named. One of his short stories inspired the world wide web, while another was expanded into 2001. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication satellites in geostationary orbit. All the parts of the movie that are vague and unintelligible, especially the beginning and the end, become clear and convincing in the book. Stanley kubrick was less inclined to cite the book as a definitive interpretation of the film, but he also. Part i africa 3,000,000 years ago views of african drylands drought the remorseless drought had lasted now for ten million years, and would not. I was asked by a friend why had i never read the iconic scifi book, 2001space odyssey. Book the making of kubricks space odyssey tu delta tu delft.
The section of the movie called the dawn of man has many examples of symbolism. Too young, perhaps, to fully understand its full meaning, but at least not too puzzled to. Finally, i put it on my ereader and began the journey. A triple allegory,showing how all events come from nietzsches thus spoke zarathustrawhich also opens at dawn,ending with the heros interrupted last supper. A space odyssey sheds light on the lead actors, senior production designers, specialeffects experts and masterminds of stanley kubrick and arthur c.