2001: A Space Odyssey Meanings

Moderated by: ben

Submitted by: Futureadam
Added: 2009-07-10 21:27:43 Rating: Rating 3.21/5 with 14 votes

This film can have many interpretations, but it definitely has to do with the evolution of man, involving the giant black stone, called a "Monolith." What does it symbolize is the main question. It could be knowledge in general, it could be God (or some form of faith), or it could of course be aliens. Whatever it may be, it is the thing that instigates the forward change in Man's thinking.

Also, HAL clearly demonstrates the fact that we should not become completely reliant upon technology, for it can be our downfall. This is also shown in the first scene when a monkey finds a bone and figures out how to use it as a weapon. Then he kills another monkey. One could argue that it is really the monkey that kills the monkey (the "guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument), but at the same time HAL, didn't decide to kill the crew on his own, other humans told him to do it. Perhaps the real message is that technology is bad, but only because it speeds up the process of killing people. Even without them, we would continue to kill each other.

Submit your interpretation!

Discuss this group in the 2001: A Space Odyssey forum

Home