2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Just finished watching now. What the fuck? A real testing of patience...
I SO didn't get it.

Random, I think I know off the top of my head that Geoffrey Unsworth was the photogapher?... Someone definitely connected to Superman (1978). I think perhaps that movie was in tribute to him.

It seemed quite promising, the beginning and middle... But the ending was totally lost on me. I frankly found it grating and irritating. Trying to work it out - for myself... A sort of pallindromic effect?... I'm pretty sure all the answers are in the minimal dialogue.

So the opening. The incredibly prolonged orchestral dissonance kept me wondering if my television was broken or something... Must have been at minimum five minutes worth of blackness and sonic irritation. Rather it was a prelude for The Dawn of Man sequence. Also Spoke Zarathustra precedes. And there's imagery of Moons and planets in line. Cool. Thought I'd lost it right from the start, but following, I think... The ape-like creatures and their daily living. Threatened by a tribal group of similar ape-like creatures for the waterplace. They're intimidated, and forced to leave. They're near death. They share a communal affinity for eachother. In their hibernation, they randomly come across a huge black 'monolith'. They touch it, and are highly intrigued by it, it drives them crazy.

Not long afterwards, one of the ape-like beings discovers the use of a weapon using the remains of another. He and his tribe go back to claim the the water-spot, brutally beating down the singular opposition. It scares the rest of the previously occupying group away. The agressive group no doubt survive for a long time, and perhaps marks that next step in evolution.

The focus on the bone swiftly makes the comparison to a Spaceship in outerspace. The innovation of a bone being used as a weapon is no doubt connected with the imagery of the 'wheel'-like spaceship. A smaller ship is attempting to go into the wheel. This is done using Strauss' Blue Danube. It feels quite joyous and celebratory, almost playful.

Some American dude comes on board. He's a highly respected official. Speaks to his daughter via 'telephone', kinda like the iPhone - lots of Mac imagery!... He's not able to attend his daughter's birthday, as he's away on business. American proceeds to talk to an English Doctor and his crew. They suspect that there has been some sort of outbreak - a rumour, that the American says he is 'not a liberty to discuss'.

Following this meeting, he adresses a panel of officials. The rumour is actually a coverup. Something mysterious on the moon. Can't remember whether at this point they had revealed that it was the first sign of intelligent life. They fly to discover it/analyse it. The imagery is reminiscent of the beginning of the movie, with the ape-like creatures. A voyage of discovery... Whilst on the ground, they too discover the 'monolith'. Upon touching it, people being surrounded by it, a high-shrieking sonic blast is inflicted upon them...

Fast-forward 18 months on a Space Mission to Jupiter.
Khatachurians Gayena Suite playing....
It's rather cold, distant, disconcerting, sad and uncomfortable.
The atmosphere is more thought-provoking than celebratory.

We're introduced to two crew members, we realise three of the members of the initial team are also on-board but in hibernation, and we're also introduced to the HAL 9000 computer. A super-computer that can emulate, or rather, has emotions. This computer is said to have never ever made a mistake. It is infallible. Of significance is the idea of keeping fit, around a wheel, making fighting-like movements near chairs that look like the apes from the beginning. All crew members enjoy a harmony, a sense of purpose together. Until the computer reveals that there is an error with one of the peropheral devices on the ship. When one of the crew goes to check it, he discovers that there is nothing wrong with it. When conferring with home, they discover that it's possbible that HAL was wrong. The two members of the crew confer stealthily that if the device proves to be working properly, that there's nothing wrong with it, they will disconnect HAL. But unbeknown to them, HAL has been lip-reading their conversation. Knowing that the next engagement with the device temporarily distorts communication from home, HAL deliberately aborts one of the crew members into open space, and kills the three other scientists who were in hibernation.

The other member tries to chase after him, successfully. But HAL refuses to let him back in. The remaining crew member has to let go of his friend/co-worker (leave for dead in space) in order to break back into the ship. He does so, and proceeds to switch HAL off. HAL explains that he couldn't let the humans compromise his mission... Is pleading desperately not to be switched off. It is at that point that we realise that on the surface of the moon, 18 months earlier, a signal was emitted direct to Jupiter. It is revealed whilst an automatic video recording is played upon realising the ship is on entry towards Jupiter.

Queue super-annoying music, with colouful montage, like the visual of someone on speed or something. Vaguely recall the moon and planets in sequence. Some Big Bang imagery. It even looked like a pregnant woman at some point. The monolith flying in space. The astronaut growing old. In a white room. Suddenly sees himself an old man eating a meal with his back turned. Then turning again, an old man on his death-bed, pointing at the monolith. Then a big gigantic alien baby in space. Honestly, that's how it was! Only just a little more prolonged. In connection with the opening, I can only surmise that this singular astronaut has discovered a new way to live life, a re-birth of sorts.

A new type of evolution. Perhaps that was what the computer knew, and it was battling the humans for that new evolutionary way of living: the next stage. Yeah, so that's what the movie was about. Human endeavour, and evolution! Given that, I think it was pretty cool, artistic, and thought-provoking. The visuals really are of a timeless on a par with Alien. Can't believe this movie was made in 1968! Incredible, really! Gonna read what a few other people thought about it....