And you thought "2001: A Space Odyssey" was just about a trip to Jupiter
On balance, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is probably my favourite film of all time. I first saw it in about 1975 as a 15-year-old at the Trak cinema in Toorak. It was 'only' 7 years old at that stage, so still fairly fresh.
A Lasting Impression
Two things stick out about that first viewing. A schoolmate - before we saw it - had said it was about "a journey to Jupiter" (true), and secondly, when the Star Baby floated into view and the credits rolled... I sat there waiting for the next bit. You know, the bit that finished it up. Explained and closed things out. It, of course, never came, and the lights came on. At least in the cinema.
Understanding the Film
I won't sit here and lie, expressing how - as a 15-year-old - I researched into what the movie meant and 'got it.' Nope, didn't happen. But nor did I forget the impact it had on me. I saw it again at university a few years later in the late 1970s. This was the full show; music playing before the curtains parted and even an interval. Subsequent readings and study gave me some further clues as to what it 'meant'. These - and my own insights and multiple viewings - have served me quite well in the 20 years since. Until last week, that is.
New Insights
A reading of Leonard F. Wheat's "Misconceptions about 2001" article added a whole new level to the thinking. 2024 update: The original article, 20 years on, has gone. The above is the Wayback Machine's archive.
Wheat is expanding upon ideas in his own book "Kubrick's 2001: A Triple Allegory." I didn't study the classics nor philosophy, but he explained enough background in the "Misconceptions" article that I wasn't disadvantaged.
Allegories in 2001
To summarize the starting point of the article, Wheat is suggesting that 2001 depicts not one but three allegories. An allegory is a "surface story whose characters, events, and other elements symbolically tell a hidden story. One story tells another." (source link: ibid)
The Three Allegories
To summarize Wheat's opening points, he proposes that the three allegories depicted are:
- Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's work, "Thus Spake Zarathustra"
- The classical epic poem from Homer, "The Odyssey"
- Arthur C. Clarke's theory (expanded by Kubrick) that man and machine will one day merge into a symbiotic entity, a sort of humanoid machine. (source link: ibid)
Conclusion
I find it fascinating reading. The piece is well-written and well-argued. I offer no judgments apart from to suggest that you take a look at it for yourself, plus his subsequent "Fresh Insights into 2001" article. Keep an Open Mind, and I'm sure you'll find them rewarding.
