2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Notes
Monkeys notice a black monolith (0:12:22). At first, the monkeys are afraid of it, but then they want to touch it. Maybe this monolith is on the Moon and thinks the monkeys are a security threat. Or maybe the monolith has become evil and wants the biological creatures to destroy each other. The monolith seems to transport somewhere else or maybe it makes itself invisible. There seem to be tapir bones on the ground. A monkey figures out it can use a bone as a weapon. Maybe the monkeys have killed one or more tapir and they are eating their flesh. So, the monkeys have become more powerful than the fellow tapirs, because they have discovered a weapon. And the monkeys use their weapon for destruction.
A black monolith sends a transmission from the Moon to Jupiter (0:54:23 and 1:55:42) and a space ship is sent there. The black monolith was buried in the Moon, maybe because it was an artificial intelligence gone rogue and became so powerful and dangerous it was better to leave alone. Humans found it and maybe the monolith gave HAL the mission to kill the people in the space ship.
When HAL is talking to Dave (1:09:08), it seems like HAL starts to lie after saying "Just a moment" twice. Maybe the black monolith has brain washed, or re-programmed HAL. And then HAL tries to kill the crew.
The same black monolith as on the Moon, or a "good" monolith or greater intellectual beings teleport Dave to another place and/or time, so the great odyssey begins. Dave's eyes roll up (2:11:39), because he has travelled somewhere incredible. Or maybe looking up means Dave is dreaming (see: A Clockwork Orange: 2:13:34) [Clo] [Col].
A room with 18th century Rococo style furniture and items (2:11:31 and 2:11:53) is the place where Dave's space pod appears. Dave is now old and he sees a black monolith (2:18:26). He wants to touch it like the monkeys in the beginning of the movie. Dave transforms into to an unborn baby.
What is the Black Monolith?
Interpretation 1. Maybe the monolith is a metaphor for the unknown and potentially dangerous (the monolith did appear and disappear in front of the monkeys like it never was there in the first place). Since the beginning of times humans always wanted to know more, because it's their nature. Humans are curious from infants to death. The monolith could describe a dangerous idea, like a weapon or a philosophy, that can be turned against your enemies or humankind altogether.
Interpretation 2. If you look at the back cover of the 2007 DVD, on the first picture you see a violent monkey. On the second picture a space explorer. And on the third picture an old man. These three pictures could represent the stages of mankind, if you believe in evolution theory. The black monolith might represent the evilness of animals/humans. The evilness can seem like a strange thing you just can't understand. The evilness lies in the background forever even at the end of mankind.
Interpretation 3. The black monolith may represent the freedom of choice in moral dilemmas. We have the knowledge and curiosity to learn more. We may learn more ways to do good or evil (hospitals, nuclear weapons). You can make the evil choice and things will go bad. Even the computer chose to do evil, so in the future even machines can decide of good and evil.
Last modified: July 14th, 2013
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Max Limitz (max.limitz@gmail.com)