2001: A Space Odyssey

By far, the greatest Science Fiction movie ever created is 2001: A Space Odyssey. The story of man kind finding tools from such advance species and trying to figure out their purpose. Its a reminder that we are only a small part of these ever expanding universe, that our roll is still not come into full definition. As we try to explore such a wondrous object as the Monolith we learn that our own tools are primitive in comparison.



Moments like Hal 9000's malfunction due to improper impute of data only shows the sharp mind of Arthur C Clarke. An AI designed to only serve humans and never distort data is told to lie and keep a secret from other crew members its solution to the problem is to eliminate the problem. Such an excellent scene where David Bowman sets down with Hal and they talk about rumors circulating about their mission. The scene where Bowman 'kills' HAL is maybe one of the most disturbing moments in cinema history, evoking a strong sense of sympathy for a computer is a powerful statement in story telling ability.




The final scene where David Bowman overcomes all odds and enters the Monolith is most amazing. To have such a man of intelligence, resolve and courage be the judging of all of our species is quite the trip. As the Monolith pulls him in, it shows him the history of the species who created it, brought it to earth and began the process of evolution that culminated in the moment David Bowman said "My God, its full of stars!"



The movie is a great example of the visual telling of a story. Combined with the book it becomes one of the greatest examples of speculative fiction to ever be conceived. To think, that in 1968 they would see the Computer take such a prominent roll in our lives, and how we would rapidly advance into the Space Age. Unfortunately Geopolitics stopped the Space Race in the late 70's.