2001:
A
Space
Odyssey
HAL AND THE MONOLITHS MONOLITHS::
- MAN AND GOD? -
JONATHAN BERRY
Jonathan Berry
Before you read the following piece on HAL and the Monolith(s) in 2001: A Space Odyssey, I strongly advise that you either watch the 1968 film or read carefully an in-depth synopsis. This will help you put into context the two aspects explored in this guide. If you wish to prepare even further, reading the subsequent books by Arthur C. Clarke would allow you to understand some of the elements and ideas explored, which go beyond 2001, but have an important link nonetheless.
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Jonathan Berry
Introduction You would have had to see 2001: A Space Odyssey at least twice to gain a sufficient comprehension and appreciation of its meaning, themes and minimalistic yet compulsive nature. Stanley Kubrick, the writer, producer and director of the cinematic masterpiece stated that ‘You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film—and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level.’ This proclamation does not gain the reader a remarkably enlightening insight into 2001, but it does reveal the scale of the audience which was obsessively perplexed by this ambitious cosmos epic. Sight & Sound, a British film magazine, ranked it as one of t he top ten films of all time. The film reels were preserved by the National Film Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." A Los Angeles Times critic on exit from the 160 minute premiere stated "the picture that science fiction fans of every age and in every corner of the world have prayed (sometimes forlornly) that the industry might someday give them. It is an ultimate statement of the science fiction film, an awesome realization of the spatial future…it is a milestone, a landmark for a spacemark, in the art of film." Some people were not so overwhelmed by the pioneering visuals. The New Republic reported that 2001 was "a film that is so dull, it even dulls our interest in the technical ingenuity for the sake of which Kubrick has allowed it to become dull." The pure diversity eventually subsided away however, leaving most critics in universal applause and agreement. However, if you have not had the chance to see 2001, I recommend you buy or rent it before you continue. The exploration of monoliths and HAL is sure t o bewilder anyone with an orthodox mind. If, however, you have dived quite happily into the cult sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner and come out with an acceptable level of sanity, you may wish to continue; grateful that film has more to it than pieces of celluloid spinning at twenty-five frames per second. To start the topic of this piece of writing, I have decided to delve into the disk drives and deepest fragments of the HAL computer, then continuing on to consider the four main appearances of the Monolith. 3|Page
Jonathan Berry
HAL 9000 HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic Computer), is the antagonist of 2001, slowly eradicating all the humans on board Discovery apart from Dave Bowman, who under duress and fury eventually destroys HAL. One better than IBM, I leave you to work the joke out, the infamous computer was awarded #13 on AFI’s 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list in1968. Like many computers in sci-fi movies, HAL stated that he had never made a mistake or miscalculation, and never would. He is soundly capable of speech recognition, facial recognition, and natural language processing, but also lip reading, art appreciation, interpreting emotions, expressing emotions, reasoning, and chess, in addition to maintaining all support systems on an interplanetary voyage. This jinx of perfection lingers throughout the film, and we start to witness the termination of the Discovery and its crew though HAL’s fatal errors, which he eventually dismisses as logically tolerable. However, behind HAL’s malevolence there is a rational, ironic and tragic character which thickens 2001’s substance and raises the subtle tension. ,
In terms of comparative characterisation, HAL is very much similar to Frankenstein. He is dominant yet undermined by the humans to whom he can easily dictate and has a sentient yet programmed existence. He also has a hindering, ‘physical’ deformity, which is his Cyclops eye; a singular, round and motionless plate attached to many parts of the space ship. There is strong symbolism surrounding HAL’s one eye, as in countless other sci-fi/fantasy works, such as Lord of the Rings, villains often bear a single eye; reflecting their straight, linear and nonnegotiable line of thought. HAL’s judgement and logic is never questioned during the period of the film where HAL behaves ‘acceptably.’ However, though it is true HAL bears no physical limbs, Kubrick expresses that HAL does in fact have metaphorical limbs. In the scene where HAL kills Poole during the astronauts attempt to repair the ‘damaged’ ship, HAL controls Poole’s pod and extends the pod’s ‘arms’ and ‘hands.’ With this new-found bodily power, HAL goes on a seemingly irrational rampage, killing Poole by breaking his oxygen supply. This is not the only surprisingly violent plot twist in 2001, as in a quick turn, HAL disables the life-control systems of the hibernating astronauts, murdering them all. This seems both unfounded and unreasonable for the infallible HAL to do, as he previously stated that he ‘enjoys working with humans" and "has a stimulating relationship,” with them. This strange demise of the perfect computer is first delicately and shrewdly evident during a chess game between HAL and Dr. Frank Poole, in which he claims the game is over and he has 4|Page
Jonathan Berry easily won. He describes the remaining moves, and Poole accepts this calmly and unquestionably. However, HAL’s analysis of the game is incorrect - Poole would not have to make one of the moves HAL portrays. This inaccuracy is either a genuine mistake and therefore a step to HAL’s breakdown or it is a test H AL is putting upon Poole, assessing his capabilities and functioning. Though HAL seems inhumane in his killing of the astronauts, he may be the most human among the crew of Discovery, an ironic idea that runs throughout the movie until HAL’s final moments of ‘life.’ HAL has developed a high level of intelligence and has been taught to reason with the astronauts, allowing them to win some of the chess games, demonstrating his ability to comprehend and identify emotions. He also acquires feelings such as paranoia and jealousy. In contrast, the ‘real’ humans in 2001 discharge their duties in a manner reminiscent of machines, coolly executing their tasks in a mechanical fashion, whether they are commonplace and everyday tasks of operating their craft or even under extreme duress. For example, during a birthday transmission from his parents, Poole watches with complete apathy and disinterest. All this raises the question of the real hierarchy on board, as the tide between man and machine swiftly changes, and HAL rules over man. So, if HAL is so powerful and controlled, how could he manage to breakdown so easily? Some suggest that the flawless computer never actually broke down, but instead just carried out his ‘programming and instructions,’ however fatal the result may be. As we are told when we first meet HAL, his orders were not only to protect the mission but to keep it a secret from the astronauts. After observing the humans, HAL determines that they could pose a serious error to the mission. In HAL’s view, the astronauts are unable to recognise errors they make, such as in the chess game and therefore put the mission in jeopardy. By killing the hibernating men, he is trying to ‘save’ the true goal of the mission - Jupiter. However, after quietly killing them, others such as Poole are eliminated to remove any witnesses to what they would interpret as HAL’s failure to complete the mission. As a result, when HAL dies it is far more tragic as he was simply carrying out orders, just like a soldier would in a war. Stanley Kubrick decided that HAL was to be no more than 8 years old, so in human terms, the sharp CPU is merely a child. In his last moments of functioning, HAL repeats the common melody ‘Daisy, Daisy,’ reflecting sorrowful, childish innocence. Though the super-computer was eventually destroyed by Dave, HAL indirectly and ironically lead humanity to the next stage of evolution; the star child. Had it not been for HAL’s brutal control over the mission, the countless men, women and children on Earth would have been trapped in an evolutionary loop, before ultimately fading out of existence. In spite of HAL’s debated ‘breakdown,’ HAL showed more emotion than any of the astronauts on board Discovery, and due to the lie he kept from the men and the pitfalls he witnessed them create, it was perhaps his own perfection that was his imperfection.
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Jonathan Berry
The Monolith Though there is surrealism behind the themes and characters in 2001, perhaps the most bizarrely engaging is the black monolith. The black slab in Kubrick’s masterpiece seems to prompt epic events in the history of human evolution. There are four main points in which the monolith makes a manifestation and appears to initiate an e volutionary leap. Firstly, after the overture, the monolith appears to groups of apes, who are seen foraging and fighting among themselves. As the dissonant music grows louder, it is apparent that a change is occurring. This builds until an ape discovers how a decaying bone can be used as a tool or weapon. A poetic moment of realisation for both the ape and the audience occurs as the animal suddenly grasps the potential and enormity of h is breakthrough. During this evolutionary leap the ape experiences flashbacks of the terrifying monolith, indicating that the monolith has given the power of realisation. Suddenly, the apes, almost through sheer instinct, attack their rivals who cannot match their tools with their brute strength. This scene depicts the first inter-species conflict and killing of the movie, a sign that the monolith may not just bring a leap of evolution, but also a more foreboding and overwhelming matter - death. In a quick and iconic transition involving a bone turning into a spaceship, we are taken to the future and the music of the Blue Danube is playing. Witnessing an orbital satellite in which a crew are living out their routine daily rituals, it is apparent that humanity has made the jump from apes to space adventurers easily. After a briefing we are led to Space Station 5 in one of the most beautifully surreal and gradually ostentatious scenes of the film. We know that the station encases TMA-1 (Tycho Magnetic Anomaly 1), an object the humans have failed to describe and define. They do know that it emits only magnetic radiation and it comes as a bolt from the blue to many first-time viewers of 2001 that TMA-1 reveals itself as the monolith. In fact, we are the only people who realise the importance of the black slab, as the men treat it like a tourist attraction, posing calmly and coolly next to it to have their photographs taken. However, we feel the opposite knowing the events of 4 million years ago. The transition described at the start of this paragraph reflects a more sinister idea behind the spaceships man has created. The shift between the bone and space station are graphically and metaphorically identical, signifying that the bone, a weapon, is the same as humanity’s space ship. The use o f tools allowed mankind to endure and ‘prosper’ for over 4 million years, at which point the monolith makes its second appearance. During this scene the high-pitched noise turns 6|Page
Jonathan Berry out to be a signal pointing in the direction of Jupiter – hence the beginning of the next chapter in 2001 – the Jupiter Mission. A destination hidden from the astronauts and known only to HAL, the reason for the long journey to Jupiter is to pursue the still unspecified and inexplicable monolith, which now eerily sits in the abyss of space. The astronauts are going about their daily business on-board Discovery without the knowledge that they will make the biggest, yet ironically last, breakthrough in the human saga. Tragically, it is here again that multiple deaths occur after the appearance of the monolith, as in a turn of events a tool of humanity, HAL, turns against the humans on-board. Whether the monolith caused the breakdown of the supercomputer is not apparent, but we do know that the monolith has triggered another important event – Jupiter and beyond.
After the death of HAL at the hands of a distressed Dave Bowman, the Discovery is left sitting in space. In a last attempt to save himself and potentially the mission, he journeys out into the abyss of space where he discovers the monolith, gliding in front of him in a silent yet overwhelmingly powerful manner. Bowman heads towards the monolith, unaware of the transformation he is about to undergo. However, the strangest thing about this advance towards the black slab is that Bowman does not choose to go towards it – the monolith seems to grab his EVA pod and pull it in, almost like a tractor beam. During a scene where he travels through a passage known as the star gate, it seems Bowman is actually travelling through the monolith itself. Seeing as Bowman is really travelling through time, this must mean that the monolith represents time. This scene won the film Best Special Effects, containing what Kubrick described as ‘space phenomena,’ whilst fast forwarding time in the most slick and incredible way ever seen in cinema. After the six-minute sequence, we are treated to a complete change in perspective. We are in a neoclassic room, where Bowman is transformed from an astronaut to a bed-bound man on the last strings of life. Though we have only just seen the power of the monolith, we are still shocked when it reappears at t he end of Bowman’s bed in a powerfully dominating stance. Then, in a visually parallel scene reminiscent of Michelangelo’s painting ‘The Creation of Adam,’ in which humanity reaches out to the hand of God, Bowman desperately tries to grasp the out-of-reach monolith. A brave parallel for Kubrick to make, but there is the suggestion that the monolith is God. In a sudden epic transformation, Bowman is reborn as a Star Child. It’s a strikingly delightful scene as the music climaxes and the child looks innocently upon the open space and awaiting Earth. It seems such a tragic yet incredible ending for 2001, and though the end is n ear for humanity, the finale of Dave’s life is so powerful and touching. The monolith has transformed apes into humans and humans into the star child.
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Jonathan Berry
Finale There has been immense speculation surrounding the meanings and truth of the monolith by those who have seen the film. Still, there is no doubt t hat Kubrick’s interpretation of Arthur C. Clark’s original creation is intriguing. Though it is never mentioned in the film, it would perhaps be interesting to know the past and future the monolith has endured throughout the Space Odyssey series. Firstly, the monolith found on the moon – dubbed TMA-1, has the dimensions in the ratio o f 1:4:9, the first three mathematical dimensions and square numbers. There is a subtle implication behind the use of the square pattern (1²:2²:3²) – which is that the monolith contains other dimensions such as the 4 th (time) or 5th. For example, the TMA-2 monolith travels Bowman16 light years in a matter of minutes. It is also worthy of note that the monolith is built by ultra-advanced extraterrestrials, who can create large objects with implying little mass. This is the only data that can be recorded of the monolith, as TMA-2 bears a mass less than air, meaning it is likely the monolith is hollow. However, the monoliths meet their demise in 3001, the final book, where a computer virus is transferred to their matrix, and in which Dave and HAL are amassed. This mechanical and almost simple downfall is very reminiscent of HAL, whom was originally ‘perfect,’ just as the monoliths are, but failed ultimately due to the means that created them, technology. It is also ironic that the monoliths are killed by a computer program, which humanity would not have created had the first monolith not triggered a leap in evolution. Not only has the film stood the test of time, the sign of extraterrestrial life in the form of a black block has too. It doesn’t need to be accompanied by speech or verbal explanation, it simply exists, and the viewer has to accept that.
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