Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> > On 7/27/2012 19:41, Tim Cook wrote:
> > > The book was written in conjunction with the movie, and quite clearly
> > > explains what's going on in the scenes in the end sequence.
>
> > There's a difference between "it explains what's going on" and "you're
> > supposed to understand it."
>
> > Consider, for example, the typical time-travel paradox story. It can explain
> > what happens quite clearly without you understanding what's going on.
>
> > The sequence at the end of 2001 is the hyper-intelligent alien whatever
> > magically transporting Dave. Even tho Dave says "it's full of stars", you
> > aren't necessarily understanding *how* or *why* it is full of stars.
>
> Also note that the book was written *after* the movie, in other words,
> the movie was original and not based on any book.
>
> AFAIK Kubrick didn't have anything particular in mind when he made the
> final sequence. Just randomness. Of course there's no way of knowing for
> sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kubrick made it random on purpose,
> just to "troll" the viewers and make them try to make some sense of it.
>
> I haven't read the book (or if I have, it was really, really long time ago
> and I don't remember anything), but AFAIK Clarke tried to put some sense
> into the ending in the book, but that doesn't make the original scene in
> the movie any less random...

it's not random at all.

Dave gets near the monolith and utters "It's full of stars", then a long
sequence of abstract psychdelic patterns and figures resembling galaxies and
planets suggests Dave has entered some kind of portal into hyperspace for a very
long travel.  Obviously, this is the doing of some alien intelligence.  When he
arrives at the destination, after an uncertain time until he regains
counsciosness, he finds himself in a replica hall of some of his time buildings,
all alone.  The camera then plays with the loneliness of this laboratory by
contrasting several time lapses of Dave's life in this environment superimposed
one against the other, as if his former self is looking at his older one.  Until
we get to the final shot of the star child, whose meaning is up to metaphysical
interpretation...

It was a mind-expanding movie back then and still holds wonderfuly well against
modern day empty blockbusters.

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