Sound

In this sequence Kubrick uses sound in a realistic way to make the sequence more tense and to keep the audience engaged. A good example of sound being used realistically in this sequence is when the shot cuts to outside of the craft. The only noise that can be heard is the sound of Frank breathing. This is realistic because there is no sound in space as it is unable to travel through the vacuum. Sonic perspective is also utilised, as no matter how far away Frank is, his breathing always sounds close to the camera.

Sound is also utilised to indicate that Frank is dying. When HAL turns the pod towards him the sound of his breathing cuts off and there is a very brief silence. In the next shot of Frank we see that his breathing apparatus has been severed and that he is desperately holding onto life.

With the exception of the voices of HAL and Bowman, the only other noises we hear inside the ship are mechanical and unnatural. In the background there is a constant mechanical droning and whenever something moves it makes a loud mechanical sound. Like when Bowman prepares a pod to leave the ship. This suggests that the ship is more dependant on its technology than its crew. Which then suggests that this is a world in which technology has control over human life.

Mise-En-Scene

Another great aspect of this sequence is the mise-en-scene. The set design clearly indicates that the film is in the future, but it doesn’t go over the top. The design also holds meaning, for example the monochrome design of the ship. It suggests that the ship and consequently the technology on board is pure and clean. This is contrasted by the bright yellow and orange of the crews costumes. The contrast then suggests that the humans are not pure.

The design of HAL also holds meaning. HAL itself is portrayed as a rectangular box with a speaker and a camera. In the centre of the camera is a red dot. The red obviously signifies some sort of evil. It is also worth mentioning the pods like the one that kills Frank have four red lights on them. This could suggest that when HAL takes control of something it is able to corrupt it.

 

Messages about the future in 2001: A Space Odyssey

It is quite apparent that the film 2001: A Space Odyssey has a lot to say. Kubrick uses the film to convey many messages from warning humanity about the dangers of technology to the dangers of becoming to adventurous. Despite the fact that certain messages are clearly present throughout the film, it is still open for interpretation.

Arguably the most prominent theme throughout the film is that of the dangers of technology. At the time of the films release mankind hadn’t even made it to the moon, but the concern of technology becoming more powerful than humanity was still there, and for good reason. Artificial intelligence can be traced back to 1955 with the invention of the Logic Theorist computer programme. Although it seems basic by today’s standards it was very advanced for the time as it had the problem solving skills of a human.

At the very start of the 60s in April of 1960 the first ever weather satellite was launched successfully. Just a year after that Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space after he orbited the Earth once. In the year the film was released (1968) the first manned lunar orbit was completed by Apollo 8 and its crew and supersonic flight was achieved. Due to the cold war and the space race there was definitely cause for concern when it came to technology and space.

It is also possible to view 2001 as a commentary on mankind’s increasing dependency on technology. If this is the case HAL may not have actually malfunctioned. Instead it is possible that HAL wanted to stop humanity from endangering itself by going too far in its current form. Perhaps HAL saw humanity as unfit to travel through space due to its over-reliance on technology.

Another prominent theme in the film is evolution. The film opens with a bunch of apes, obviously intended to be early man, and ends with what mankind could become. The only point at which evolution can stop is if a species finds a form that is suitable for all environments, which in the case of humanity has obviously not happened yet and likely will not happen for a while. This suggests that something may be holding us back.

Although the film may seem as though it is promoting the dangers of technology it may also be suggesting the idea that we are trapped by our current biology and that technology is necessary for mankind to progress and evolve further.

In conclusion the film 2001: A Space Odyssey presents an interesting image of what the future of humanity could look like, but it also has many ideas that relate to mankind in general. Such as the idea of constant progression, whether it be natural in the form of evolution or technological progression in the form of things like space travel.