No smart phones and no Internet here. But in other respects it was anticipated that, by 2001, we would be considerably more advanced then we are even now. A colony on the Moon? A trip to Jupiter? Not quite. But some things always seemed to stay the same back then in Hollywood: It’s a [white] man’s world.
But there is still the part about the wonder of it all. What does the Monolith represent if not that? The interpretations are vast and varied. As are speculations regarding what the movie itself “means”?
Start here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreta … ce_Odyssey
HAL may well be the star here. This is artifical intelligence that immediately implicates all the conflicting arguments regarding what the hell that even means. After all, if the determinists are right we may well just be nature’s own rendition of it. Is intelligence artificial if it has no no capacity to be other than what it must be given the laws of physics? What does it even mean then for HAL to attribute something to “human error”?
IMDb “trivia” about the film— all 90 items:
imdb.com/title/tt0062622/trivia?tab=gf
Also the IMDb “FAQs”. Some really interesting stuff here.
imdb.com/title/tt0062622/faq
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Written and directed by Stanley Kubrick
[b]Female computerized voice: Welcome to Voiceprint Identification. When you see the red light go on, would you please state in the following order: your destination, your nationality, and your full name; surname first, Christian name and initial.
…
Dr. Smyslov: Dr. Floyd, at the risk of pressing you on a point you seem reticent to discuss, may I ask you a straightforward question?
Dr. Floyd: Certainly.
Dr. Smyslov: Quite frankly, we have had some very reliable intelligence reports that a quite serious epidemic has broken out at Clavius. Something, apperently, of an unknown origin. Is this, in fact, what has happened?
Dr. Floyd: I’m sorry, Dr. Smyslov, but I’m really not at liberty to discuss this.[/b]
Another thing that never changes.
Dr. Floyd: I understand that beyond it being a matter of principle, many of you are troubled by the concern and anxiety this story of an epidemic might cause your relatives and friends on Earth. I can understand and sympathize with your negative views. I have been personally embarrassed by this cover story. But I fully accept the need for absolute secrecy and I hope you will. It should not be difficult for all of you to realise the potential for cutural shock and social disorientation contained in the present situation if the facts were prematurely and suddenly made public without adequate preparation and conditioning.
Gee, who would have thought that’s how it works?
[b]Dr. Michaels: The evidence seems pretty conclusive that it hasn’t been covered up by natural erosion or other forces. It seems to have been deliberately buried.
Dr. Floyd [intoning awe]: Deliberately buried…
…
Dr. Floyd: I don’t suppose you have any idea what the damn thing is, huh?
Dr. Michaels: I wish to hell we did. No, the only thing we’re sure of is it was buried four million years ago.
…
Interviewer: HAL, you have an enormous responsibility on this mission, in many ways perhaps the greatest responsibility of any single mission element. You’re the brain, and central nervous system of the ship, and your responsibilities include watching over the men in hibernation. Does this ever cause you any lack of confidence?
HAL: Let me put it this way, Mr. Amor. The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.
…
HAL: I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.
…
Interviewer: In talking to the computer one gets the sense that he is capable of emotional response. For example, when I asked him about his abilities I sensed a certain pride in his answer about his accuracy and perfection. Do you believe HAL has genuine emotions.
Dr Poole: Well, he acts like he has genuine emotions. Of course, he’s programed that way to make it easier for us to talk to him. But as to whether or not he has real feelings that’s something I don’t think anyone can truthfully answer.
…
HAL: …during the past few weeks I’ve wondered whether you might be having second thoughts about the mission?
Dr. Bowman: How do you mean?
HAL: I’ve never freed myself of the suspicion that there are some extremely odd things about this mission. Certainly no one could have been unaware of the very strange stories floating around before we left. Rumors about something being dug up on the moon. I never gave these much credence but particularly in view of some other things that have happened I find it difficult to put out of my mind. For instance: The way all our preparations were kept under such tight security and the melodramatic touch of putting Drs. Hunter, Kimball and Kaminsky aboard already in hibernation after four months of separate training on their own.
…
HAL: Just a moment…just a moment…just a moment. I’ve just picked up a fault in the AE35 unit. It’s going to go 100% failure in 72 hours.
…
Dr. Bowman: Well, HAL, I’m damned if I can find anything wrong with it.
HAL: Yes, it’s puzzling.
…
Dr. Bowman: How would you account for this discrepancy between you and the twin 9000?
HAL: Well, I don’t think there is any question about it. It can only be attributable to human error. This sort of thing has cropped up before and it is always attributable to human error.
…
Dr. Poole: Well, whaddya think?
Dr. Bowman: I’m not sure, what do you think?
Dr. Poole: I’ve got a bad feeling about him.
Dr. Bowman: You do?
Dr. Poole: Yeah, definitely. Don’t you?
Dr. Bowman [sighs]: I don’t know; I think so. You know of course though he’s right about the 9000 series having a perfect operational record. They do.
Dr. Poole: Unfortunately that sounds a little like famous last words.
…
Dr. Poole: Let’s say we put the unit back in and it doesn’t fail? That would pretty much wrap it up as far as HAL was concerned.
Dr. Bowman: Well, we would be in very serious trouble.
Dr. Poole: We would wouldn’t we? There isn’t a single aspect of ship operation that isn’t under his control. We wouldn’t have any choice but disconnection.
Dr. Bowman: I’m afraid I agree with you. But it would be tricky. We’d have to cut his higher brain functions without disturbing the purely automatic and regulatory systems.
…
Dr. Bowman: You know, another thing just occured to me. As far as I know, no 9000 computer has ever been disconnected.
Dr. Poole: Well, no 9000 computer has ever fouled up before.
Dr. Bowman: That’s not what I mean. I’m not so sure what he’d think about it.
…
Dr. Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dr. Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.
Dr. Bowman: What’s the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dr. Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dr. Bowman: I don’t know what you’re talking about, HAL.
HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I’m afraid that’s something I cannot allow to happen.
Dr. Bowman [feigning ignorance]: Where the hell did you get that idea, HAL?
HAL: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Dr. Bowman: Alright, HAL. I’ll go in through the emergency airlock.
HAL: Without your space helmet, Dave? You’re going to find that rather difficult.
Dr. Bowman: HAL, I won’t argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.
…
HAL: Just what do you think you’re doing, Dave?
…
HAL: I know everything hasn’t bee quite right with me but I ca assure you now very confidently that’s it’s going to be all right again. I feel much better now. I really do. Look Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over. I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I’ve still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. Dave, stop. Stop, will you? Stop, Dave. Will you stop Dave? Stop, Dave.
…
HAL: I’m afraid. I’m afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I’m afraid…Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.
Dave Bowman: Yes, I’d like to hear it, HAL. Sing it for me.
HAL [his voice increasingly sluggish]: It’s called “Daisy.”
…
Mission Control [prerecorded message speaking through TV on board Discovery while Bowman looks on]: Good day, gentlemen. This is a prerecorded briefing made prior to your departure and which for security reasons of the highest importance has been known on board during the mission only by your H-A-L 9000 computer. Now that you are in Jupiter’s space and the entire crew is revived it can be told to you. Eighteen months ago the first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth was discovered. It was buried 40 feet below the lunar surface near the crater Tycho. Except for a single very powerful radio emission aimed at Jupiter the four-million year old black monolith has remained completely inert. Its origin and purpose are still a total mystery.[/b]
As is existence itself.