Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) has a shocking ending that deserves a good explanation.
I just rewatched 2001: A Space Odyssey and it’s a real movie that I recommend to all movie lovers. In his two and a half hours, Stanley Kubrick takes us on an amazing journey from the dawn of humanity to the evolution of the human being into a superior being. The best thing is that he leaves an open ending and that is why it is interesting to give him an explanation.
Explanation at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Attention SPOILERS. The film opens with a stunning sequence showing a group of early hominids discovering a black monolith, which seems to trigger an evolutionary leap in their cognitive development. The images we see set the tone and central theme of the film: the evolution of humanity and its search for answers in the vast cosmos. In addition, it has one of the best temporal ellipses in the entire history of cinema. Since we went from the use of the first tool by our descendants to a spaceship that is in orbit with the Earth.
2001: A Space Odyssey ellipsis
The story of 2001: A Space Odyssey continues on the moon, where a group of astronauts manages to unearth a monolith similar to the one found by primates thousands of years ago. This begins to emit a powerful acoustic signal, since it is a kind of alarm that is set in motion when humanity has achieved enough technology to reach it. The signal from the monolith is directed towards Jupiter.
During the trip to Jupiter, astronaut Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea), has to deal with the Artificial Intelligence HAL 9000, since it is out of control because it believes that humans will not be able to carry out the mission. So in the end it is turned off.
The psychedelic trip begins.
Dave Bowman experiences a trip through a wormhole that takes him to an unknown dimension. In the 2001: A Space Odyssey finale, Bowman finds himself in a hotel room aging rapidly.
finale of 2001: A space odyssey
When he is in bed about to die, the monolith appears once more, causing his transformation into the “Star Fetus” floating in space. This cosmic creature seems to represent an evolutionary leap towards a higher form of life.
What does this ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey mean?
Bowman’s transformation into the Star Fetus suggests that humanity has reached a new level of consciousness and evolution, transcending physical limitations and acquiring a higher form of existence. That is to say, the first monolith was sent so that the primates had an evolutionary level, the second to confirm that humanity had reached its highest moment and was beginning to master stellar travel. So the third monolith serves to create the first evolved human that can travel through the cosmos. Who left the monolith? And why he wants the human race to evolve is a mystery? But they are interesting questions to start a good film buff debate. So you can leave your opinion in the comments section about this sci-fi masterpiece.
