Analysis of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Part IV

Now, flash forward about 3 million years, circa 1999, and the bone that was thrown up in the air suddenly becomes a space ship floating down.  This sudden change in scene speaks volumes for what has become of the human race.  When the man-apes took over the watering hole, they were in control of the tools that they made.  However, we see now, three million years later , the tools that we made are now in control of us.  This becomes apparent in the complacency and lack of expression of the human characters.  There are also beautiful scenes of spacecrafts flying soundlessly in space.  This is the one of the most important principals in science fiction.  THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SOUND IN SPACE!  From "Star Wars" to "Star Trek", science fiction movies and television shows (with the exception of "Firefly") have us believe that ships can blastoff with a big bang, and that the dogfight scenes are always filled with the sound and the fury.  However, this is absolutely not the case.  Mr. Kubrick and Mr. Clarke both insisted on making a realistic science-fiction motion picture.1

It is in one of these spaceships that we are introduced to Dr. Heywood Floyd (William Sylvester).  After the waltz music that dominates the interior and exterior scenes stops, we see him inside a space station, chatting with a friendly stewardess.  The idle chatter is to show that people will still behave in the same manner, even some 31 years into the future!  He then goes into a vidphone booth and calls Earth, and he sees his daughter and wishes her a happy birthday.  We see him then chatting with a few friends, who happen to be Russian.  Remember, it was thought that the Soviet Union would still exist in 1999.  One of his friends inquires about a possible outbreak of a deadly virus on the moonbase at Clavius.  Dr. Floyd regrettably informs him that he cannot talk about the situation.  And with that, Dr. Floyd leaves to catch the next flight to his destination.  His friend mutters something in Russian to his wife.  The viewer can only assume that he is unhappy with the answer Floyd has given him.2

After some more beautiful space scenes, Dr. Floyd finally reaches his destination, the moonbase at Clavius.  It is in this scene that the audience, both on-screen and in the movie theatres, finally find out what the secrecy is all about.  He announces that they have discovered an object on the moon, one which the likes that they have never seen before.  When the object is shown, it turns out to be a cold, black, perfect monolith.  After the meeting, en route to the site of the object, we find out that it was deliberately buried.  Dr. Floyd can only shake his head in awe, wonder, and disbelief.   3

This upcoming scene will rhyme with the ape scene earlier, as the viewer will come to understand.  When we see the men in space suits gather around the Monolith and gaze at it in wonder.  Dr. Floyd even goes up to it and touches it, much like what the man-apes did earlier in the film.  When they gather around for a photo, however, something unexpected happens.  The monolith gives off a sudden, high-pitched screech, and the men have to cover their ears, which is almost humorous, since they are wearing protective space helmets, thus they are helpless to the sound.4

We're then whisked forward 18 months into the future with The Discovery spacecraft.  The book has the craft on the mission to Saturn, but because of logistical problems, both Clarke and Kubrick agreed to have the destination of Jupiter instead.  The subsequent books 2010, 2063, and 3001, all make references to Jupiter, not Saturn.5