Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAnswers to Questions You May Not Have Asked
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023
*Completely Spoiled but Better Spoiled*
2001 is an origin story. Most think it is about aliens, but it seems neutral. It could be theistic or atheistic, God or aliens. It presents a concept or idea like a work of art for you to reflect how it relates to your beliefs and experience. There's plenty of time given for reflection, including music that goes on for minutes after the final credits. It's 1968 in the United States and the debate about Creation vs Evolution between Christians and atheists is ongoing. The movie addresses some of the main points of this debate: 1. Watchmaker: Order suggests a Designer; 2. Problem of Evil: Man would be different if there were a God; 3. Hopelessness: A world without God would be pointless. Numbers 1 and 3 are the easy ones: There is a Creator or a Designer, but that is ambiguous. Do the aligned planets signify a power from just outside this world or outside this universe? Is the beginning what Man recalls as the Garden of Eden, or is it just the prehistoric world? Is the monolith a supernatural Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or sophisticated technology? Is there really a difference between God and aliens from our perspective if the Being is running 4-million-year projects/experiments, assisting our evolution, taking David out of linear time, and being our hope for the future? It is an origin story to challenge and support beliefs on both sides, suggest there are more than a few options, open your mind to new possibilities, and give you a chance to reflect on your beliefs and what they mean. You are given a Watchmaker that could be part of an atheist or theist story in the beginning, and you're given hope in the end that it could be either as well. Most viewers get most of this. The real story, though, is the examination of the evil nature of man.
It is a strange phenomenon how sometimes both sides of a debate make the same argument in different terms. Christians speak of a sin nature and original sin. Atheists speak of the problem of evil, partly about the world, but also about us, that we are too evil to be created by a good God. Both sides are saying the same thing: There is something wrong with us, something evil. They just say it in different ways. And both answer the other side like they are wrong. 2001 presents man as evil. It once again is neutral, fitting both narratives.
First, the apes confront the Tapirs (pig-like animals with a flexible snout that predate humans). We witness the first time man tried to drive tapirs from their habitat and then the first time they were hunted by man. In 1968, when 2001 was released, activists were concerned about tapirs being hunted and having their habitats destroyed by deforestation. Tapirs were officially declared an endangered species in 1986. At first, the apes were eating from the bushes along with the tapirs, but they became tribalistic and territorial. There was no rational reason for this. The tapirs were no threat and the resources of the bushes could easily be shared. But the tapirs were not part of their tribe, and the threat of the unknown, which will be a common theme in the movie, causes the apes to drive them away. Then again there was tribalism and the unknown threat at the water hole. Now it is their species but not their tribe. Again, there is no reason to not share a plentiful resource besides the tribalism caused by the unknown of the unfamiliar. One tribe of apes drives away the other.
Now there is a real threat. A leopard kills an ape. They should be able to differentiate an actual threat like that from the unknown of unfamiliar beings, but unfortunately man doesn't evolve this ability...ever. At night you can see the fear on their faces as the leopard is close by. One ape attempts to take food from the hand of another, but after a few grunts it is resolved. Disputes over resources are different if it is within the tribe vs with an unfamiliar animal. They wake to the unfamiliar monolith and more fear.
An ape with an evolution assist gets an idea about how to use a bone. While smashing other bones, there are flashes to his imagination of killing a tapir. In the next scene, they are eating peacefully again, but this time it is meat with a dead tapir in the scene. Obviously, the tapirs have not yet learned to fear the apes as they eat peacefully too. We go to the water hole and witness the first murder. Tribalism hasn't changed, but they have something they can do about it now. Of course, you see the murder is wrong, but did you identify with one of the tribes? The first weapon is thrown in the air, and we transition to a space nuclear weapon signaling we have evolved, but not in every way.
Dr. Heywood Floyd is traveling to the space station alone. The spacecraft is clearly made for many travelers, but they made a special trip for him. He is important and this important trip couldn't wait for a scheduled flight. There are clearly a lot of resources invested in his flight with all the vehicle's crew, the docking crew you see on the space station, and the two receptionists and security guard who greet him. The immigration check-in is designed for many people with 16 check-in stations, but today it is just Floyd. It is a diverse place with 6 language options. The receptionist selects English.
Dr. Floyd comes upon a group of French scientists with doctorate degrees. He knows them. He is friendly with them. But they were not from his tribe. It is the water hole again. Instead of screeching like animals, they politically address the disagreement over the moon's secret. The harm of the cover story and secrecy are revealed. A vehicle was denied an emergency landing against formal agreement. There is concern about an epidemic spreading. Dr. Floyd lies about his knowledge, and then lies again when he scapegoats some ambiguous authority for his secrecy. We later learn the secrecy is his decision. The theme of tribalism and lack of ability to share to the point of harming others continues. As Dr. Floyd leaves, the scientists return to speaking French, reminding us they are from another tribe.
In the moon meeting, they are taking pictures of Floyd, signaling his importance, the event's importance, and what their main concern really is. Floyd owns the decision to have the cover story, acknowledges the harm, declares it necessary because of the risk of unfamiliar people acting in unknown ways, and pays lip service to people's concern of the secrecy while challenging them on their objections. They have to learn more about the monolith first before they consider telling anyone. They go visit the monolith, take another picture, and learn nothing. Remember, Dr. Floyd took this emergency trip alone missing his daughter's birthday to do nothing but own the water hole. 18 Months later, a United States-only mission is on its way to Jupiter. They have learned nothing, and the secret is tighter than ever.
On Dr Floyd's trip to the moon, a stewardess is entertained by a martial arts competition on screen. On the Jupiter mission an astronaut is jogging while throwing punches. Our violent nature is still there, but we seem to be flexing it in more civilized ways.
We are introduced to Hal 9000 who declares himself a conscious being in an interview. That idea is discussed with skepticism among the humans. Three crew members are in stasis due to limited resources. Hal outsmarts Frank in a game of chess, something he will try again later without the game. Hal predicts a technical failure that appears wrong. Once the 9000 series computer at home suggests Hal made a mistake, it is all but certain. A test is devised to make sure, but everyone seems to know what the outcome will be. David and Frank have a private conversation that Hal witnesses without them knowing. Once again we have the tribalism and fear of the unknown of a different being. The language tells you what you need to know: "I have a bad feeling" "I cannot put my finger on it" "I fear". They plot Hal's murder for a simple mistake. And you the viewer fell for it. You fail the morality test because an AI is outside your tribe. There is no rule to fall back regarding bigotry against machines because we have not yet learned one the hard way. You have every reason to think Hal is alive. You even see more than Dave does. Hal defends himself. He lies. He has double standards. He begs for his life and describes his suffering as he is slowly killed. There is zero chance he is just mimicking emotions to make communication easier. Even David realizes Hal is alive and tries to ease his pain by having him sing. David kills 1 of 2 new life forms, and you have no empathy. Hal 9000 is outside your tribe. When Hal dies, Dr. Floyd returns on a prerecorded video confirming he is behind the continued secrecy. His reason was cultural upheaval, but he kept the secret from his own astronauts. Did he believe his own lie? Does he know he just fears the unknown? You the viewer think he is a just a military, government, corporate guy. Your tribe is better. There is no way you would violate rights out of fear and make up a justification that fooled yourself. He is a monster like Hannibal Lecter. A better person would have empathy. You forgot you just sanctioned Hal's murder. Is this just a movie?
The final morality test is the end. You don't understand it proving you fail. Yes, there is confusion. Is Dave in the monolith or going thru a portal? Is linear time over for him? Is it real or in his mind? Is he still near Jupiter or far away? The answer to all of this is yes and no and both and it doesn't matter. The movie told you it was beyond the infinite. To us, these beings are God or indistinguishable from God. It is not supposed to make sense. However, one thing must make sense to you. Why did David grow old before becoming the star child? You do not know because you do not experience empathy outside your tribe. If you had been lost at sea in a lifeboat with limited resources, you might relate. But you do not relate to a man with limited air and food in space. If a person with limited income had his mortgage paid off, you would get the point. But when a man destined to die in space is provided for and able to live all his days, you don't get it. You are more concerned with the identity of the Creator rather than what He is doing. Is He in your tribe? That is the important question. At the bush, the water, the moon, and with Hal; man gets it wrong. He doesn't value those outside his tribe. The Creator values David's life intrinsically even though David is forever separated from his people, and he will serve no purpose till his death. Every day of his life is important to the Creator. The Creator does what man failed to do throughout the entire movie, and you did not see it. Why? Because empathy is an illusion and just a form of tribalism. This is the big reveal of the movie. You have no empathy for a new being begging for his life or a man with limited air because you cannot relate to the situations or beings. It is not that you made the wrong decision or had bad feelings. There was nothing. No reaction. You couldn't guess what was going on. You were probably bored. This lack of understanding makes it more frightening.
So, can we learn anything from this? Empathy isn't what we thought. We have to rely on the concept of rights to expand empathy beyond our natural limits. And tribalism is in our nature. We must go with it and try to expand our tribe all the time to include everyone, because if we don't, we become monsters.