2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated with the stars and sky. In our time, this fascination has lead to many great movies. Among the many science fiction movies, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey stands out as the pinnacle of the genre. This movie covered various themes which include, but are not limited to: space, evolution, technology, religion, artificial intelligence, death, knowledge, resurrection, and violence. This film is loosely based on Arthur Clarke's short story, "The Sentinel." The objective of this paper is to explain the differences and similarities between 2001: A Space Odyssey and "The Sentinel," the use of technology and its forms, and to present my interpretation of 2001's finale, Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite. There are several similarities and differences between 2001: A Space Odyssey and "The Sentinel." The first major similarity is the monolith and crystal pyramid. The origins of the two objects are both unknown, but their purpose is exactly identical: the monolith and pyramid act as sentinels, which warn their creators that man has achieved space travel. Another similarity was that both Clarke and Kubrick implied that man were merely infants. The narrator in "The Sentinel" referred to the earth as "our cradle," (241) while in 2001, the main character eats his food through a straw much like an infant does