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A Space Odyssey is one among the most famous films that will remain the greatest science fiction movie of its time. The movie is based on the exploration of the unknown worlds of space and activities that take place there. The movie was released in the period of heightened space competition between the United States and the USSR with an aim to earn superiority in matters of space access and control (“2001: A Space Odyssey Review – Still Visionary | Film | The Guardian”). The time of film release was the same time Apollo II landed on the moon; the movie also explores the influence that computers will have on the lives of human beings. The film not only presents a visual experience but an astounding vision of the technology usage in the day-to-day life.
The movie was directed by the American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. While Odyssey let to his success, the first screening in public caused a disaster since it was aired at a time when Lyndon Johnson announced that he could not seek to be elected again. The audience feared that Kubrick would lose his job in case the film does not become a hit. But as a matter of fact, Odyssey gathered media coverage as a great deal and soon became a hit (Clarke). Kubrick was not only a director but also an editor, soundman as well as cinematographer. He later joined into production and writing play scripts of diverse scenes. Odyssey did in many ways revolutionize the science fiction since Kubrick made quintessential sci-fi movies where his take on genre became a defining moment of its kind.
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The dawn of mankind scene opens up in the prehistoric past depicting the Pleistocene era. The ancient dawn is signified by a rectangular monolith slab having an eerie sound that looks more intelligent than the apes of the time. The group of apes that now surround the monolith slab is seen as a spiritual beings and use the art of imagery to represent Kubrick’s image of a touch on God’ hand(“2001: A Space Odyssey Review – Still Visionary | Film | The Guardian”). The monolith is seen to stand on an impression that it is not deep within the rocks as contrast to the apes in the period. The monolith’s main aim is to assist the apes to become more intelligent in their day-to-day lives.
The monolith which is depicted to belong to a land of aliens makes the apes nervous, but this does not limit the apes to approach the monolith with caution. The leader of the ape clan reaches out to the gigantic ape, and this causes the rest of the apes to gather around the smart monolith surface. As days go by, the intelligent monolith teaches the apes to use the bones from animals as weapons, this leads to the first bloody war that is led by the now intelligent apes wanting to take control of the rival tribes(“2001: A Space Odyssey Review – Still Visionary | Film | The Guardian”). The heightened level of intelligence equips the apes with more skills to survive in the already hostile environment and gain domination over other animals. This scene depicts freedom and territorial leadership in the environmental domain.
The scene not only represents the transformation of apes into intelligent beings but describes the aspects of using knowledge to increase survival capability by showing power vested in weapons. The director of the film uses a lot of imagery to depict biblical aspects of both superiority and weakness in the apes (Clarke). The director also presents scenes reflecting the actions that are present in the apes’ clan. Scenes, like with the piled bones, are indicative of the never ending wars in the kingdom that the apes and other animals live in. Kubrick brings about the theme of domination and superiority as he depicts the clan leader killing an opponent by striking his skull with a weapon made from bones.
Kubrick uses more of visual effects than spoken dialogue in his depiction of scenes, and therefore the viewers of the film are to derive most meanings from observation and personal opinions. The non-verbal vastness and actions that take place in the film subjectively transform the movie to be one of speculation, and how the technological role has influenced our ways since the pre-historic period. Kubrick uses space to allude on the various themes that have been in existence from time immemorial such as strive to obtain power, rivalry and superiority among groups.
The settlement theory explains that settlement changes are bound to occur with time, and this involuntarily happens in the ecosystem due to factors that cannot be controlled by any single individual. Religion, on the other hand, is a major factor that influenced the settlement theory and led to the shifts in movements and relocation of humans from one region to another. Gobekiltepe temple, which was one among the first temples, explains the settlement that was influenced by the temple leading to migrations not only in the search of livestock food but also habitation for individuals (Pritchard 170). The motivational factors of settlement among individuals are therefore motivated by matters such as religion, warfare or external factors which are the search for a peaceful and habitable environment.
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Art represents the word in the perspective of one’s understanding and view as per the artist. However, art gives shape and meaning to most of the things that are beyond the envisioning of the human eye. Through art, the world can be represented in multiple dimensions and definitions when in the natural settings the bare human eye cannot be able to make sense of (Knutson 93). For instance, the way the earth looks from space in the film is from how it is known to look. Through art, Kubrick made educative guesses to present it the way it is in the movie. Art is therefore used to give meaning to most of the occurrences and situations that artists deem fit to represent in their work.
By use of art, simple structures can be used to describe not only what is visible to the human eye but also deeper aspects of the structures of the represented works. Artists are able to depict perfect forms of views and thoughts that exist in their minds transforming them into either paintings, sculptures or any other form of art. Art also plays a major part to explain historical events and the reasons that may have led to the happenings of the events.
My own response to the scene is that Kubrick not only depicts life and realism but also tries to explain how external factors could have led to the evolution and intelligence of human beings in the process. Kubrick brings to light factors that led to the survival through warfare and conquests which explains the basic aspects of superiority that rules the world to this present day. He uses space to expound on the various themes that have been in existence from time immemorial such as strive to obtain power, rivalry and wars among groups.
In conclusion, A Space Odyssey is and will remain the greatest influential film of its time and of all the science fiction movies. The movie brought into attention special photographic effects to places that were employed by the other films later. Its innovative use of music and art creates the sense of majesty and awe. This is because it touched on themes and ideas that were radical and are still debatable in today’s world. A Space Odyssey is by far the most wondrous and makes the audience long to be in future that might have become.
