2001 a space odyssey, last scene

I presumed it was to symbolise the rebirth of man following the contact with the aliens.

Personally, I didn't like it.
 
It's the evolutionary leap from ape to man to superman. Zarathustra blared out when the ape in the opening section looked at the bone just after meeting the monolith. The ape cocks his head to one side and has a brainwave and a few moments later invents the first tool, thereby becoming man.

The rest of the movie is an exploration of man's relationship with tools. At first we are their masters and use them to eat and kill and yet by 2001 our tools surround us and have destroyed our basic humanity converting us into dullarRAB. The next step up the evolutionary ladder is beyond us but Dave has other ideas. He defeats HAL, the ultimate piece of technology, and then systematically turns away from every piece of technology. He leaves the ship, leaves the pod, leaves his spacesuit, and then in a final gesture breaks the glass thereby freeing himself from all tools.

All odysseys are circular by definition and he has reduced himself to the level of the apeman at the start. He meets the monolith, takes the next step up the evolutionary ladder and like the ape the space baby cocks his head to one side and with the music swelling awaits the brainwave that'll move him from man to superman... or something like that.
 
thanks explains a lot on that site, though still a little confused on the ending, i think the film is just too clever for me :o.

though i did read somewher that kubrick and clarke said if you understand the films meaning that they hadnt done there job properly.
 
I think that's because much like David Lynch films they want people to have their own interpretations because that's essentially what art is for, it says different things to different people. :)
 
Well, thanks for that I'd always assumed the monolith provoked evolution but is the whole tool thing necessarily correct?

Maybe it's as simple as the next step in evolution is becoming non-corporeal thus, by necessity, all tools are useless because they are physical things...and that's why he got out of his suit etc.? But then that doesn't really explain HAL I suppose.
 
Were they actually created by aliens? Might they have been created by God?

And if we exclude God, are the monoliths tools or are they receptacles for the aliens or are they the aliens themselves?
 
Thanks for the explanation Blackhorse. I've been wanting to watch this for years having read that it's quite spiritually significant, but tried watching it yesterday and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Going to watch it again now and with your explanation, hopefully I will understand what it's meant to be portraying.

Just as a side note, out of interest, they do say that the stone at Mecca is one of these meteorite monoliths and this is what led me onto the need to watch Space Odyssey.
 
As always I think people are missing the final and most crucial point that's demonstrated in the presentation I posted.

But I guess we're not ready for that yet, clearly. Ha ha :D
 
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