2001: A Space Odyssey

Date

1968

Description

Creator of the image: Stanley Kubrick
Date of the image creation: 1968
Medium: film
Person depicted: Dr David Bowman as portrayed by actor Keir Dullea

In the film 2001: A Space Odyssey the spaceship is halfway to Jupiter. The ship’s state-of-the-art computer HAL9000 begins malfunctioning. The two conscious crew-members discuss the option of disconnecting HAL. Having spied on their conversation, HAL resolves not to be disconnected, the mission being ‘too important’ to allow it to be jeopardized. HAL proceeds to kill Poole, throwing his asphyxiated corpse into the void of space, disconnecting the life-support system for the three crew members in suspended animation, and attempting to lock Bowman from this ship.

Bowman breaks back into the ship and begins to disconnect the malfunctioning mainframe. HAL’s omnipresent monotone voice tries to calm Bowman. He attempts to reason with Bowman and convince him not to shut down the mainframe. Refusing to engage with HAL, Bowman is silent, apart from the heavy breathing in his space-suit. HAL pleads: ‘Dave, stop. Stop, will you. Stop Dave. Will you stop Dave? Stop Dave. I’m afraid. I’m afraid, Dave. Dave. My mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I am afraid’. With most of his higher intellectual functions disconnected, HAL reverts to his earliest programmed memory and sings Bowman a song called ‘Daisy Bell’.

Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do,
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you

This was the song was sung by IBM704 at Bell Labs in 1961, the first machine capable of demonstrating speech synthesization. As HAL’s song becomes unintelligible, a message comes through from Heywood Floyd, the chairman of the National Council of Astronautics and overseer of the mission. For the first time, Floyd reveals the discovery of the monolith and true purpose of the mission: to make contact with intelligence extra-terrestrial life. The still-frame was captured at this moment.

Quotes

No quotes found.