2001: A Space Odyssey–The book vs. the Movie

January 13, 2012 · by Naoshad · in

While I have seen the movie of 2001: A Space Odyssey numerous times I just recently read the book. Like all

Cover of
Cover of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Legend Books)

of his work Arthur C. Clarke manages to captivate us with the vastness of the universe, the magnitude of possibilities that exist and while doing so reflects on some of the very best and worst traits of humanity.

There is a stark contrast between the book and the movie. Where the movie leaves the messages to the viewers interpretation the book guides us on a clear path and with a defined idea Uniquely the book was written and the movie produced in parallel but rather than producing a work which is duplicated the Clarke and Kubrick  managed to create two unique works intertwined with the same underlying concept. Where the movie is completely ambiguous the book tells a defined story with a subtle ambiguity that leaves the mind free to wander.  Kubrick always refused to give any interpretation to the film and this seminal work of cinema is a reflection of the movements in the art world in the early 1960’s towards more interpretive and interactive forms. Clarke’s book reflects this in the openness of its ideas while still clinging to a more contemporary ideal of storytelling.

 

Clarke’s narration is omniscient and spans from 3,000,000 years ago when our ancestors first learnt to use tools, specifically weapons to multiply the power their bodies possessed to a future where with the help of benign entities unknown and open to interpretation we leave our corporeal state and attain a higher consciousness. Clarke is both positive about a future where man is committed to the exploration of space and has continued with the same hope and optimism which was present in the US in the 1960’s. The books tone suggests a purpose to mans exploration, a commitment to advancing and a commitment to science. Unfortunately many of these predictions haven’t come true. However Clarke shows an uncanny knack for predicting the future, predicting the Kindle, ease of communication and its effects. Neural networks and miniaturization.

He doesn’t always get it right — while he does predict a huge population he also presumed that the Chinese – who form the other block against the US-USSR alliance would be broke and a new cold war would replace the old. He warns of nuclear weapons, food shortages and talks about states implenting policies on how many children one may have. He also predicts that this wouldn’t be enforcable.

The most obvious difference between the book and the movie however is the voyage to Jupiter and the time spent on working around the HAL 9000 malfunction. Kubrick, necessarily, made this a climatic point of the movie and used it to create a sense of drama and fill in the conflict needed to keep the movie interesting. Clarke just moves through it, discusses the potential conflict for HAL in having to lie and how an identical system on earth was essentially now on a psychiatrists couch.

HAL 9000

Image via Wikipedia

There is a lot of depth to his book that I didn’t find in the movie, perhaps I lack the imagination or critical faculties of the movie aficionado but I like having a definitive story to guide me as I contemplate the possibilities around it. The combination of the two is very powerful and provocative — watch the movie, create your own interpretation, read the book and watch the movie again. (You have to play Also Spake Zarathustra while reading the book). I am incredibly glad that I read the book and yearn for the time when the exploration of space once again is a priority. Clarke once commented that the cost of the Vietnam war and waning political will meant that 2001 wouldn’t come till well after 2001 but the day will come. It is essential we continue to explore and reach out to the stars –  everyday scientists and engineers are making the impossible possible, it is an exciting time to live.

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