2001: A Space Odyssey is a film that explores humanity, but presents it in a deliberate way in order to create a very specific feeling. However, the approach is intriguing, as humanity is examined against four other forms of life/consciousness— protohumans, robots, aliens, and superhumans.

Monkeys are part of human history, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, that was not what this film aimed to show us. Here, the protohumans clearly could not evolve on their own without the help of the black monolith. When they swarmed at its feet, afraid to touch it, they looked pathetic in front of this polished and powerful external authority. And what did it bring them? Violence. And apparently, this was supposed to be the basis of human evolution.

Later in the film, we meet HAL 9000, the flawless robot. His tone alone is enough to show that he is a soulless mass destroyer. But otherwise, HAL is intelligent, polite, and always ready to help, just like modern artificial intelligence. It must be acknowledged that the tension is created in a very masterful way. The red-light scenes, showing Hal lurking and plotting his evil deeds, strike terror into those on the side of humanity. And logically, the moment Hal realizes that man is a threat to him, he automatically removes him from his path.

It cannot be said that the humans in the film were much more emotional than a robot. Only Frank showed human nature by immediately suspecting Hal, but he was killed shortly thereafter. Except for the scene where he returns to the spaceship, things just happen to Dave. He went to retrieve his friend’s body, destroyed Hal, and explored the unknown cosmos with the same expressionless face. But luckily, the enemies of humanity were portrayed so well that how man himself is presented remains in the background.

The black monolith represents aliens, but also a widespread philosophy here on Earth. It came from deep space to show us that we are stupid wild monkeys and led us to evolution by teaching us to kill. At the end of the film, we learn that it also controls time. It kept Dave locked up his entire life for unclear reasons, but perhaps its justification was the fact that it is superior to us.

The baby appeared on music from “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”, which leads us to believe that this is the superhuman. Here I can only say… Unlikely.

“2001: A Space Odyssey” conveys the typical propaganda about the insignificance of man, which a certain group of people has been trying to instill in us for centuries. Well, we continue to create greatness, and that is the only answer we can give them.