Stanley Kubrick on the meaning of the ending of 2001 in a rare 1980 interview

From a rare unearthed Stanley Kubrick interview with Jun'ichi Yaoi.
The complete footage can be seen here: • The Shining - unseen i...
Many thanks to uploader Image Circulation / @imagecirculation
Lee Unkrich: "I spoke with Julian Senior, the WB publicist who tours the Japanese crew around, when I first saw this footage two years ago. He told me that Stanley was actually at the studio that day, but didn’t want to meet with the crew and be interviewed on camera. So, in the bit where Julian is getting Stanley on the phone for them, he’s actually just in another office! It’s funny watching Julian pretend to be calling Stanley elsewhere once you know this tidbit."
(Source: / e1kpnl8 )

[@EyesOnCinema]

If you appreciate the content on my channel and would like to support me, please visit: www.buymeacoffee.com/eyesoncineW Thanks, EOC

[@Casarzino]

'Trave.. Super, uh, Space Travel 2001' Kubrick: 'Yeah'

[@davidw.2791]

Danilo Pochini God knows how accurate a Japanese translation of the title could be.

[@vborovikov]

The guy is just nervous

[@loge10]

He was nervous, but he got from Kubrick what few have been able to.

[@StopFear]

That’s because the meaning is the same as Odyssey, which is a trip or a journey. Kubrick probably understood that they Japanese guy couldn’t pronounce the word.

[@Exiro]

I don't think it's about pronunciation; the interviewer only knows the Japanese title and translated it back to English, which results in that title. There's a name for this phenomenon: Engrish.

[@LastGamer]

I’m Japan the film is know as 宇宙の旅 space travel / space journey 2001. Don’t knock the guy for not knowing the name in the western world .

[@radwizard]

He speaks better English than the People knocking him who can’t speak any Nihongo. ✌️

[@newagain9964]

Who gets triggered by anyone not knowing the FULL and exact name of a movie? Unless maybe it’s Forrest Gump. 😛

[@hungryghost3260]

Right! That caller is speaking English as a second language. Making a telephone call to a noted author to ask a question is brave, and his English skills were enough to get the job done. ✔ May we all be this brave and successful. 🙂

[@mikek5958]

Why could it not have been written as "2001: A Space Odyssey" in Japanese?

[@justanotherguy1794]

Thanks, LG.

[@voodoodolll]

The people complaining about this "ruining" or tarnishing their perspective of the movie need to realise this was all openly written out in the book by Arthur C Clarke in 1969.

[@GafferSamz]

SensualCream why should they complain if they willingly watched it

[@eylookvulheimiik7538]

the book and the movie do not share much. they were made at the same time

[@jensanruby6739]

They both worked on the film together, it is just that Arthur C Clarke wrote about how he meant it to be in the book, which I prefer.

[@urwholefamilydied]

@@jensanruby6739 I know arthur c clarke helped with the film, but I thought the whole thing was based on "the sentinel" by clarke which was a short story that didn't include anything that the movie portrays.

[@rockets4kids]

The book was written during the filming and Kubrick deliberately withheld elements of the film from Clarke and had him write elements not in the film into the book to ensure that the film and the book were two distinctly different things. He specifically wanted people not to be able to understand the film by merely reading the book.

[@filipnikolic3509]

I find it pretty hilarious how there are dozens of videos and internet postings discussing the films ending, trying to interpret it and uncover the mystery of what they've just witnessed. And then Kubrick himself just flat out explains all of it...... On the phone..... With a guy who cant even say the title of the movie😂

[@DoctorBlankenstein]

Filip Nikolic and it has 70k views... And the other videos millions lol

[@masterofallgoons]

Filip Nikolic - Well, to some degree.. he explained what happened in the film but not necessarily its meaning.

[@chriswegener3346]

Filip Nikolic hilarious

[@mattt21]

Ahahaha.

[@RabbitConfirmed]

I still dont understand it

[@ryanrobertson7218]

Even today, Space Travel 2001 stands above the rest.

[@Gabriel-zj6uj]

*super space travel 2001

[@Brotherhood-pp4tf]

The film is a mess in so many ways and never gets critised, so no it's not

[@Grdnp03]

@@Brotherhood-pp4tf Don't blame the movie for your stupidity and lack of taste.

[@Brotherhood-pp4tf]

@@Grdnp03 how am I stupid and how do I lack taste? You have 0 idea of the film's I like and enjoy and they aren't dumb action films. I enjoy all sorts of films from slow dramas, to foreign language films of all sorts, so pleas before saying dumb shit, I don't lack taste. I can't help if 2001 is disinteresting due to its ridiculous pacing issues, it's mostly boring characters and while I do like the fact that it leaves a lot to the viewer the film does come as pretentious in a lot of way and sometimes for the film it pays off and others it doesn't. While the opening of the film sets up a lot of the themes of the film without using a single word and it effective in its message, it at times is slow. Then the next sequence of the film, before the whole HAL incident is straight up forgettable. The only sequence of which I remember is the part where they encounter black monolith, which is an excellent scene, but to get to it we have to get past some mundane crap, which as I said is forgettable. The HAL 9000 sequence of the movie I find brilliant however and is the one part of the movie I find flawless. However this then gets ruined by a 20 minute sequence that is unforgettable, but only for how confusing it can be a lot of the time. I mean thoughout the movie we get no real explaination on what the black monolith's are or their purpose, which I know is left up to the viewer, but there really isn't any real motive or anything for them to be honest, which ruins the concept of them. I do think this movie is an important one for telling a story in a nonconventional way, it's editing, cinematography and it's practically effects, but I ain't the only one in existence to say that this is a mostly boring movie, sorry if you can't accept that.

[@danielserrato7596]

brotherhood9698 c

[@ACNC1]

Looks like a deleted scene from The Shining.

[@DutchFunkenstein]

For real though, Stanley's voice sounds a lot like Jack Nicholson's in here..

[@Bejaardenbus]

Or Scream, "The call is coming from inside the studio!"

[@gmann6269]

"Hi there, Chen, this is Dick Halloran, I've been trying to get through to the Overlook Hotel..."

[@Quantum-1157]

Lol! Good one!

[@alittax]

LOL

[@alanparker9898]

this is such a strange setup for an interview with an insightful kubrick... a confused denim clad japanese man cold calls a renowned filmmaker with amazing results...

[@steverogers7601]

Lmao! All these films snobs, hipsters and art house goons spending years and years theorizing and heavily debating what the meaning of this film could be, and then all of a sudden this confused Japanese man randomly finds Kubricks home number and calls to ask him what the meaning was and gets the answer. Hahahaha!!

[@pafoneto1275]

@@steverogers7601 Virgin you tubers: “Kubrick movie was about the meaning of god in all of us and philosophy...” Chad Japanese interviewer: “oh, so that is”

[@vac8846]

dude can't even make a phone call without someone commenting on his fashion sense? it was the 70's

[@tb-cg6vd]

Hey Alan, you better have written this before 31st July 2020 otherwise I'm going to completely freak!!!!

[@300061120]

This comment made me chuckle

[@brianhurley2194]

Ah yes, "Space Travel 2001", is definitely one of Kubrick's finest classics. Right up there with "Winter at a Colorado Hotel" and " An American Soldier's Experience in the Vietnam War."

[@lexistenceestailleurs]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ninja_tony]

I have no idea if this is the case here, but a lot of movies have very different names in other countries.

[@shreddymerks]

You forgot, “The Mechanical Tangerine.” Damn that’s kind of a fire band name.

[@S4tman]

I think the comment refers to the Shining and Platoon

[@jonathanstevens679]

I wonder how you would fare speaking Japanese.

[@RAYGERVATO]

Saw it at 5 next to my late father when it came out. He was totally into this Kubrick masterpiece! It, alongside Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon were 2 -of his fave masterworks!! And surely when I see or hear either, it reminds me of him fondly. Ironically, -he died in 2001 from heart failure & yrs.. of stress and cigarette smoking. His favorite movie was the year, that I ultimately lost him: 2 O O I Only 61.The final scene of 2001 always brings me deep into my reminiscence and lament. Such an incredible film from a genius Mr. Kubrick.

[@paoloshaoul2846]

Lovely sentiments I lost my dad last year he was a huge influence on my film obsessions

[@benjames52]

I can’t even put into words how this made me feel so I’m just going to say much love to you and your dad. ❤️

[@pauliedibbs9028]

Many condolences.. Your Father had excellent taste!!

[@jonesjones6279]

This is the first time I’ve ever heard Stanley Kubrick’s voice. I’ve seen tons of photos however; and from the look of him, had always assumed he just never spoke. The only exception being if he whispered, but only when absolutely necessary.

[@SilentAttackTV]

"Rare 1-Hour Stanley Kubrick Interview" here on youtube is very interesting, and it's a young version of him talking for about an hour

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Almost impossible to direct a film without talking to the filmcrew!

[@alwaysOPEN4business]

This is a great example of judging someone based purely on your own perceptions. How you can think someone never speaks just because YOU'VE never heard them speak is...

[@jonesjones6279]

@@alwaysOPEN4business So what you just did to me? This is a great example of someone who doesn’t understand hyperbole.

[@menlikegods363]

You have heard his voice if you watched Full Metal Jacket. Right before the push into the destroyed town where they meet the sniper, the voice on the radio giving logistical support is, in fact, Stanley Kubrick himself.

[@albirtarsha5370]

Oh damn! This is why it is called "a space odyssey". This is a kind of hero's journey / monomyth. Dave has a departure, an initiation, and a return.

[@proto-geek248]

ty Joseph Campbell

[@hermanhale9258]

Somebody look up Joseph Campbell and see if Stanley goofed it up.

[@apollion888]

In that guy's defense, translating the movie title from how it appeared in his language back to English is not likely to include the word "Odyssey"

[@TheSpecialJ11]

It probably got translated into "Travel" because that's what "The Odyssey" is, a story about Odysseus's Travels. So really there's nothing wrong with what he said, he's probably just never seen the English title nor has read the Odyssey nor grown up in a culture where a myth is so well referenced that the myth is its own word now.

[@bobhuber8480]

I agree completely. Dude is Japanese and he translated odyssey to travel just fine.

[@sheolcodemonkey4027]

Yeah, people thinking it's weird that someone who's clearly not a native English speaker would make a slight translation error is itself very weird

[@hersheybarber9094]

I don’t think this interviewer was even ready for this answer.

[@nikolasselimis202]

He couldn't even pronounce the title of the movie, and you question if he was able to handle the answer? Lol.

[@eyezack2778]

I don't think anyone ever could be ready for this answer

[@hahathatsgood]

He looks shocked that Kubrick is talking so much

[@wellesradio]

1:23 and 1:50 SO awkward!

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

It’s pretty much the same answer described in Arthur C. Clark’s book. If the guy had read the book it would be no surprise at all.

[@cirquedude123]

The world is missing a brilliant artist. RIP Mr. Kubrick.

[@ManCave1972]

What an extraordinary piece of footage- and after reading the explanation here and there over the years, to discover the great Kubrick himself gave such an unobstructed answer to a Japanese journalist, over the phone, is remarkable.

[@birdthompson]

how is the audio so good? this seems fake to me...

[@scifithoughts3611]

Remember extension lines? That’s likely where the recorder is hooked into the phone.

[@msexplorerinnc149]

Actually, this is Jun'ichi Yaoi. Director and writer, known for Sekai hatsu ikkyo kôkai! Kore ga UFO jitsubutsu shashin da!! Maiyâ kontakuto jiken no zenbô (1980), 11pm (1965) and UFO abduction: a true story (1991).

[@kinghailz786]

It's a fake interview. It was all setup. Kubrick was in fact in the next room... This was just another one of his works that he WANTS the audience to see... Just like the behind the scenes footage of The Shining, shot by his own daughter. It's all a setup, a detour. Truth is only Kubrick knows the real meanings of his films and he'd never say them out in public. Even this fake phonecall, as real as what he says is, it's only the surface level of the story.

[@giuseppersa2391]

2021 here..finally I've found THE best explanation of the ending of this most amazing film..an utter masterpiece

[@tose917]

I’ll bet that now that you have heard the meaning of the movie from Kubrick, you are still going to find something new the next time you watch it. That is the beauty of that film.

[@marcokite]

so what is the explanation?

[@charlesknowlton7198]

@@marcokite You came straight to the comments without watching the clip did you?

[@Twas-RightHere]

See, for me, hearing this makes the ending so much more satisfying than not knowing what he was going for.

[@silverdragon710]

only people with no imagination say otherwise

[@gsimon123]

I agree. I also tend to extend his explanation a bit by believing this movie to simply be a very artistic take on the concept of evolution. From the missing link to humans the gap seems so massive - it always engaging and fun to imagine what the next big leap forward will be with our species... :)

[@steverogers7601]

Pretentious as fuck lmao I bet folks who agree with this listen to Joe Rogan and think he’s a really deep guy

[@Delphius-]

@@gsimon123 evolution is a joke and you have no logic.

[@marcokite]

@@gsimon123 - you believe in evolution even though DNA makes it impossible? lol

[@crpCph]

Honestly this is so precious to have an author tell us what they meant. So many great works of art will forever turn into mysteries without proper understanding of context and circumstance. Btw, from the very beginning there are so many parallels with Interstellar, I love how Odyssey got reborn.

[@mopnem]

I really liked interstellar but that ending was about as silly as odyssey. They’re kinda similar in that their best parts are kinda excellent but their worst parts are kinda..the worst imo

[@leilaskylerkaleh5042]

What a magnificent artist!!! He tried to tell us many things and wake up humanity with his subtle messages in his movies! And at the end paid the price ... R.I.P Stanly ... and thank you ! 💜

[@DailyBach]

transformed into a "superman" (!!) huge reference to nietzsche's "thus spoke zarathustra" which is also the title of the opening music

[@wotan10950]

HuffinMuffin That’s just a happy coincidence. Alex North was hired to write a majestic score for the opening of the film, but Kubrick hated his work and decided to go with Richard Strauss’s composition, which had been a temporary placeholder. It’s funny that ‘Zarathustra,’ written by Strauss in the late-1800s, has become indelibly associated with ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’

[@Exiro]

Thanks for the comment, Dave, I had no idea about this. It always seemed clear to me that it was one of Kubrick's not-so-subtle ways of conveying meaning, where the reference is to Nietzsche's philosophy. It never occurred to me that this assumption could be wrong. I'll still hold on to this interpretation, though. It's a perfect fit: the music plays almost every time the monolith appears; the monolith represents development toward the next stage in evolution; this is exactly what Nietzsche's übermensch is. The wording of 'superman' in this interview seems to confirm it once more. The fact that the soundtrack was picked at a late stage does not take away from its significance. Also Sprach Zarathustra was already used as a guide piece early on, so he clearly had it in mind from the get-go. On top of that, choosing these pieces over the score he himself commissioned may have been planned. Kubrick was in the habit of trolling people. Making Alex North compose a score for nothing would parallel how he made Stephen King write an unnecessary screenplay for The Shining (which Kubrick discarded without even reading).

[@wotan10950]

Well, it does fit pretty neatly into the thesis of the movie! But according to Michael Benson's "Space Odyssey," which I just read, Kubrick also seriously considered Mahler's Third Symphony before he thought of the Strauss composition. So who knows. Maybe it was in Kubrick's mind all along. But Benson disputes that the music we so closely identify with the film was ever planned from the start. In the end, it really doesn't matter. It all works. As for the Ligeti music, that was quite an eye-opener! Ligeti was not informed of the contract (it was handled by his agents), he was paid a pittance, and hated the movie. Of course, Ligeti became famous after the movie became a cultural phenomenon, so in later years, he warmed up a bit to the movie!

[@voodoodolll]

@@Exiro Just came from a video called "The Art of Overanalyzing Movies", you should give it a watch. Most people in this comment section should, actually

[@richardyaklich6969]

@@wotan10950 The Mahler Third would have fit too. Mahler subtitled all the movements 1. "Pan Awakes, Summer Marches In" 2. "What the Flowers in the Meadow Tell Me" 3. "What the Animals in the Forest Tell Me" 4. "What Man Tells Me" 5. "What the Angels Tell Me" 6. "What Love Tells Me" Many moments of the Third Symphony would have fit the movie too

[@chadallenmills]

WOWWWW!!!!? THANK YOU FOR POSTING! Like a birthday present to all Kubrick fans. You can hear it 1,000 times from the experts but It makes all the difference in the world hearing it from "The Man" himself. Much Luv.

[@nomebear]

When I was 16, I drove my new car to large city that was 6 hours away just to see this film in a suitable theater. And, until seeing this video I never understood the ending. Thank you so much for posting this telephone interview with Stanley Kubrick.

[@gangstagamegangstagame4467]

You must be in your late sixties or early 70s

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

Wow! Thank you! this is highly valuable.

[@abhisheklamichhane4839]

Look how respectful kubrik is!

[@saint_yves]

Imagine calling up one of the most meticulous and greatest directors in the world to ask them what the ending of their movie meant. Man, what a dream!

[@heisenburgerz0]

and then butchering the name of his movie

[@troy1677]

he flew to the usa only for the interview@@heisenburgerz0

[@amanms1999]

"Space Travel 2001" Asylum studios: "Write that down, write that down"

[@kwgm8578]

A great find. Thank you for sharing this clip.

[@pandasong7801]

You have no idea how much I appreciate this. Thanks for sharing.

[@mattmchughdotcom]

That is, by far, the most explicit explanation I've ever heard from Kubrick directly.

[@Wills_Duffy]

Kubrick. Inflection and nuanced. No-one could mimic to that level of accuracy. This footage of Kubrick explaining the end of 2001. The monumental find this footage is. Astonishing.

[@BrianMcInnis87]

Nice-hyphen.

[@ajnode]

Even better. Full stop. (But yes, I do agree with the sentiment. This is amazing)

[@RussMcClay]

Truly, WillsDuffy. You are correct on all counts: Definitely Kubrick, definitely monumental footage and definitely astonishing!

[@radiobeefan]

Russ McClay astronoshing

[@bigfletch8]

Owen Mc Guire Hehehe...And definately the work of a true visionary from the planet I-Magi-Nation.

[@HeathcliffBlair]

Amazing, and the full footage is even more so. Thanks for the link.

[@raijinmeister]

Wonderful!!! Thank you very much for uploading this.

[@charlesbeaudelair8331]

This quote came to my mind: 'Humanity is the religion of the gods.' (Rudolf Steiner)

[@SouthernSouls]

Amazing thank you so much for this, huge Kubrick fan but still had never heard this explanation from him :)

[@rollerhockey69king87]

Thanks for this! Made me so happy to hear his voice 😪

[@neiljumpinjackflash7551]

Such a great man, he sounds so pleasant to talk to. The explanation for the ending is simple and elegant.

[@BeerdyBruceLeeCentral]

It's explained in more detail in the book. Nice find though.

[@applescruff1969]

The book's honestly better.

[@applescruff1969]

@@timetheory84 I recommend reading it. A lot better than any of the sequels.

[@ar.zpoint5700]

Oh shit it was a book?

[@jarpyr6791]

@@applescruff1969 the book is fine but gets a little silly, the film however is a masterpiece.

[@BigBri550]

@@jarpyr6791 I agree. The movie was unlike any other, but, quite frankly, I thought the book was a bore. Clark's subsequent sequels were a tad more interesting, but I still like _Childhood's End_ better than any of them.

[@3DSage]

I kind of thought so but I love hearing this from the man himself.

[@coolhand6656]

Sure ya did bub

[@Ilyathe2nd]

coolhand and Maxime, Kubrick states it here pretty much how it's stated in Clarke's book, adapted from the original screenplay, containing more explanations for things only alluded to in the film.

[@Stigsnake5]

I got the evolutionary elements of the film, but the fact he was contained within a "zoo" of sorts is something I didn't pick up on at all.

[@ballskin]

@@coolhand6656 i love it when simps like you reveal you can't read basic ideas from a film, lmao

[@derkaturka]

@@ballskin and then ad hominem attack anyone with a brain.

[@BlikeNave]

I remember reading something about how the monolith is the same dimensions as a wide cinema screen, and the movie (the 10 min of black screen in the beginning) was supposed to be like the audience themselves were staring at the monolith and about to evolve, or something.

[@sirtristram8297]

I think Arthur C Clarke's book, 2001, says that the monolith is 9 units high, 4 units wide and one unit thick---the squares of the integers 1, 2 and 3.

[@artysanmobile]

I agree so strongly with Kubrick’s reticence to explain his art that I stopped the video before he tried. This film changed my life.

[@proto-geek248]

I didn't. Now my life is ruined.

[@artysanmobile]

@@proto-geek248 Bummer

[@cynthresect4969]

This phone call just happened and they recorded it, that is amazing! It really is something else to hear it from him

[@RobotJeeg]

Book confirmed! It has been beautiful to watch and listen. Thank you.

[@stanfordwilliams937]

I have seen this movie 10 or 20 times, and now I have to watch it all over again just to rewatch the end, based on this clip. Invaluable. Thanks!

[@OnTheRiver66]

Thank you! I’ve wondered about this for years.

[@imaseeker100]

I'm not the brightest bulb in the box but interpreting the meaning of the final scenes was virtually laid out, which btw doesn't diminish the power of the film. Although I first saw it when I was 10 and didn't have a clue. I may watch it again tonight. A literal, bonified, disquieting, time tested masterpiece.

[@proto-geek248]

*on the tree

[@123backflipman]

I always considered the themes in his movies to have some bearing on human reality and the condition of our existence. I can hardly imagine the central point to be purely fictional as all great works of art are centered on the nature, conditions and mystery of our existence. Great artists like Kubrick are highly symbolic with their films and use scenes like the end of 2001 to represent realities like the illusion of time, the infinite and the birth/life/death/rebirth inherent in religious and spiritual framework. Not to say aliens were not part of it but i think there is no way to explain these scenes and Kubrick just says these things to give people at least some idea instead of leaving them in the dark.

[@TeddyOG]

I think also it comments on how tools gave us an edge, and fueled our brutality which lead us to dominate. Then these tools that we rely so much upon could be the end of us, IE nukes, or in the case of the film, Hal 9000. That technology is only a stepping stone until we can evolve to be all powerful with just our minds and energy. Or something, saw it in a video a long time ago after a different rewatch. Regardless of plot, this movie still blows me away with its portrayal of space, and the amazing cinematography for every scene. Guy was a true visionary, and honestly idk how he did this all before we even had a man in space. Mind blowing shit

[@CastlesForEyes]

This is my new favourite video. Thanks for sharing

[@EricM_001]

Thanks for putting "rare interview" in the title, that's a big help.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Kubrick was famous for creating endings that are massively open to interpretation. Another good example is _The Shining_ where Jack Torrance is seen in a 1920s picture as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. This ending is not even hinted at in the source material, but it definitely got people scratching their heads.

[@squarebearderry]

its a film about inherited schizophrenia i feel and its generational affect, hence why jacks father was also at the overlook the indian stuff symbolizes spirituality the maze symbolizes mind

[@proto-geek248]

the shining, the shining . . . hmm . . . nope, never heard of it.

[@caffeinated4671]

Or it’s just to show that Jack has been absorbed by the hotel. The book does hint at it actually: All of the dead of the hotel from various eras (the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s etc.) have essentially become part of the overlook and it’s described outright as such. Kubrick clearly preferred a more subtle way of getting the point across, but it exists in both the book and film, different as they may be.

[@system-error]

Yeah but Kubrick's movie of The Shining is a radical reinterpretation of the novel more than a straight adaptation, with a completely different ending, different characterization etc. To the point that King openly expressed his disapproval of it. He was so annoyed by Kubrick's changes that he wrote and produced his own TV miniseries adaption of it in the 90s. But no one even brings that up, because it's SO bad, lmao. It's hilariously bad, in so many ways! Complete backfire for King, because you watch his terrible version and you just come out even more in awe of Kubrick's version.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@system-error I remember seeing that years ago and, yeah, it was bad. And another funny thing is that Stephen King apparently loved the movie adaptation of the sequel, "Doctor Sleep" and it tanked at the box office! Personally, I thought it was pretty good though I confess that I did not read the book.

[@deckofcards87]

The last scene literally *shows* us step-by- step what is happening to Dave. There's no dialogue, but it's clear that his evolution is being "tweaked" by whatever alien intelligence is keeping him in captivity. Kubrick explains all this like a visual poet. Filmmaking at its best.

[@ania5038]

I didn't think it was clear at all and very slow but Stanley's explanation here makes it very interesting.

[@Geffo555]

The sequence is interesting. The pod comes to rest and Bowman sees another version of himself outside. Then he is the Bowman outside. He next encounters an older version of himself eating at the table. Then he is the version at the table. Bowman looks up and sees an ancient version of himself in bed. A Methuselah like figure. And he again becomes the next version. He is dying and gestures to the monolith for assistance I think. Then he is reborn as the space baby. It's about death and rebirth as something else. I suddenly wonder what Kubrick is thinking now.

[@Geffo555]

I think the sequence is Bowman inside the pod ➡ Bowman outside the pod ➡Bowman eating at table ➡Methuselah Bowman in bed ➡ Monolith (monolith Bowman?) ➡ Space baby Bowman.

[@TheEleventeen]

Thank you for this wonderful video !

[@mirrortoyourweakness9769]

Wow! This is amazing! I'm so glad I found this from Kubrick's own words/mind! Ty for uploading.

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

Fantastic. Really rare to hear him discuss this kind of stuff.

[@richardcrane1560]

THEremiXFACTOR Only problem is that's not Kubrick. Look up recordings of his voice. Compare the two. Not even the same person, or even the accent. Kubrick had a thick Brooklyn accent having been born and raised there. Plus Kubrick would never discuss the meaning of the movie with anybody let alone some stranger over the phone.

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

But hang on, in this comments section there is a man called Gordon Stainforth (www.imdb.com/name/nm0821586/) who worked with Kubrick on The Shining and he says it is the man himself. Here is Gordon's channel kzbin.info/door/ac72tYXC4u52BXCvqeFsRA Of course I can't prove anyone's identity on here.

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

And of course I have seen recordings of Kubrick talking (like in The Making of The Shining footage)

[@FirstPlace97]

Space Travel 2001

[@DamnPictures]

FP Yeah, hilarious :)

[@SnoopiesPoopies]

Probably changed the title for the Japanese translation

[@FirstPlace97]

A likely story

[@mattm6580]

This has 201 likes. Hope it stays that way

[@treymendus]

Thanks, brilliant upload👍🏻

[@indevelopment]

Great find. A wonderful artifact, if answering a question that shouldn't be asked.

[@talibhassan652]

Plot Twist: Kubrick was just trolling this guy.

[@friendlypup5650]

Plot twist: this is Kubricks twin brother

[@CinemancerFilms]

plot twist: Kubrick used a time machine

[@gsimon123]

Plot twist: this guy is actually a real alien trying to understand how Kubrick got so close to the truth.

[@steverogers7601]

This what hipsters and film snobs are hoping what actually happened lol

[@sambas9257]

Plot twist:This is not Kubrik at the phone

[@ryokinor6223]

"... it's origin and purpose still a total mystery." -2001:A Space Odyssey

[@jaimehudson7623]

Always loved '2001' and all of Kubrick's films... His voice is so accessible and friendly. Makes me like him even more!

[@Ciskokid1970]

I still haven’t seen it yet, but definitely gonna watch it in the near future

[@FabledGentleman]

For those not aware, the restored 70mm version of the film is now playing in many cinemas around the world. I highly recommend you all go see see this masterpiece.

[@Shrekboy567]

As someone who is way younger than the movie, it was such an amazing experience to finally see it how it was intended. Much harder to watch at home, knowing how it should be consumed

[@eyezack2778]

I wish I could, but cinemas don't do this in my country, i'm still glad I was able to witness this piece of art though

[@carlhardwickofficial]

I saw the movie at the theater with my parents when I was 6. It's my favorite movie of all time. I read the book when I was in 4th grade. The teacher probably thought I was from another planet reading such a deep book at that age. When you grow up watching Star Trek (TOS) and Mr. Spock is your idol (plus Science Fiction is your fave), your brain advances quickly.

[@LuxETenebris33]

I always wondered, that is awesome to have found this.

[@BrandonScottFox1]

This was awesome. Thanks so much for posting. Only the Japanese could get Kubrick to truly open up....

[@spaceman081447]

I find it to be very poignant to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey today. I first saw it in 1968, when it first came out and my feeling then was that we could actually have at least some of the things depicted in the film (single stage to orbit (SSTO) spaceplanes, a regular Earth-Moon shuttle, a large permanent lunar settlement, a permanent space hotel and transfer point in LEO, etc.) After all, 2001 was 33 years into my then future. So I was extremely disappointed to find that none of it had happened.

[@notarookie1]

I really think the art paintings depicted in the room is the key to the whole thing. The man climbing into the tree has religious connotations for me. Especially since the paintings are supposed to be taken as a sequence. The paintings are related to each other in sequence and what is going on in the room (or going on in the whole movie for that matter) and I can guarantee you that that is the key to the whole thing. The only way to understand the room is to follow your own ideas. I think that these kind of movies that encourage and stimulate your own meanings to the movie are important. The Fountain is another movie that you can't quite wrap your head around but you know you can eventually. Art that encourages your own, personal art is of the highest form. And with anything, I think taking the time and admitting you don't know the meanings behind things is important. You shouldn't jump to conclusions on things especially when you go off of what another person says. Alot of these directors intentionally don't tell you the answers for your own good. These things are meant to be turned over in your head for years. True knowledge comes from this and your own take on things. We are alien to each other no matter how hard we try to form connections. Parents, siblings and friends. We really don't "know" anyone and think about things very differently.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Thanks for sharing this video!

[@jfarinacci0329]

Good interview. Thank you.

[@DJHastingsFeverPitch]

interesting I guess I always thought of the ending as him being in a higher dimensional space where time doesn't have the same linear aspect that it does in our regular 3D space so this explain why he was seeing versions of himself at different ages.

[@totaltotalmonkey]

_The final scenes of the film seemed more metaphorical than realistic. Will you discuss them or would that be part of the "road map" you're trying to avoid?_ No, I don't mind discussing it, on the lowest level, that is, straightforward explanation of the plot. You begin with an artifact left on earth four million years ago by extraterrestrial explorers who observed the behavior of the man-apes of the time and decided to influence their evolutionary progression. Then you have a second artifact buried deep on the lunar surface and programmed to signal word of man's first baby steps into the universe -- a kind of cosmic burglar alarm. And finally there's a third artifact placed in orbit around Jupiter and waiting for the time when man has reached the outer rim of his own solar system. When the surviving astronaut, Bowman, ultimately reaches Jupiter, this artifact sweeps him into a force field or star gate that hurls him on a journey through inner and outer space and finally transports him to another part of the galaxy, where he's placed in a human zoo approximating a hospital terrestrial environment drawn out of his own dreams and imagination. In a timeless state, his life passes from middle age to senescence to death. He is reborn, an enhanced being, a star child, an angel, a superman, if you like, and returns to earth prepared for the next leap forward of man's evolutionary destiny. That is what happens on the film's simplest level. Since an encounter with an advanced interstellar intelligence would be incomprehensible within our present earthbound frames of reference, reactions to it will have elements of philosophy and metaphysics that have nothing to do with the bare plot outline itself. www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0069.html

[@jorgepeterbarton]

I like that a lot of it wasn't metphorical at all in the end. He based it on speculative weird but legitimate cosmology- its actually happening to the character.

[@johnkulm997]

Wonderful video. Strange how fascinating it is, just a guy on the phone talking to a legend.

[@xanadu7lukas]

Saw 2001 in theatre NYC 83rd st and 3rd surround screen Lowes theatre with my father1969 it has been our fav film forever thanks Mr Kubrick for ur work art and timeless masterpiece

[@user-nq9gz4xf7f]

Incredible interview. Kubrick was some kind of genius.

[@conductorjohnmthtrains2239]

This film was many many years ahead of its time. The ending is what made this film a classic , leaving us with nothing more than our own imagination to interpret what it all means. Perhaps we will all know the answer when it’s our time, I saw it at a Drive in movie at age 10. But I fell asleep. My father went back to see it several times alone looking for the answer. I still love this movie to this day and always will!

[@MyNameJeff..]

Space Travel 2001 is my favorite Stan Lee Kubrick movie.

[@lsporter88]

That's what I thought it was. This makes perfect sense. Thank you for this video.

[@Karch.Dah-Veed]

I always thought Dave just did a bunch of acid in the wormhole and was eating cheetos on his couch, hallucinating that he was dining in a colonial French apartment.

[@jamiesparrow355]

i thought it was that dave entered a dimension that he couldnt comprehend so this alien dimension converts it in his mind into something vaguely human. and i thought of the star baby as a metaphor of whatever is next after man, as a way to visualise something we cant comprehend

[@olgierdogden4742]

For me and all my peers in 1968 when 2001: A Space Odyssey came out it absolutely stunned all of us and personally as I was 14 years at the time and was encouraged to be creative as was the rest of my family this film influenced and changed how I drew things and I painted a large surreal detailed mural on my bedroom wall based on towards ending of the film with the landing sequence just before “Dave” the astronaut enters the room. I believe I probably watched the film from 1968-70 at least 14 times and at least half of the time was spent tripping on acid as we went to watch the film which the last section I described plus the room sequence was ideally suited to up the “visual experiences” which we were so enjoying. Having said that I must add to anyone who is in their teens or youth don’t go out and immediately pop some acid and do what I did or whatever as I don’t condone the use of it but make sure you are with the right people at the right time. So, finally returning to Kubrick’s Masterpiece using the relatively new method of “front projection” for some of his special effects. The film changed the entire industry and the “western” was shown the door finally as this was part of the viewing prescribed diet for the British public to digest and a new door of far better quality sci-fi films was born. And I finished my own “odyssey” with the film after 2010 A Space Odyssey was released. But that’s another story in itself.

[@gangstagamegangstagame4467]

So you are 67

[@olgierdogden4742]

@@gangstagamegangstagame4467 Yes I am and asking a question like this only tells me that you are definitely not from the same generation as myself and could have been born in this new millennium. I was kicked out of my school twice and after girlfriends and mother’s realised I had a inbuilt skills (as I was born into a creative family and I’m a practicing artist) and started nagging me to go to go to college I ended up with a degree in Graphic Design. Keep on doing what you need to and also will do but the trials of life are waiting in the future but you may be aware of but haven’t experienced any big issues and I hope you never do. And you’re a lucky person if you enjoy the job which feeds and houses you. Good luck. …,,,^_^’,,,…

[@jamesauld5145]

Brilliant, and thank you! Nice job by our man in denim too, by just listening and not interrupting.

[@yungcarljung9732]

everyone who has seen the anime already knew this..

[@kalakritistudios]

yung carl jung 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@plasticweapon]

delightful post modern humor.

[@johnarnold893]

The meaning of it was the next evolution of humans. Fits right with the beginning of the movie with the ape creature throwing the bone in the air. Arthur C. Clarke was a genius Sci-Fi writer.

[@nobalance_nb]

Bingo

[@JonnoPlays]

Amazing he actually said it.

[@deniseb4426]

Finally! Thank you

[@jamespotter3660]

As I understand it the original inspiration for the film was the short storyThe Sentinel by Arthur C Clarke - the later novel was almost a movie tie-in - written by Clarke with Kubrick.

[@JohnJ469]

Yep. The idea makes sense. If you want to know when intelligent life has evolved, place something on the Moon. That way only intelligent life will see that the whatever is unusual and have the technology to investigate. So maybe we should look at anomalies on the Moon. Perhaps the crater Ukert which is oddly triangular (well more triangular than round) and just happens to be dead centre of the full Moon as seen from Earth?

[@bfkc111]

"Homer, you have dialed the number already!"

[@ghostdogzx-1474]

Just rewatched it again after 20+ odd years and I enjoy the movie even more now that he explains it so simply. Hard to beleive the film is over 50 years old.

[@spprw]

I really do appreciate this, and am a bit amazed that it was even found, though still kinda wish I hadn't seen it, if that makes any sense..?

[@finnkdy]

Like Liking the song in your head Spoilt by being exposed to the actual lyrics.

[@peterdowney1492]

Stanley Kubrick really enjoyed himself with that little story. Great director and not a bad actor and storyteller either.

[@jimslav6973]

Except more important than the meaning was Kubrick trying to give the viewer an out-of-body experience and an approximation of what life would be like in a higher dimension. Time, then space. It made the ending of Interstellar look amateur by comparison, though the two could be explained similarly. The difference in what the scenes evoke.

[@bensisko4651]

This movie blew my mind when I first saw it....... it still does.

[@MrHopeTelevision]

I miss the days when the interviews were conducted on the phone

[@theleft-hander1908]

He said that he transforms into a “superman”, which gives the opening scene’s music greater meaning, because in that scene, he uses Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, based on the book by Friedrich Nietzsche, in which he speaks of an “uber-mensch”, or superman.

[@plk5520]

He's rocking what appears to be a vintage Levi's denim jacket. It would be worth a lot of money today.

[@DoctorBlankenstein]

And just like that... One of the most magical scenes in cinema history was born.

[@aakashbokke6366]

One of a Kind Movie! Stanley Kubrick is a Genius of Film Making & Direction !!!

[@MichaelAronson]

I mean . . . this was pretty much all in the books, wasn't it?

[@MehediHasan-uv7pm]

Name of the book?

[@thiscomputer4891]

@@MehediHasan-uv7pm What do you think the name of the book is?

[@KingLich451]

hahaha

[@STANNco]

There's a book?

[@KingLich451]

@@STANNco yeah, written by Arthur C. Clarke who was the screenwriter for the film. AFAIK most of Stanley's works were book adaptations (which he loved)

[@onebitstory]

If this wasn't a Video, but a Letter or Note, it wld be worth Millions of Dollars...!!

[@MacetazzOpina]

the original vhs tape probably is

[@gsimon123]

@@MacetazzOpina *starts quest with band of misfits to recover vhs tape*

[@MacetazzOpina]

@@gsimon123 hahahaha let's get a team of experts together!!

[@blackcat5159]

Kubrick was known as the Directors Director , only did 13 films but all are great too pure brilliance as in 2001. Was the best and always will be, his attention too detail was his forte be it research or props. ALL need to be watched twice at least too appreciate the extraordinary amount of effort he and the crew put in. If only his Napoleon epic had been pulled off it would of been awesome.