Movie scene analysis

movie-2001: A Space Odyssey

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

released in 1968 and staring: Keir Dullea as Dr. Dave Bowman

                                               Gary Lockwood as Dr.Frank Poole

                                               Douglas Rain as HAL 9000

The scene I have chosen to analyze  is found 1:46:52 into the movie and the scene itself could be called the killing of HAL 9000.

In the scene Dave enters the memory Logic Center to decommission HAL who has already killed the science team in cryo and Daves copilot Frank Poole.

Character                                                                                                                                                 

2 characters are involved in this scene, Dr. Dave Bowman, the last remaining live person on the shuttle and HAL 9000, the Supercomputer that has gone rogue, who pleads for its life.

There are no other secondary or extras in this scene.

Dave is wearing a red space suit with a green helmet that he had to take from an emergency air lock.

Setting                                                                                                                                                      

The scene itself is set on the shuttle which is on its way to one of Jupiters moons to investigate a monolith, the third of such monoliths that make their appearance in the movie. These monoliths have been placed on earth, the moon and in between Jupiter and one of its  moons by advanced extra terrestrials to aid in man's evolution. Along the way HAL seems to start to malfunction. This leads to the computer seemingly becoming self aware, which in turn leads to the deaths of most of the occupants of the ship. Dave has just got back on board and in the scene starts to turn off HALs memory system, in essence killing the A.I. The scene, to me seems to end the second act. I count the star gate scene after to be the final third act. Everything about the scene is carefully placed as it is a methodically made up set.

Mise-en-scene                                                                                                                                         

The most striking aspect of this scene besides the audio, is the overall colour. The whole scene is awash with a red hue. Besides the bright lights of HALs memory and logic terminals, this red hue is continuous. There are many other terminals also located in this area, which is a rectangular room, but these are coloured a lighter red rather then white, probably used to distinguish between HALs memory section, his mind as such, and the rest of his other functions. I wonder was this used to show the difference between his lesser functions, maybe the animal parts of our brain, and his higher function where he has become self aware.

If nothing else it draws the eye.

We swap from close ups of Daves head and shoulders and HALs big red eye, which when we see we can also see the distorted reflection of his killer, Dave.This scene is particularly intimate, Dave is actually inside HALs mind in a way, also HAL is inside Daves as we can hear Dave's oxygen pump continuously pumping in air and Dave's calm breathing.

Camera Work                                                                                                                                          

In a movie that is absolutely packed with great camera work, it was really hard to actually pick a particular scene over another. From the famous jump cut of the bone and space shuttle, which is in fact a nuclear device, to the living quarters of the crew and shuttle to the crazy star gate traveling section, this one my favourite.

There are many camera shots used to great effect, my favourite being the close up of HALs cycloptic red eye as he is slowly dying.

The very first shot is one of a kind of wide screen shot where Dave is positioned at center frame as he enters the room. The camera then jumps to behind Daves legs where we can see the other side of the room. It then cuts to HAL's eye, close up, where we can see Dave still center frame slowly approaching in the reflection. The camera then cuts back to what seems like the original back shot, which now reveals the whole room. Dave is effectively upside down which adds to the realities of zero gravity.

Camera then shoots up to where Dave has stopped to deactivate HALs memory disks, his helmets visor is quite dark except for the lights that are reflecting onto it from the memory disks or terminals.

Camera then cuts to the opposite angle, effectively an overhead view of Dave. Here it hangs for a few moments as Dave slowly switches each terminal off. The angles used in conjunction with HALs pleas to stop Dave from disconnecting him are quiet stirring, we are seen the death of a fully self aware being slowly take place in front of us.

As HAL proclaims he's afraid repeatedly to Dave the camera cuts to a side view of the both of them, Dave on the left and HALs eye in the foreground nearest the viewer. Again oddly emotive. It is hard not to feel sorry for HAL who's voice slowly gets deeper, as if hes falling asleep against his will, pleading and showing human emotion towards death.

The next shot is an above the shoulder angle, this cuts to a closer profile shot of Dave, which then cuts to another behind the shoulder shot, just more zoomed out as HAL says " I can feel it, my mind is going". Next shot is another over the head view, Dave is slightly off to the right hand side of the frame.This then cuts to the opposite angle, beneath Daves legs again.

Camera then closes in on Daves profile and face again, the light shinning on his helmet, changing the mostly red hue. Followed by another over the shoulder shot.

The most effective shot comes when HAL starts to sing Daisy, as his voice slowly gets lower and lower until gone. for the beginning of this sequence, the camera is at close up of HAL's eye.It then changes back and fourth from Daves face to HALs eye, finally for a substantial time as the voice gets weaker, the camera lingers on Daves face, as he looks up from his task and straight at us the viewer. We are put into the eyes or eye rather, of HAL as we see Dave slowly taking his mind and therefore self awareness away. The scene then ends here with a recorded mission statement.

Sounds and Audio                                                                                                                                

The sound is paramount for this scene to work. In a movie that has very little dialogue a lot is happening in this scene. HAL is pleading for his life, going through an all too human range of emotion which we can hear in his usually monotone voice. All the time we can hear the constant pumping of Daves oxygen feeder and Daves breathing. There is no emotive music except for HALs last few words in which he sings daisy, which contains the lines I'm half crazy in it as his voice starts to dip and lower till gone. The scene ends with a sharp, good evening gentlemen, Which brings us out of the scene. There are no other sounds or audio to be heard, the terminals are disconnected quietly, we are totally confined to Daves helmet for sound. The movie was made with the lack of sound to create a sense of realism, another effective use of this is used in last years space survival movie, Gravity.

Again this movie is a powerhouse of visual, aural and philosophical application. There are many sci -fys made since that don't even come close to how well the visuals and the story come together in this movie. Although the last act is quiet hard to grasp, which probably adds to the movie in the end, always keep them asking.