Many of the space themed science fiction movies contain underlying planetary archetypes within the plots that add to the movie such as Jupiter, the Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury. Specifically, in this paper the planetary archetypes will be assessed in the films of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Interstellar (2014), and The Martian (2015).
The film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) incorporates both the moon and Jupiter through the film. At the beginning ape like creatures habit the earth and feed on plants and interact with hog like animals. Soon shows up an object called monolith and this creates a shift in evolution. This is where the moon also associated with Artemis is displayed. Artemis is the goddess of hunting and lunar incarnation. The
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The planetary archetype involved in this film is the planets Mars and Mercury. From the very beginning the planet Mercury is mentioned in its Greek God’s name which is Hermes. Hermes is the spaceship that the astronauts use as transportation between Earth and Mars. Mercury or Hermes is the God of messengers and travel, which is fitting for a space mission. The space mission involved in this film are Ares lll and Ares lV. Mar’s Greek God equivalent is named Ares, hence the reasoning for the Ares mission. Mars in mythology is an agricultural guardian or guardian of farmers. Astronaut Mark Watney is struck by an object during a strong storm while walking to the spaceship to abandon mission. He is presumed to be dead because his suit was punctured and his communications were dead. He was left on Mars and only had a limited supply of food. Mark, a botanist, was being guarded by Mars in a way. Mark was able to grow potatoes on a planet that couldn’t grow plants. He had the guardian of agriculture and farmers on his side. Thanks to these potatoes and finally being able to communicate with NASA he was able to be saved. It is amazing how planetary archetypes do play roles in these
Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.
“Evolution is fascinating to watch. To me it is the most interesting when one can observe the evolution of a single man” Shana Alexander. Winston Ryder, head of the sound and editorial department, won best soundtrack in 1969, and rightfully so. The use of sound, or no sound, and the editing was used incredibly to show the evolution of man over billions of years. 2001:
MP 3. – Aesthetic Choices – In this area, you will assess the efficacy of specific techniques and design elements employed in the film as they apply to the overarching narrative and theme of the film. These elements include: science fiction films can often be seen as allegories for things that society may not want to be discussing. These alternative realities allow for the use of allegory in referencing both current events and history, whereas stories set in contemporary
In the movie/book The Odyssey, archetypal characters play a pretty big role in shaping the development of Odysseus. The mentor Athena asks Odysseus if he wants guidance and a hand throughout his journey, which helps him to overcome challenges and make better decisions. However, the temptress archetype of Circe and Calypso, they feel as if they need to test Odysseus' loyalty and his will to work. That actually ended up tempting him to quit his quest.
Among the plethora of archetypes that present themselves in Homer’s The Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the character of the Blind Prophet. This character is an older man who has the gift of foresight, yet lacks the gift of physical sight. In the ancient epic poem, the hero Odysseus travels to the Underworld during his time on Circe’s isle to consult the blind seer Tiresias. In the film, Ulysses Everett and his hunting group of companions encounter a nameless blind soothsayer upon the railroad tracks after they first escape incarceration.Tiresias warns Odysseus of the trials ahead on his journey, including the Sirens and the monstrous Scylla, giving advice on how to best surpass them. The film’s blind seer describes a “long
The Dawn of Man. Four simple words introduced what is remarked as one of the greatest films of all time. There is no spoken dialogue within the first 25 minutes and the last 23 minutes of the film. “2001: A Space Odyssey” is an ambiguous film. The broad range of audience captures various interpretations of the film. The main theme seems to be about the evolutionary process of mankind interwoven with elements of a higher or extraterrestrial entity guiding this evolution. There are some film theories that suggest this movie was all propaganda used in conjunction with the space race that occurred during World War 2. Some even go as far as to say that the same set used in “2001: A Space Odyssey” was used to fake the moon landing of 1969. However, theories with more evidence suggest that the iconic monolith doesn’t represent aliens or “God”, but instead represents the cinema screen of which we are viewing. The artistic importance of “2001: A Space Odyssey” is derived from its ability procure various conclusions.
‘The Dawn of Man’ sequence is based in a prehistoric time period and the most important theme of this sequence is nature. Kubrick shows the two stages of nature before showing us as the audience how humans evolved as a species. The various shots of land are staged in altered settings within different time zones, which express the Earth as a large place. With no characters and no type of dialogue, the non-diegetic sound of birds chirping is a representation of nature. The sound of the birds in this sequence created a natural atmosphere and made it believable for the viewer.
The following paper will analyze the movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Stanley Kubrick” and “The Centinel” by Arthur C. Clarke. Although there are many themes present between the story and the film, the following are the most dominant. I will be discussing Scientific themes, Religious and Moral Themes, and Clarke’s development of the short story into a full-length film.
In the science fiction film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The director, Stanley Kubrick, portray his masterpiece in an ambiguous understanding where he examines topics such as extraterrestrial life, the dealings with technology and the human evolution. Throughout the movie, Kubrick depicts the facade, monolith as an instrument in awakening intelligence. Moreover, the protagonists go through a drastic change of struggle to explore on the idea of technology and extraterrestrial life.
The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey has served as an archetype of femininity proper. Her physical attributes, while comely by even the most demanding standards, are veiled. Her intellectual attributes are veiled too. She seems more often than not to wear a veil of tears (for her man) or a veil of silence (for her own wishes), or ineptitude (in her dealings with her son). She is certainly no Helen. She is not flaunting or whore-ish. She is not unconcerned with the needs of others, nor flippant about marital bonds, nor the loyalty of her heart. She does not steal the show, as Helen does time and again when she upstages her husband (who, by the way, may be a bumbler in the presence of his
2001: A Space Odyssey is just that: a long wandering voyage of the body and mind. Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark collaborated brilliantly. In examining both works, the film and the novel, there are certainly differences, yet the theme and overall idea coincide thoroughly. That this was made in the 1960's augments both accomplishments. The visuals, seen in 2004, are still captivating. What they must've seemed like in 1968! I flout those who received this movie poorly in those days. Would I have received it as well without having a preconceived idea of its greatness? I can only hope I would have known what I was watching.
A trip to hell is not unique to Homer’s The Odyssey, but rather this journey is found as an archetype in multiple cultures. If you look at any story from any culture, there is always a low point or valley in the story where a hero must dive into the unknown to prove themselves as a hero. This also serves as a stage to show the hero their own mortality and enhance their bravery. What results is that they emerge from the hardships as a brave and justified hero. There is no place that maintains these circumstances of death and decay better than the underworld. Additionally, what makes the hero a hero is the fact that he or she has gone to the place of no return for most people, and has come back after conquering some form of evil. This gives the
“2001: A space Odyssey” opens in the African Rift Valley, where a tribe of hominids encounter a stone monument which has obstructed on their domain. This stone monument transmits radio waves that end up expanding their IQ 's, teaching them weaponry and other tool uses to help them live, as they proceed to defeat a rival tribe. Four million years later, we see the luxurious space travel that the vintage science fiction of the 1960’s, with space stations for air terminals and such. Dr. Heywood Floyd is heading to Clavius Base, a United States lunar station. Along the way, he finds out about gossipy tidbits about an unidentifiable disease going around on the Clavius Base and his responsibility to study a four-million-year-old structure. Floyd
The novel 2001: A Space Odyssey written by Arthur C. Clarke applies many literary devices and stylistic features to humanise one of the main characters, Hal. Some examples of the literary devices and stylistic features used in the novel are the atmosphere and mood, characterisation, dialogue and diction, repetition, analogy, the point of view and the overall plot of the story. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a story of evolution, the future of mankind, space exploration and the thirst for knowledge, technology and Utopian society. The novel was originally written as a film script, however in the 1960s it was adapted into a novel.
Literature can, at times, have a fascinating connection with film. Whether it is a film or a piece of literature, both are written by someone that wants to leave an impact on an audience. However, movies and books have different roles. They each have different strong points wherein books give better characterization, stronger revelations, and inner conflict, but movies create a better mood with music and visuals, showing much more emotion. It's a totally different kind of experience, of course, and there are a number of differences between the book and the movie. The novel of 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke, for example, attempts to explain things much more explicitly than the film does, which is inevitable in a verbal medium. The movie version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, on the other hand, is essentially a visual, nonverbal experience. It avoids intellectual verbalization and reaches the viewer's subconscious in a way that is essentially poetic and philosophic. The film thus becomes a subjective experience, which hits the viewer at an inner level of consciousness, just as music does, or painting. Utilizing its verbal medium, Clarke is able to explain his narrative, whereas Kubrick creates a visual and audial experience, through means of ambiguity, in which the viewer sees everything, is told nothing, and in which one cannot detect the presence of the film as one at all.