How to Control the Act of Controlling Control.

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2007)

Reading other reviewers' comments on this film is particularly interesting. They typically sense importance without fully understanding why, and rarely are they able to successfully illustrate why they find it so enjoyable.
So let me start by attempting just that myself.
To me, this is about control. Mankind is under the control of some extraterrestrial beings (or Gods) while struggling for control over each other. It's the same story told twice: We are given the technology to enslave each other, once by innovation of crude weaponry (bone), the other by advanced (supercomputer).
The tip-off scene is the one in which our technological leaders hold a press conference to decide what to tell the rest of the species, how best to control them. It's not Hal who's fighting for mastery over the crew. Hal is merely a surrogate for said leaders, who are responsible for programming Hal to do everything he does. No, there is no computer malfunction here. Hal is programmed to eradicate the human pawns in the event that they begin to learn the truth. So there is no "man vs. computer" theme, but more accurately, "man vs. man-with-computer." A huge clue: Considering that the ape who touched the monolith is the one who gained innovation, note which character touches the one on the moon.
Also consider: Dave has been enslaved to the point where his very conscience is ultimately manipulated. As soon as he defeats Hal, those with authority over him move to plan B, and the very manner in which he experiences life is wildly altered.
Kubrick also chose to start another discussion about control on another level, that of the film's control over us, and that's the root of most people's confusion with this experience. And that's the deal with the ambiguous ending. With a clear ending and concrete answers, there is nothing to discuss.
The stylistic choice to romanticize space as the new nature is a further experiment in manipulation, that of the film-maker over the viewer. Check out the music. It's a symphony about the beauty of earthly nature. I know he has succeeded because the film feels even more important than what I can explain.
I'll leave all talk about the technical aspects of this movie to other reviewers. Typically if one is discussing this primarily in that context, he/she is missing the point completely. But even the most clueless has been controlled to feel that this film is profound. And that's profound.
Everyone should see this. Multiple times.