Looking Toward the Stars

When examining the lives of the ape tribe at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick attempts to convey to his audience that it is "men of vision" who will lead and motivate mankind. Just as Moonwatcher led his tribe to the encounter with the monolith and then guides them toward the technological advancement of using weapons as an equalizer for their lack of strength. It has always been the men who "look toward the stars" that lead the way to touching them. Kubrick and Clarke emphasize to the viewer that those individuals who are only concerned with the present will stay in the present. If mankind is going to advance then they must lift up their eyes from the ground to the horizon, and then have the courage to lift them from the horizon to the stars.

Kubrick and Clarke use this theme to...