Kubrick Cut By Cut: ASO001 to ASO120 <br/>– 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY <br/>– 1. Act: THE DAWN OF MAN

Warning: Spoilers ahead! This post contains furthermore copyrighted material for the purpose of research, commentary and eduction as per fair use provisions.

This is first instalment of my "Kubrick Cut By Cut" series for Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In this post I will cover the first act with its twenty minutes – the "prehistoric" scenes – plus the short one minute Entr'acte that serves as a bridge to the second act.

Going cut by cut (and making notes as to the time of the cut) allowed me to discover some important hints which helped me to better understand the film, and Kubrick's mode of work.

The first thing I want to highlight is how methodical Kubrick is: A casual viewing of the first act might give the impression that we are simply seeing one long unstructured narrative being played out on the screen. However, after the notes I took so far, I can say that Kubrick has clearly structured the first act:

1. Act: THE DAWN OF MAN (Twenty minutes in four settings)

1. Setting: The Formation of the Solar System (Five minutes)
2. Setting: Huminids: Animals among Animals (Five minutes)
3. Setting: The first Monolith (Five minutes)
4. Setting: Tools and the first Murder (Five minutes)

Entr'acte: (SPACE) BOMBS (One Minute)

Furthermore I suspect that the settings are further structured by the cuts, e.g. that the 1. setting is divided into the time pre Solar System – aka Formation of the Universe – and the actual Formation of the Solar System. For a lack of time I have not investigated this any further, but I may revisit that question once I have noted all cuts in the film.

The second thing I want to highlight is that Kubrick does place his cuts with care. Four individual cuts stand out in the first act, which each cut marking the end of a setting, and the beginning of the next setting or the entra'acte – I will refer to these cuts as "delimiters":

1. Delimiter: 0:05:02 (cut ASO009)
2. Delimiter: 0:10:00 ("audio-cut" ASO049)
3. Delimiter: 0:15:01 (cut ASO073)
4. Delimiter: 0:19:53 (cut ASO117)

What immediately stands out: While the ten minute delimiter (an "audio-cut") is "on the mark", the other three delimiters are not. One is 2 seconds "late", the other 1 second late, and the last is 7 seconds "early" (but the cuts are "precise" in so far as they seem to fall exactly on their respective second, as far as I can tell).

What is the meaning of the cut-times? With regards to the last cut-time (ASO117), I have good reason to believe that Kubrick is making a reference to the year 1953.

With regard to the first delimiter and the third, I think Kubrick is highlighting the number "2" and the number "1", which together make the number "3". Later on in the film we will see other examples were Kubrick shows a set of 3, made up of 2 similar and 1 slightly different element – e.g. 3 buttons on a pen, 2 of which are white, and 1 is red (ASO125-01). By the way, this ties in nicely to the title of the film.

The time of other cuts so far may be important as well, however I again lack time to do this now, and would rather first transcribe all cuts in the film.

And the last thing I want to highlight for now is that there is a scene 114 in this film – ASO114 here – which holds special, pivotal meaning, and quite likely that there is a scene 114 in other films by Kubrick as well.

Some notes: I make mistakes – maybe even here. With regards to the number of cuts in this sequence, I found two mistakes before publishing – there may be still mistakes lurking here.

So, let the games begin. (And in my next life I'll rather choose to do Hitchcock's Rope…)

1. Act: THE DAWN OF MAN (Twenty minutes)

1. Setting: The Beginning of the Solar System (Five minutes)

ASO001 (0:00:00) Black screen, music

Extraordinary:

ASO001-01:

And in the beginning there was darkness – we are witnessing the formation of the Solar System.

ASO001-02

Music begins at 0:00:04 and ends at 0:02:52. (Possibly two more cuts to be counted.)

ASO002 (0:02:58/N) MGM logo

Extraordinary:

ASO002-01

The ignorant Renata Adler asserted quite rightly (in what was possibly her only bright remark on the film): EVEN the M-G-M lion is stylized and abstracted in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey.

As we are witnessing the creation of the Solar System, the MGM logo symbolizes either the Sun, or possibly the disc of the entire Solar System. In the beginning there was darkness, now there is light. The beginning of the film symbolizes literally the beginning of time. Stanley Kubrick is giving us an highly artistic allegory about the beginning of the Universe and of the Solar System, and Renata Adler is shouting from the peanut gallery: "BORING!"

ASO003 (0:03:07/FO/~2sec) Fade back to black

Extraordinary:

ASO003-01

Crossfade starts at 0:03:06. 36, 63?

ASO004 (0:03:15) Thus spoke Zarathustra – Moon, Earth, Sun aligned – Title

Extraordinary:

ASO004-01

Black screen from 0:03:15 to 0:03:17 – Moon fades in at about 0:03:17. (Possibly one more cut to count.)

ASO005 (0:04:28/FO/~2sec) Fade to black

ASO006 (0:04:38) Still black screen, sounds from Africa

ASO007 (0:04:42.5/FI/~1sec) Fade to pre-dawn sky – title card THE DAWN OF MAN

ASO008 (0:04:57)

2. Setting: Huminids: Animals among Animals (Five Minutes)

ASO009 (0:05:02) Sun-rise

Extraordinary:

ASO009-01

The cut at the 5 minute mark is an delimiter between the 1. setting and the 2. setting of the 1. act. We will realize that more clearly at the next delimiter, the 10 minutes cut in ASO049-01, and then at the 15 minutes cut (ASO073-01) and the 20 minutes cut (ASO117-01).

In ASO008 the Sun hasn't risen yet – and there was only the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. After the cut, we see in ASO009 the Sun climb over the horizon and start illuminating the steppe/savannah and with its wildlife including the early (pre-Monolith) huminids.

ASO009-02

However, the 5 minute cut is an full 2 seconds late – we will later see why this is of importance.

ASO010 (0:05:07)

ASO011 (0:05:11)

ASO012 (0:05:18)

ASO013 (0:05:23) Trees, bushes

ASO014 (0:05:29) Savannah, steppe?

ASO015 (0:05:36) Rock bridge

ASO016 (0:05:41) Pan up

ASO017 (0:06:06) Skull

Extraordinary:

ASO017-01:

What are these round things? Fossilized eggs? WTF?

ASO018 (0:06:10) Bones, a hominid skeleton

Extraordinary:

ASO018-01:

Again those round things.

ASO018-02:

That skeleton sure looks like it was placed there.

ASO019 (0:06:18) Hominids eating

ASO020 (0:06:25) Tapirs

ASO021 (0:06:30) Hominids and tapirs together

ASO022 (0:06:40)

ASO023 (0:06:44) Squating

ASO024 (0:06:51)

ASO025 (0:07:01)

ASO026 (0:07:11) Chasing the tapir away

ASO027 (0:07:18)

ASO028 (0:07:25)

ASO029 (0:07:32) Attack of the wild cat

ASO030 (0:07:47.5/FO/~1sec) Fade to black, sounds of wild cat attacking

ASO031 (0:07:52) Still black screen

ASO032 (0:07:54.5/FI~1sec) Pond

ASO033 (0:08:00) Social grooming

ASO034 (0:08:05) Pond scene

ASO035 (0:08:07) Pond scene

ASO036 (0:08:19) Pond scene

ASO037 (0:08:22) Overview pond

ASO038 (0:08:27) The other group

Extraordinary:

ASO038-01:

As if they come from down below, from hell

ASO039 (0:08:37) Alarm

ASO040 (0:08:42)

ASO041 (0:08:54)

ASO042 (0:09:09) Face off

ASO043 (0:09:16) Stomping

ASO044 (0:09:19) Our pond now

ASO045 (0:09:33) The last one retreats

ASO046 (0:09:38) At the pond – "And don't show your sorry ass here again!"

ASO047 (0:09:49) Settling down – "Buggers!"

ASO048 (0:09:55.5/FO/~1sec) Fade to black, sounds of water splashing and sounds of huminids

3. Setting: (Five minutes)

ASO049 (0:10:00) Still black, silence – Sounds of the night

Extraordinary:

ASO049-01

As far as I can tell, this (audio-)cut happens at exactly 10 minutes into the film.

The 10 minute mark is clearly an "delimiter" between settings: Following the ASO049 cut, huminids will interact with the first Monolith. We are now in the 3. setting of the 1. act.

ASO049-02

ASO048 ends with huminid sounds, ASO49 begins with leopard sounds.

ASO050 (0:10:03.5/FI/~1sec) Sunset, sounds of a wild cat

ASO051 (0:10:06)

ASO052 (0:10:12) Wild cat with zebra

ASO053 (0:10:26) Twilight

ASO054 (0:10:35) Hurdled together

Same location as ASO0xx?

ASO055 (0:10:43) Leopard sounds

ASO056 (0:10:55) Moonwatcher?

ASO057 (0:11:00) More wild cat sounds

ASO058 (0:11:06) "Fuck off!" – Infighting – "Be quiet."

ASO059 (0:11:27) A child

ASO060 (0:11:36) Moonwatcher

ASO061 (0:11:40) Moon on a red sky

ASO062 (0:11:43/FO/~0.5sec) Fade to black

Extraordinary:

ASO062-01:

Very fast fadeout.

ASO063 (0:11:48) Still black

ASO064 (0:11:50.5/FI/~1sec) Group, lying together – Monolith-music – awakening

ASO065 (0:12:25) Monolith – group backs away

ASO066 (0:12:41) Getting closer – barely touching it

ASO067 (0:13:23) Skimming it – smelling it

ASO068 (0:14:29) Moon, Sun, Monolith

ASO069 (0:14:35) Long shadows

Extraordinary:

ASO069-01

Monolith-music cuts abruptly as well on cut.

ASO070 (0:14:40) Rocks

Extraordinary:

ASO070-01

Sound of an bird.

ASO071 (0:14:45)

ASO072 (0:14:51) Bones, hominids

Extraordinary:

ASO070-01

Sound of an crow.

4. Setting: (Five minutes)

ASO073 (0:15:01) An idea

Extraordinary:

ASO073-01

The 15 minute mark is again an "delimiter": After that cut, huminids will develop the idea to use tools.

ASO073-02

The cut is 1 second late. We have the 2 (second) from ASO0-02, and now the 1 (second) in ASO073-02 – this mirrors the 2 and the 1 from the title.

ASO074 (0:15:17) Intercut – Moon, Sun, Monolith

ASO075 (0:15:19) "What if?"

ASO076 (0:16:15) Sky, arm, bone

ASO077 (0:16:20) An striking idea

ASO078 (0:16:35) The tapir falls

ASO079 (0:16:36) Triumph

ASO080 (0:16:38) Sky, arm, bone

ASO081 (0:16:40) Skull, meet bone

ASO082 (0:16:42) Sky, arm, bone

ASO083 (0:16:43) Skull, bone, fragments

ASO084 (0:16:45) Fragments

ASO085 (0:16:46) Skull

ASO086 (0:16:46) Fragments, 2 ribs fly in the air

ASO087 (0:16:47) Skull

ASO088 (0:16:48) Ribs

ASO089 (0:16:49) Sand flies in the air

ASO090 (0:16:50) Skull rolling

ASO091 (0:16:51) Tapir falls

ASO092 (0:16:52) Huminid in action – end music

ASO093 (0:16:58) Long shadows – with meat and bone

ASO094 (0:17:28) Group feeding

ASO095 (0:17:33) Group feeding with tapirs in background

ASO096 (0:17:40) The old location

ASO097 (0:17:45) Meat

ASO098 (0:17:50) Meat eating

ASO099 (0:17:53) Child plays with bones

ASO100 (0:18:02) Sunset

ASO101 (0:18:07) Moving in

ASO102 (0:18:29) Defense

ASO103 (0:18:34) Our pond now.

ASO104 (0:18:40) Let's go

ASO105 (0:18:43) Foot in the water

ASO106 (0:18:47) Defense

ASO107 (0:18:53) Fight in the water? – feigned retreat – double tap

ASO108 (0:19:03) The buddy makes the Mozambique Drill

ASO109 (0:19:07) Just making sure

ASO110 (0:19:11) Retreat

ASO111 (0:19:19) "Get the fuck out of here!"

ASO112 (0:19:27) "Fuck you, dipshits!"

ASO113 (0:19:30) The victors

ASO114 (0:19:42/P) Throwing the bone

ASO115 (0:19:46/N?) Bone, sky

ASO116 (0:19:49/P?) Bone, sky

Entr'acte (One Minute)

According to Wikipedia:

Entr'acte … means "between the acts" (German: Zwischenspiel and Zwischenakt, Italian: Intermezzo, Spanish: Intermedio). It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission (this is nowadays the more common meaning in French), but it more often (in English) indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production. In the case of stage musicals, the entr'acte serves as the overture of act 2 (and sometimes acts 3 and 4, as in Carmen). …

Originally entr'actes resulted from stage curtains being closed for set or costume changes: to fill time as not to halt the dramatic action, to make a transition from the mood of one act to the next, or to prevent the public from becoming restless. In front of the closed curtains, the action could be continued during these entr'actes, albeit involving only players with no scenery other than the curtain, and a minimum of props.

Like an interquel, an entr'acte can take the action from one part of a large-scale drama to the next by completing the missing links. …

ASO117 (0:19:53/P) US "Bomb", space – Blue Danube – Earth

Extraordinary:

ASO117-01:

The "Bombs" (as it is referred to commonly by people involved in the movie) – or more precisely the "orbital weapons platforms" as I would call them – are seen. And they are clearly military weapons.

The first one here bears very small – but on close inspection clearly – the insignia of the US Air Force, the so called "roundel". What ever wishes Kubrick voiced after the release of the film to de-emphazise the military nature of this man-made object, in the film it is clearly not civilian (albeit you can miss it, if you don't look very careful). In the 1080p version you can look closely and make sure, in the DVD version it is barely visible, and I guess it would be impossible to ascertain the nature of the roundel on a video version.

ASO117-02:

The 20 minute mark is again an "delimiter": Following the ASO117 cut, modern huminids will interact with TMA-1, the second Monolith.

ASO117-03:

However, unlike ASO049-01 the cut is 7 seconds "early". We previously had a cut at exactly 0:10:00 (in ASO049). There are several possible explanations:

It is irrelevant, an coincidence, as Stanley Kubrick had to trim 7 seconds for unknown reasons (yeah, right).
Kubrick wants to highlight the number 7 (but why only here?)
We can interpret it as the year 1953.

So, what happened in 1953? Several events happened in that year, and here I small selection of the more important ones:

January 7, 1953: President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed the hydrogen bomb.
January 20, 1953: General Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated as 34th President of United States, succeeds Harry S. Truman.
March 5, 1953: Stalin dies, De-Stalinization begins.
March 26, 1953: Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine.
May 11, 1953: An F5 tornado in Waco tornado hits the downtown section and kills 114.
June 2: 1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey.
June 16/17, 1953: Uprising in East Germany, crushed by East German and Soviet military.
June 19, 1953: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed.
June 30, 1953: The first Chevrolet Corvette is built in Flint, Michigan.
July 26, 1953: The Cuban Revolution begins.
July 27, 1953: Korean armistice signed – Korean war formally ends.
August 8, 1953: Soviet prime minister Georgi Malenkov announces that the Soviet Union has the hydrogen bomb.
August 19: The USA and Britian overthrow the government of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran, and helping the Shah to power ("Operation Ajax").
August 20, 1953: Soviet Union announces the explosion of an hydrogen bomb.
September 5, 1953: The United Nations rejects the Soviet Union's suggestion to accept China as a member.
September 7, 1953: Nikita Khrushchev becomes head of the Soviet Central Committee
September 12, 1953: U.S. Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy marries Jacqueline Lee Bouvier at St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island.
October/November 1953: UN Resolutions 100: Israel begins diversion of water from the Jordan River, which leads to tensions with Syria and Jordan (will result in 1967 in the Six-Day-War).
November 9, 1953: Cambodia celebrates independence from France. Laotian civil-war begins ("secret war", cold-war proxy war).
End-phase of French Indochina-war.
December 1953: – The first issue of Playboy magazine is published, featuring a centerfold nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe.
December 8, 1953: Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" address to the United Nations General Assembly.
December 30: The first color TV is sold in the US (using the "NTSC" standard).
Charlie Chaplin goes to Swiss exile, after being persecuted in the USA for being an alleged communist.
End-phase of French Indochina-war.
The semi-autobiographical book Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin is published.
Popular TV shows included: I Love Lucy, and "Kukla, Fran and Ollie".
Popular films included: Peter Pan, The Robe, From Here to Eternity, Shane, How to Marry a Millionaire, The War of The Worlds and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (with Marilyn Monroe).

I think a pattern emerges here: While some important events happened (as in any year), 1953 was clearly the year of:

PRESIDENT MUFFLEY
The Bomb, Dimitri. … The Hydrogen Bomb.

Any civilian use of nuclear energy was an after-thought in 1953, an outpouring from the military – if not a ruse, a deception. (Incidentally, the film Dr. Strangelove was originally scheduled for release in 1963, the tenth birthday of the H-Bomb.)

I read that Kubrick had a (possibly genuine) change of heart about the nature of the depicted satellites after the release of the film, yet the film itself speaks a clear language: These are "Bombs", weapons. However, only at one other point during the film do we see military, and then one could easily miss it: During the speech of Dr. Floyd on the Clavius base, we see two members of the military sitting on the far left-side of the U-shaped conference table (or to the right when seen from the speaker podium).

Other than that, it seems like anything that would be contemporarily associated with military – things like "defence" and "national security" – has been taken over by "civilian" agencies in the world of 2001: A Space Odyssey: Pan Am is transporting personal (like say the good Dr. Heywood R. Floyd), the Hilton Hotels are housing personal (even on a space station) – and the "National Council of Astronautics" (NCA) is the agency coordinating the whole shebang. There is practically no military, because everything is militarised. (And by the way, an General became President in 1953 – and it was this former-General President who on January 17, 1961, warned of an thing he called the "Military–Industrial Complex".)

My interpretation of Kubrick's change of heart is as follows: he regretted the film depicted these bombs as military bombs – had he done the film again, those satellites would have been civilian bombs in my interpretation (Kubrick would have found a way). And if I may speculate further, in such a version re-done by Kubrick those civilian bombs would have been operated by an company such as GE or Westinghouse.

(As a side note: With the possible cut(s) described here, I suspect that the entr'acte "Bomb" sequence – ASO117, ASO118, ASO119 and ASO120 – went originally from 0:20:01 to 0:21:00. I would therefore suspect that Kubrick cut 8 seconds fro the 1. act, in order to move the ASO117 cut to 0:19:53 – but I need to stress once more, that this is pure speculation.)