10 Not So Obvious Messages With Deeper Meanings In Stanley Kubrick's Films

2. What The HAL?

CLOCKWORK ORANGE PYRAMIDS
Warner Bros.

In Kubrick’s sci-fi epic, 2001 A Space Odyssey, it seems fairly obvious that Kubrick was warning us about the dangers of technology in the destruction of mankind, something a lot more relevant now than when released in 1968.

However, not all viewers may realise the significance of HAL or why the evil computer is named it. In 1961, a computer called the IBM 7094 became the first computer to sing, the song being Daisy Bell. Take each letter in the alphabet back one space and IBM becomes HAL. The scene of HAL singing Daisy in a broken monotone voice as he’s dying, is indicating that humans can prevail against the technology they have created.

Some quotes from HAL that sum up the idea of technology becoming a scary entity out of our grasp are, "This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it" and "I am afraid I can't do that Dave", when asked to open the pod doors. Does this remind you of anyone in your home... Alexa, perhaps?

Contributor

Hi, I'm 27 and a consumer and creator of the arts. I'm predominately a creative writer and have sold around seven hundred copies of my my horror novel 'Phantasmagoria' and short stories. I have a fascination for music, from ABBA to Zeppelin and everything in-between and I'd consider myself a film fanatic and more than casual reader. I love to write songs, play the guitar and eat curries that make a vindaloo taste like an ice cream (slight exaggeration there). I'm inspired by rock, pop, the gothic, strange, beautiful and quirky.