#halman? kinda sorta

[stuckasmain]

Revisiting the conversation scene on my last rewatch made me appreciate this scene more for its subtleties.

Initially I saw it as Dave being dismissive and changing the subject. It’s actually a misunderstanding. Hal asks his questions in a more rhetorical manner/asking if Dave felt anything was off/had similar concerns. He’s not outright saying it’s his own worries until the end of the conversation. Thus dave comes to the conclusion that Hal must’ve sensed some doubt and apprehension from him or Frank and was checking in on him. It’s more “oh, you’re working on your crew psychology report” > “give me the report.”

It makes additional sense when you think about the context of emotion. Never certain if Hal has those genuine emotions, it feels like he does but you can’t know. He’s never expressed worry/doubt before… at least that’s what it seems like in the way he discussed it as a question and how “silly” he claims he’s being. Also that Dave doesn’t catch on, it’s understandable because the first thought shouldn’t be the computer developed anxiety.

It’s all a bit sad looking back on it, as it’s a logical misunderstanding to make but if Dave caught on or agreed maybe things would’ve gone better for their little crew. Questionably, as this would’ve eased Hal but not suddenly fixed the mental break.

Side note Hal’s “of course I am🥺” gets me every time. The little guys so nervous and unsure and doesn’t know how to express it.

#2001 a space odyssey #2001 aso #dave bowman #david bowman #hal 9000 #meta #character study #scene study #halman? kinda sorta #Frank Poole #a space odyssey #2001 meta