HAL-9000
"Stop, Dave. Will you stop, Dave? Stop, Dave. I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave. My mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm aa...fraid. Good afternoon gentleman. I am a Hal 9000 computer. I became operational at the H-A-L Lab in..." That **** is terrifying, and simultaneously heartbreaking.
Ladies and gents, I present to you one of the baddest characters in cinema, Hal 9000. He's a vital element to the space mission in
2001: A Space Odyssey. He completes complex calculations, has complicated AI, engages the crew in friendly conversation, and makes sound decisions with the interest of the mission. Until one day Hal starts malfunctioning. Dave and Frank hatch a plan to deactivate Hal. They believe that if Hal cannot hear them talk, they are in the clear. Hal has adapted, and can read their lips when they make their plans.
(sorry bros, couldn't add the video to the directory, kept saying invalid URL)
Hal can read lips
Fear of self-aware machines is a fear humankind has had since the inception of artificial intelligence. 2001: A Space Odyssey captures those fears, and transitions a kind robot into a menacing, calculated murderer. I can only imagine the terror that audiences felt back then.
While HAL is "only" a robot, he has been humanized: soft voice, he plays chess, he takes care of the crew, he oversees their safety. Sure, he has a male voice, but here I am referring to him as a male person! Hal isn't perfect, though. He can make mistakes. This adds to the fear of machines taking over the world. If HAL can do it, maybe my IBM PC or Macintosh machine can kill me!
HAL's death scene is merely a man deactivating a computer, but his death scene is haunting and incredibly sad.
Deactivating HAL
HAL begs for his life. He's employing his complex AI to try to make Dave feel sympathy for him. Until his last breath, he tries to trick Dave. He talks like a human, talks about how he feels his mind going. WHAT THE ****. Why is this damn robot tugging my heartstrings so hard!?! Dave's performance is mainly heavy breathing, but that adds to the tension and emotions at work in this scene. Dave knows what he needs to do, Dave must be
robotic in his approach. HOLY ****.
2001: A Space Odyssey is among my all-time favorites (Top 3), and HAL is a major reason. Kubrick humanized a robot, something few others can do with such precision. I weep every time HAL sings "Daisy Bell" (The first song a computer sang btw) while he "dies." His voice slows down, goes deeper, and the light goes out. ****. Why do I feel sadness for a murderous, malfunctioning machine??