How do epic movies like Close Encounters, 2001 Space Odyssey, Arrival, Contact and others capture our imagination?
When I studied the screenplay for 2001, I perceive a pattern. The progression and the emotional response don't fit themes I see in Star Wars, Strain, or even Avatar.
In Sci-Fi, sometimes there's an emotional arc of horror:
Curiosity → Fear → Dread
Or there's the conventional hero's journey:
Reluctance → Struggle → Mastery
But this is something different. The pattern builds progressively, recursively.
Progressive Epic
Encounter → Transformation → New World
Then there's a reaction: Fear → Curiosity → Awe. That's the emotional arc of the protagonist.
That's also what happens when you break out of your comfort zone!
4 Elements of a Progressive Epic
- Summons – Irreversible experience rewires the protagonist
- Sacrifice – The call to transformation comes at great cost
- Recursion – The encounter-transformation repeats with higher stakes
- Ascent – The final cycle resolves through transcendence instead of closure
Transcendence IS the resolution.
Let's start with 2001 Space Odyssey. But keep in mind no formula works from the start: you don't start with a formula, you just see a pattern after the fact.
Who is the Protagonist?
Why is Space Odyssey so epic and strange? The protagonist seems to change. How many times? Thrice. That's right—the Moonwatcher is the first. Floyd is the second, then it's Bowman, who transforms into Star Child.
How can that be? In this film, it seems that the protagonist is humanity. Even so, I'll refer to the protagonists as such.
What else doesn't fit the pattern? Three Acts in the screenplay, but the movie there's a fourth one.
I'll minimize my commentary on the first act (I don't like it at all) to maintain composure and objectivity (enter Mystery Science Theater 2000). The cinematography is excellent, but this one movie brought science fiction from the B-Movie rubber monster costumes to the well-researched sci-fi we have today. It redefined the entire genre. Yup, it was epic!
Screenplay
You can find the 65-Page Screenplay on the DailyScript or download it from ScriptSlug. Biggest surprise? It doesn't include anything about StarChild. That was added. Also, what wasn't the monolith. If you want to review it, I've marked Parts 1-3 in the outline.
What Monolith?
The monolith is referred to as a completely transparent cube (although the monolith is a cuboid with 1:4:3 ratio). This crystalline device is 15 feet on a side. It sends them a frequency. Then projects a vision (a lesson).
Another point: the monolith is the ubiquitous technology of an extraterrestrial species, likely Type 3 on the Kardashev Scale. Humans are 0.7 on that scale. Yesterday we had the smartphone; today we have AI. Will we defeat it like Bowman defeated HAL?
Recursive Encounter Structure
| Encounter | Transformation | New World |
|---|---|---|
| Apes meet the Earth Monolith | Moonwatcher discovers tools/weapons | Human civilization |
| Floyd meets the Lunar Monolith | Signal sent to Jupiter | The Jupiter mission |
| Bowman meets Jovian monolith | Star Gate / death / rebirth | The Star Child |
2001 Space Odyssey Recursive Structure
Act I: Apes and Earth Monolith
Protagonist: Moonwatcher (Part 1)
- Moonwatcher's tribe struggles with drought, apes, predators.
- First Encounter: the Monolith appears (not crystal). Responded with fear, curiosity, awe
- First Transformation: Moonwatcher uses bone weapon, reclaims water hole
Act II: Floyd and Lunar Monolith
Protagonist: Dr. Heywood Floyd (Part II)
- Floyd en route to Space Station 5, Clavius Base, Tycho Crater
- Second Encounter: Floyd descends into pit, Monolith sends signal to Jupiter
- This changes the mission for Act III, but this isn't clear until the climax of Act III
Act III: Bowman and Jovian Monolith
Protagonist: Bowman. Antagonist: HAL (Part III)
- En route to Jupiter, Poole asks about Missions purpose, HAL deflects
- HAL reports defective AO-Units but they work (except for one)
- Mission Control "diagnoses" HAL as neurotic
- HAL kills crew. Bowman disconnects HAL; world changes. Not because of the Monolith, just has to pull the plug.
- Bowman gets Floyd's message: investigate Jovian Monolith.
Act IV (whoops, broke da rules!)
- Bowman investigates Jovian Monolith
- He enters the Star Gate, weird tunnel of light
- Then enters the neoclassical hotel room (alien zoo for humans)
- Watches himself age rapidly, transcends into StarChild, returns to Earth Orbit
Principle of "Rule Breaking"
There's only Beginning, Middle, and End. Unless you add something.
What I like about the movie is the progressive transformation. Humanity changes after their encounter with the monolith. Which makes sense, as otherwise the protagonist seems to change three times. Which doesn't make sense because apes are not humans nor are they our predecessors. But in the story, the transformation requires sacrifice and is first approached with fear, then curiosity, then awe.
