2001 and Counting

Book excerpt: In this pamphlet, the renowned anthropologist Bruce Kapferer revists Stanley Kubrick s classic film, "2001: A Space Odyssey," making the case for the continued relevance of its mythic force. Hailed in its time as a critical examination of European and American realities at the peak of the Cold War, in the late 1960 s, Kubrick s work is, as Kapferer shows, just as significant for the contemporary worldafter Iraq War, aftedr the crash, and in light of the many and various other effects of neo-liberalism. Kapferer tackles Kubrick s central theme: the changing relation of humanity to technology, as seen through the lens of Nietzsche s "Zarathustra" and the overarching concept of the Eternal Return. This tour de force by one of anthropology s most insightful and imaginative thinkers testifies to the mythic power of Kubrick s film, and its refusal to go away."