Sometimes you see a foreign language commercial that cuts through the communication barrier,and leads you down a completely random path.

Don't even begin to ask how I found this clip. I cannot remember myself know that I have been thinking about Arthur C. Clarke, Stanley Kubrick, A Space Odyssey and the mysterious monoliths of the film.

However, in the truest goals of marketing your product, it can be done without the end viewer even understanding what it is you are saying, but they still get it. Here is an ad for chewing gum of all things, and perhaps the Japanese marketers are suggesting that by chewing this gum you will evolve into a higher intelligence?
Having gone over and over the philosophy of Kubrick's & Clarkes Epic masterpiece "2001 A Space Odyssey" there is a case to be made that sometimes a higher intelligence actually eludes the human race, but more on this later.
For now just enjoy the brilliance of Japanese TV - this in itself is a cultural experience.

Of course we go to great lengths to get the big picture on all of this - as have some others, who have invested quite heavily in understanding the symbolism's of this outstanding piece of cinematic history, 2001 that is, not the ad for Stride chewing gum.

So what is this movie all about? This is a really contentious issue, with many theories out there. Some say it is all about the secret societies of the old world, the story of the Illuminati and the Freemasons, whilst others are saying it is just a good sci-fi.

Regardless of your own theories there is something distinct going on within all of the symbolism used in the movie. It is rife, and something not to be ignored or summarily dismissed. Go on, watch it again in the next couple of weeks after watching some of the following clips!

To get the ball rolling, the fabulous "enlightenment scene" which the Stride Chewing Gum is based on.

The start of this interesting mini documentary has a real neat bit from the actor that played the ape that "discovers" the bone discussing the choices he made in acting out that scene, as well as some excellent interviews from those involved in the making of this classic movie.

This leads into an interesting conversation about the role of the monolith within the central story line - just what does it mean? Is it symbolic or just what it is, an mysterious object? Does it suggest that in fact the evolutionary process was influenced by an external force?

Further investigation, check this out - a complete thesis on the monolith!
This is the 3rd in a series of 3, but the first couple have been updated by this video and can't be embedded.

Here are some great "mainstream" overviews of the thinking behind the philosophy of the movie.

Part 2.

Here is a nice doco on Stanley Kubrick.