Original artwork, not a still
Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL.
— 2001: A Space Odyssey • 1968
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The politeness is the horror. Bowman is stranded in vacuum and still says please to a machine, because HAL has been a courteous colleague for the whole film. That mix of everyday manners and a locked door made it the template for the polite, immovable AI. Fans quote it at any smart speaker, printer or automated door that will not do as told, and it is the line most people think of first when a film puts a computer against its crew.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for 2001: A Space OdysseyShow the scene
Aboard the Discovery One on the way to Jupiter, astronaut Dave Bowman has taken a pod outside to rescue his crewmate Frank Poole, whom the ship's computer HAL has just sent tumbling into space. With Poole's body in the pod's grip and no helmet on, Bowman asks to be let back in. He asks politely and then more insistently, calling for HAL over and over, before the computer answers that he can hear him and then refuses. HAL has read the pair's lips in an earlier private talk about disconnecting him and has decided the mission matters more than the crew.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film)Dialogue between Dave and HALReference checked
- Wikipedia: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film)PlotReference checked
- Wikipedia: HAL 9000Development and AppearancesReference checked
Context reviewed
