Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey takes strong Nietzschean ideology and implicates that in a cinematic way. Nietzsche's influence can be seen from the opening scenes "The Dawn of Man", in which the evolution from ape to man is dramatised in just minutes. The lead ape, Moonwatcher, is seen using animal bones as tools. As the scene progresses Moonwatcher becomes more deliberate in his intentions, eventually reaching the evolutionary stage of Homo Erectus. His "will to power" enables Moonwatcher to evolve to the higher state quicker than the other apes. This comes from the Nietzschean idea that evolution takes place in a single being and will continue to evolve, while the subjugated apes simply stay as apes, and are of a lower evolutionary status.
Another example of ideas that can be related to Nietzsche and the German school of thought in the opening scenes and throughout the film are that perfection only occurs in the human mind. The obelisk that is present at the start of the film is geometrically perfect, so cannot be the work of human and must have come a numinal world. The alignment of the planets also is something that cannot occur in the 'real world'. According to Kant and Nietzsche the location of the planets in space is only relative as space has no centre, therefore the alignment of the planets can only occur in the human mind.
More Nietzschean ideas are present later in the film as it is suggested that humans cannot exist without evolution, as they are relying on technology to provide basic human needs, like breathing, in space. The ships on-board computer "Hal 9000" recognizes this and tries to kill of humans, as with evolution and the emergence of the super human, technology will no longer be required. Hal almost succeeds in achieving the idea of the evolution of artificial intelligence, but fails to kill one of the space crew, Dave Bowman. Dave realises and accepts the idea of the need for evolution, and takes on the role which can be compared to that of Zarathustra in Nietzsche's novel. He realises the need to disable Hal in order to progress to the next stage of human evolution. Dave disables Hal despite the computers reassurances that "everything will be OK".
The final scenes of the film sees Dave take the role of the 'Last Man', eventually dieing in his bed weak and defunct of energy. His death is accompanied by the sight of the recurring obelisk at the end of his bed. Finally the "Star Child", the next stage of evolution, is seen floating next to Earth, completing the evolution from human beings and carrying on the process of evolution and taking the role of Nietzsche's "Superman".
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