Moonwatcher's Memoir: A Diary of 2001: A Space Odyssey

by Dan Richter, Arthur C. Clarke (Foreword)

Dan Richter was a struggling mime artist in 1966 when he received a call summoning him to discuss the incomplete opening sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey, then being shot by Stanley Kubrick in London. Deeply impressed by the young mime, Kubrick promptly hired Richter to choreograph and star in "The Dawn of Man" sequence as Moonwatcher, the man-ape who opens the epic film about the origin and future of humankind. Moonwatcher's Memoir is Richter's day-by-day account of his year-long education in filmmaking under the command of one of cinema's most innovative captains. Filled with illustrations and memorabilia from the making of 2001, this book will fascinate film aficionados, Kubrick devotees, and science fiction fans alike. Set three million years ago, "The Dawn of Man" tells the story of a tribe of our man-ape ancestors, who take the first step on the long road to modern humanity. Determined to make an anthropologically accurate film, Kubrick insisted on much more than the worn convention of men jumping around in "monkey suits." Here are the stories behind 2001's landmark achievements in make-up, costume, choreography, and cutting-edge cinematography that have made this film an enduring achievement. At once the story of Kubrick and his probing vision, the 2001 team and their interactions, and Dan Richter's personal triumph under intense pressure, Moonwatcher's Memoir is an inside look at eighteen unique minutes of film, climaxing in the longest flash forward in cinema's history—three million years, from bone to space station, in a twenty-fourth of a second—as Moonwatcher hurls man's first weapon into the sky and launches the episode into the stratosphere of film's greatest moments. 24 pages of black-and-white photographs complete this rare behind-the-scenes narrative chronicling the filming of Stanley Kubrick's ultimate vision.

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2002

Reviews

[Robert Jenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest and unflinching memoir of a vastly underrated segment of an epic film. While the stargate and HAL may steal the show, the Dawn of Man sequence sets a tone of awe for me that carries through the rest of the film. Much of the verisimilitude of the scene can be credited to the remarkable performances of the "man apes" and their tribal leader as played by the author, Daniel Richter. Richter was responsible for the choreography of the other performers and it is fascinating and gratifying to read about how much research the actor/mime put into bringing his little band of man apes to life. As incredible as the suits and make up are in the film, it would have come to naught if the performances weren't there. Arthur C. Clarke openly wondered why the film didn't get an Oscar for make up, and thought perhaps people thought real apes were used in filming. I can't help but think he was right.
The book is a quick read, perhaps too quick. It seems a curious blend of a diary at the time and a memoir. Still, it gives us a wonderful peek into the filming of THE science fiction film of science fiction films. If you love "2001" like I do, by all means pick it up.

[Filippo Ulivieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il libro che racconta l'esperienza di Daniel Richter, mimo che ha impersonato la scimmia Moonwatcher nel prologo di 2001: Odissea nello Spazio. Un diario che segue giorno per giorno la creazione della sequenza dell'alba dell'uomo, per un intero anno speso ad osservare i primati allo zoo e a riprodurne i movimenti sotto le indicazioni di Kubrick. Completa il volume un'introduzione scritta da A. C. Clarke. Presenti anche 60 illustrazioni, fotografie e reperti inediti dalla lavorazione del film.

[Rob Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book written by one of the founders of Entertainment Partners, Dan Richter, detailing how he met Stanley Kubrick and developed the opening sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey