(My interpretation:) It's supposed to be about Dave transcending humankind to move to the next stage of evolution, and so all the weird stuff that happens is, y

(My interpretation:) It's supposed to be about Dave transcending humankind to move to the next stage of evolution, and so all the weird stuff that happens is, yes, supposed to be confusing and nonsensical, because we can't understand it because we're humans. Just like the first monolith taught the apes how to kill to move further along their evolutionary path, this monolith taught Dave Bowman how to ?!?!? we have no idea because it doesn't make sense to us.