Overview
Interstellar is an epic science fiction movie released in 2014 and is directed by Christopher Nolan who, along with his brother Jonathan Nolan, is credited for the screenplay. It features Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine. Human emotion and deep theoretical physics are intertwined in the film, alongside stunning visuals. It also captures a father and daughter’s relationship while tackling themes such as the enigma of black holes and the existence of humankind.
Unlike most science fiction films during the time, Interstellar had a very creative and unique approach to the way in which it illustrated and dealt with science fiction themes. While other films focused on more down-to-earth subjects, Interstellar dared to delve deep into theoretical and scientific ideas, providing the audience a more intimate and emotional experience, rather than alienating individuals through abstract concepts.
Plot Summary
The film starts off with dust storms which are a result of the environment collapsing. Cooper, the main character of the film, lives with his father in law, teenage son Tom and daughter Murphy. They belong to a world which is on the verge of extinction and also features a staggering amount of food shortage. Cooper, who is a former NASA pilot, is now a farmer and lives in the world of his dreams, although his life is far from being ideal. Along with his family, he is highly frustrated with the current state of science and is hoping to escape and explore the world with his family in the future.
In Cooper’s world, his child Murphy seems to hear the voice of a long-lost ghost in her room. This ghost, in her young mind, communicates in different gravitational ways – moving books and knocking dust in Morse code. While trying to theorize the logic behind Murphy’s ghost, Cooper and Murphy work together to decode coordinates that link to a hidden NASA facility led by Professor Brand. NASA has, in fact, been working in secret on trying to relocate humanity due to a wormhole that has appeared close to Saturn, which has the potential of transporting humanity to a different part of the universe that contains new galaxies with habitable planets. This was previously explored by astronauts in the so-called “Lazarus missions”.
As Cooper geared up to hear the outcomes of Professor Brand’s work, he was shocked to hear that the professor had two plans on how to relocate humanity. Both of the plans had their unique perks, however, it did not change the fact that both of them had immense cons as well.
- Plan A: This plan revolves around a very complicated equation to solve that revolves around the gravitational pull of Earth. The goal is to transport the population of earth off the planet successfully.
- Plan B: The second plan revolves around humanity but on a new scale. This plan is to freeze embryos and send them to another world in order to repopulate and begin the cycle of humanity all over again.
Plan A was so off-the-wall and fantastical to Cooper that he absolutely had to try it. Cooper, for the sake of science, decided to embark on a journey to the three planets named Miller, Edmunds, and Mann. On his journey, he is joined by instructor Brand’s daughter Amelia, as well as scientists Romilly and Doyle on the spacecraft Endurance. Before leaving, Cooper promises Murphy that he is sure to return.
Time dilation affects Miller’s Planet, a world located next to a black hole, in such a way that every hour there is equal to seven years on Earth. Due to a delay, decades pass on Earth while only a few hours pass for the crew. By the time they return to the ship, Romilly has experienced a staggering 23 years of aging.
While traveling to Mann’s Planet, the crew is shocked to learn that Dr. Mann is alive. In a shocking twist, he tries to escape, failing in a damaging attempt to dock the ship while the crew tries to rescue him, thus earning him a one-way ticket to death.
Losing both time and fuel, Brand and Cooper head to the black hole Gargantua. In a final attempt to help, Cooper sacrifices himself. Ditching the ship and diving into the black hole enables Brand to head to the habitable planet, Edmunds.
Cooper isn’t free from the black hole just yet. He gets placed in a tesseract, a five-dimensional area formed by humans that allows him to access different points in time. In the tesseract, Cooper communicates with Murphy and sends her the answer to Brand’s equation by relaying the information through her watch. This allows her to implement Plan A and save the rest of humanity.
Cooper gets rescued somewhere close to saturn and awakens on a space station, now called cooper station in honor of murphy. During the brief reunion with his daughter, he tells her to look for amelia, who is on edmunds’ planet awaiting for the humanity’s new home.
Cast and Performace
McConaughey’s portrayal of cooper is a deeply felt and impactful performance. His metamorphosis from a hesitant figure to a space voyager is a pillar of the film’s humanity and passion.
Interstellar’s amelia brand is played by anne hathaway. She is calm and measured in her scientific approach but emotionally flexible and fragile as well. Hathaway offered a fascinating take on a woman who deeply appreciates figures yet simultaneously, the love the universe beholds.
Jessica chastain as murphy brings enormous poise, intellect, and nuance to the part, showing us the evolution of a deeply wounded girl into the world’s heaviest lifter.
Professor brand is portrayed by michael caine, who serves as one of the film’s beleaguered figureheads, giving brand’s withheld answers a sense of moral and philosophical weight.
Mackenzie foy, casey affleck and matt damon complete the ensemble giving interstellar its intergenerational and emotional depth.
Scientific Themes
To ensure accuracy in the portrayal of black holes, time dilation, and wormholes, Nolan collaborated with the physicist Kip Thorne, and while some artistic exaggeration is made, the principles used in the film are real.
- Time Dilation
Time dilation is the difference in the passage of time experienced due to the force of gravity, and in the film, Miller’s planet exhibits this with intense gravity situated close to the black hole Gargantua. For those on Miller’s planet, hours could mean years for those further away.
- Wormholes
As in interstellar , the film treats wormholes as real parts of the universe and not simple conventions of sci-fi books. Wormholes enable a person to travel to another galaxy, making interstellar travel, that could take millions of years, possible.
- Black Holes And Singularity
The portrayal of the massive black hole of the story, Gargantua, is unmatched in its realism. Its rendering was so accurate, it helped advance real scientific research.
Emotional and Philosophical Themes
Interstellar is about the emotional and philosophical realities of existing in-space while a person is physically grounded on Earth, and how it’s all about humanity.
- Love as a Dimension
The film allows us to sympathize with Amelia Brand’s belief that love is something that can go beyond the limits of time and space. This love that spans time and space is considered to be a possible force that exists beyond the scope of human understanding. This film suggests that love or something very much akin to it is as important to the universe as gravity is. - Sacrifice and Hope
Cooper’s decision to leave to a certain extent mirrors the love and hope of a parent. Allowing the daughter to plunge into a black hole is a powerful self-willed decision that one is making for the self of the world. On the other side of the spectrum, the refusal to let go of the hope of a future with a great possibility equations thereby acts as a self-willed ipermanifested hope. - Legacy and Redemption
The film’s portrayal of a person’s legacy examines the impact that people leave behind and to what extent do the people that they influence carry forward the actions and behaviors taken by motivated forward their legacy. The actions of the Brand and Murphy and her genius that allows to save the population is something that clearly is an action of a person’s legacy. The film demonstrates that sometimes, telling a lie for a good cause can be a very bad in an excerpt of society—for example, the plan A lie and the motives of the professor.
Zimmer’s score is imperative as it uses heavy organs to invoke emotions from awe to dread. The score serves to highlight and amplify the film’s themes of memory, time, and wonder as it sometimes plays the role of a character itself.
Reception and Legacy
With a gross earning of over $700 million worldwide, Interstellar was both a commercial and critical success. Winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the film was also nominated for 5. Over time, it’s regarded as one of Nolan’s most ambitious and emotionally affecting films.
It is also a favorite amongst the science community as it is praised for presenting intricate and complicated topics to the general public while maintaining a deep emotional connection.
Conclusion
Considered a science fiction film, Interstellar is a deep meditation on love, sacrifice, the passage of time, and the unyielding strength of the human spirit. The film uses stunning visuals, heartbreaking performances, and an intricate plot to encourage audiences to reflect beyond the immediate concerns of their life.
Interstellar seamlessly illustrates that the most memorable journeys we take are through the connections we make with one another, not just through galaxies. The profound link between space travel and family affection is bound to stay with us far beyond the credits.
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