“Very few take true pride in what they do, and most never try. But to never give up hope and to reach for the stars is how real greatness is achieved.”
Since the day this movie released I’ve watched it multiple times and every time I do, It brings out a different meaning and dazzles me. I thought Interstellar will prove its worth through its sci-fi splendor, it did, but It’ll also win you through an emotional story that lies at its very heart. This film is not only about the discoveries, space exploration and mankind salvation, but also about the relationship of father and daughter.
For people like me who have followed Nolan avidly and for those who haven’t, one thing becomes crystal clear that he selects a central idea and tries to revolve his art around that idea. It can be argued that the central idea in Inception was regret and the journey to undo the cause of it. In The Dark Knight Rises, the central idea was hope and then the triumph because of it. Similarly in the The Dark Knight it was guilt and finally in Batman Begins it was fear and the journey to overcome it. If that’s his pattern whats the idea behind Interstellar?
The answer was clearly yet unknowingly stated in this sentence I found at http://www.imdb.com ; “The film begins …by establishing at his own rhythm its ambitions: men overexploited land resources, which is why the only goal they have left is to survive.”
That’s right! The central theme he chose for this mega project of his was SURVIVAL.
Right from the start the narrative talks about it. Be it the reason why the protagonist embarks upon this journey to the reason why NASA took up this mission in the first place or when the antagonist of the movie brought to life by Matt Damon trapped in a different galaxy says “I knew that if I just pressed that button that somebody would come and save me.”, it’s all about surviving.
The Past-Memories-Thoughts have always played a significant role in Nolan movies. Just for a second recall about what The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Batman Begins, Memento and The Prestige had in common. Similarly, granting Interstellar the same privilege Nolan created a “library of memories” in his biggest project till date and it looked surreal, not to forget the 20 or more years worth of video tape sent to him from earth.
- “library of memories”
The most amazing thing about this movie is its pioneering spirit. The Nolan(s) looked at night sky and saw a map of foreign worlds that needed to be visited. And now we have one the greatest movie in the world. Starting from the very first frame and ending with the closing credits, this movie will absorb you completely, forcing stare at the screen during the whole action, because it’s all so exciting and interesting that escape becomes physically impossible.
- “Gargantua” or The Black Hole
The subtext is the very subject of the Dylan Thomas poem that’s repeated throughout the film – a poem that doubled as a letter from the poet to his father, asking him to fight even as he lay on his deathbed.
- Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night”
Everything is in its place: The direction, the musical score (The Hans’s score is marvelous) the storytelling, the acting, the seriousness and grandness of it all, dialogs and sequences are so well placed and paced. The imagination was mind-blowing. The depiction of things, we are yet to accept as possible, is surreal. It all feels very real, like you are right there travelling across the Universe encountering strangest parts of physics.
What is love, exactly? In the midst of a deep-space crisis, the movie riffs on that question with philosophical poetics worth considering.
This montage has infinite wow factor that makes Interstellar nirvana for movie lovers.
YOU ARE PERFECTION, MR NOLAN.
thecinecray 