Nils

The present (Earth’s dying ecosystem)

• Phenomenon called “Blight” destroys crops and causes dust storms
• Earth becomes uninhabitable in the near futue
• Most people return to basic farming to survive the food shortages
• Children are being encouraged to pursue a farming career
• Secret efforts to find a new planet by NASA

NASA’S Secret Headquarters

• Secret building complex in the desert (partly underground)
• Rocket launching site to explore space is located here
• Attempts to save the human race

The Endurance (Interstellar Ship)

• Large and main spacecraft to explore outer space
• Made out of multiple modules connected by a central hub
• Confined spaces with limited food and water supplies
• Cut off from Earth and loved ones

The potentially habitable planets

Miller’s Planet

• An inhabitable waterworld covered in endless ocean
• Huge waves form regularly
• One hour on Miller’s planet equals seven years on Earth

Crew members exiting the spacecraft to explore Miller’s Planet

Mann’s Planet

• Covered in endless layers of ice and mountains
• So cold that even the clouds a freeze
• Atomosphere consists of ammonia (deadly when breathed in)

A crew member overlooking the icy planet:

Edmund’s Planet

• Barren desert
• Breathable atmosphere

A crew member kneeing in the desertous landscape of Edmund’s Planet:

1. The Crisis on Earth

The story begins on the Earth where a phenomenon known as the Blight is causing an ecological catastrophe. Dust storms are destroying the land, crops are failing, and humanity is in danger of going extinct. The world has refocused its energies on survival, abandoning space exploration and suspending technological advancement. However, NASA is working on an undercover mission to discover a new planet for humanity to live on in order to rescue it.

2. The Mission to Save Humanity

NASA has identified a wormhole close to Saturn that could lead to another galaxy with livable planets. NASA has used this wormhole by sending manned probes to these galaxies to find a new home that could be habitable like Earth. To find out which of the probes have reported suitable worlds, a spacecraft called the Endurance will be sent out.

3. Exploration of the Wormhole

The crew consisting of Cooper, Amelia, Doyle, Romilly and two robots enter a new galaxy after traveling through the wormhole. They begin their mission by visiting planets that have been identified by earlier explorers. Each of the three planets they will be visiting presents its own unique challenges.

Visualization of a wormhole:

4. The first Planet (Miller’s Planet)

Their first destination is Miller’s Planet, a world covered in shallow water. One hour on the Planet is equivalent to seven years on Earth due to the planet’s proximity to a black hole. The crew encounters a catastrophic wave while searching for the remains of an earlier mission, forcing them to escape quickly. Additionally to the massive loss of time, Doyle is swept away by the wave while trying to make it to the spacecraft.

5. Mann’s Planet

Next, the remaining crew travels to Mann’s Planet, an icy mountainous world. Based on the data sent by Dr. Mann, one of the initial explorers, it seems promising. They quickly find out that there is no breathable atmosphere, making the planet uninhabitable. It turns out that the data showing signs of habitability was manipulated by Dr. Mann, desperate to be rescued. This reveal leads to a deadly confrontation for Dr. Mann and Romilly. His actions damage the Endurance, resulting in a loss of time and resources in order to repair the spacecraft.

6. The “Tesseract”

After the events on Mann’s Planet, they discover that they do not have enough fuel to try to discover another habitable world, so they launch a slingshot maneuver around a giant black hole. This maneuver should give them enough boost to reach their destination but does not come without problems. The first problem is that Cooper and their robot “TARS” have to detach from the mothership to allow momentum to take it to its course and reach its destination, stranding them in the center of the black hole. Additionally, time will pass very slowly for them (and very fast for the people on Earth) due to the vicinity of a black hole.

On Earth, Cooper’s daughter, Murphy, discovers that the only way to figure out how to launch humans into space is by solving a complex mathematics and physics equation. The only way to get the data to solve it is from the center of the black hole.

They decide to pull through with the plan and find themselves helplessly falling into the black hole when something unexpected happens. They fall into a “Tesseract”, a structure built by future humans, preventing them from dying.

In the Tesseract, Cooper has the ability to communicate with the past, especially with Murphy by Morse Code, allowing him to provide her with the needed information from the black hole to solve the equation and get humanity into outer space and off the dying planet.

The Tesseract:

7. Humanity’s Future

After being spit out from the black hole, Cooper wakes up on a space station build by humans from Earth. The knowledge gained from the mission allowed humanity to escape Earth and transfer to space stations orbiting Saturn.

Character Relation Map:

Cooper: Brave, Determined, Intelligent (Best Pilot on Earth), Selfless (Accepts life threating mission to save humanity)

Murphy: Emotional, Curious, Intelligent (becomes a scientist), Commited (to solve the equation)

Tom: Loyal (to their familys farm), Hardworking (Maintaining the farm while Cooper is gone), Focused (on his job instead of science)

Romilly: Thoughtful, Patient, Cautious (often makes the others rethink decisions again), Humble (does not seek attention)

Amelia Brand: Intelligent (Skilled Scientist), Passionate, Emotional, Optimistic (assure the others that it will pay out)

Doyle: Professional, Argumentative (often disagress with Cooper), Serious (rarely shows emotions)

The Watch:

The watch Murphy was given by her dad:

• Symoblizes the bond between Cooper and Murphy
• It becomes a tool for their communication (in the Tesseract)
• Reminder for Murphy of her father

The Black Hole (“Gargantua”)

Gargantua:

• Symoblizies the unknown of the universe
• Presents the slim chance of survival of the human race
• Bent time illustrates the limited time there is left
  
  

The title “Interstellar” is fitting for the movie, as the term refers to “traveling among or between stars”, which perfectly summarizes the plot of the movie. The crew travels between planets, which are also visible objects in the sky like a star.

On a metaphoric level, the title can be interpreted as “existing between stars”, which represents the ultimate goal the crew tries to achieve.

Environmental Collapse: 

• The blight:
  The earth is suffering from the “blight”, destroying crops, causing dust storms and making life on Earth impossible in the near future.
  
• Critique:
  It represents the humanity’s neglect of the enviroment and the ignorance for the consequences of climate change.
  

Loss of home

• Need to leave Earth:
  The forced escape from Earth ultimately comes with the loss of home for the entire population. They leave the place, they have the most personal memories from and that shaped their entire life.
• Critique:
  This element wants to convey the message that no matter who you are, when it comes to the effects of climate change, everyone is equally done for.

Loss of Individualism

• Career:
  The goverment urges young adults to pursue a career in farming to help the growing food scarcity. They are actively discouraged of becoming a scientist or astronaut as these field are not needed anymore.
• Critique:
  By preventing individualsm, the world misses out on innovation and potential planet-saving scientists.

Was the movie worth watching?

Yes, Interstellar is absolutely worth watching. The mixture of complex scientific concepts, the emotional plot and the reflection of problems we face on today’s earth makes the movie unforgettable and impactful.

Which aspects are the most interesting?

• The realism of the science
  • Gravity Theory, Newton Laws
• The soundtrack on Miller’s Planet
  • Every tick indicating a day on Earth (every 7 seconds)
• The dystopian future on Earth
  • Environmental collapse

Would I recommend it to others?

I would definitely recommend it to others, because of the combination of science ficiton with reality and emotional plot. It has the possibility to change the audiences perspective of how the topic of climate change is perceived.
The movie is also very entertaining to watch.