Does Nolan challenge free will? Random thoughts on Interstellar

Interstellar takes on many heavy concepts and ideas that may appear daunting to most of us. Relativity and space-time continuums are fully understood by only the best of minds, and yet Nolan finds a way to make things clear for us. One thing in Interstellar that he may have implied, intentionally or otherwise, is that free will is non-existent; or maybe I am wrong.

Let’s look back at Interstellar (spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the movie yet). When Cooper first leaves his daughter for NASA and the mission that follows he is already behind the bookshelf screaming ‘STAY’ and saying the same through Morse. In fact, he was there even before, when his 10 year old daughter noticed books and things falling off the shelf without explanation and thought it was a Poltergeist. That is, Cooper was present on both sides of the bookshelf at the same time, or perhaps at all times. Cooper behind the bookshelf is not able to convince the Cooper on the other side to change his mind about the NASA mission. That is, try as he may, the Cooper behind the bookshelf is not able to change the past. Then again, the terms past, present and future make no sense in a space time continuum where any point of time is freely accessible at any given point of time.

So, Cooper behind the shelf is not able to change ‘the past’, and therefore we have to consider that he might also not be able to change the ‘future’ (because they are only different points of time in a continuum that is already laid out). So, what is ‘Cooper behind the shelf’ there to change? Is he there to change anything at all, or is he there because that is what space time has dictated for him? In other words, is he (and by extension of the definition, everything in the universe) a pawn in space time, being and doing only what space time dictates under the presumption that it is ‘free will’?

Let us consider this for example. Cooper arrives behind the bookshelf after being cast through a blackhole. At this point of time he knows that the entire mission was a sham and that the chances of getting humans off the planet are miniscule at best, or even non-existent. Yet, he ends up conveying the coordinates of NASA to Cooper through the grains of sand by means of binary code. Why would he do that when he knows that the operation itself is a sham, unless it is because of the fact that ‘free will’ does not exist? Another point of course is how Cooper behind the shelf knows the coordinates of NASA? Cooper himself arrives at NASA only because Cooper behind the shelf gave him the coordinates, who in turn knows it only because he was Cooper many years back; it is a kind of ‘chicken and egg’ situation. This means that space and time are laid out for infinity and free will does not exist.

Another question that intrigues is whether ‘Cooper behind the shelf’ is always ‘behind the shelf’? As shown in the movie, the space time continuum behind the girl’s bedroom collapses once Cooper behind the shelf has conveyed the equation through Morse. Now, through the movie, we see that time is a dimension that is laid out and that every minute past, present and future, exists at all times. So, when the space time continuum behind the bookshelf is ultimately collapsed, does it mean that ‘Cooper behind the shelf’ has ceased to exist forever? That is, with the continuum not existing, does Cooper ever get to be behind the shelf, and by means of that save the world? One can argue that the continuum has collapsed only after Cooper has done what he had come to do. But, when a continuum is collapsed, doesn’t it mean that all points of time in that continuum have also been wiped out as a result? That is, if a continuum does not exist, how can any point of time in that continuum have actually existed? This means that once the continuum has collapsed, ‘Cooper behind the shelf’ is essentially wiped out, and so are his actions. So, who is the little girl’s ghost? Just random thoughts that occurred after watching Interstellar.

INTERSTELLAR : Nolan masterstroke!

When Christopher Nolan makes a movie, you wait for it with great interest. He has never disappointed, never failed to intrigue and never failed to give you goosebumps with the way he finishes a movie. He is one of the most, if not the best, talented storytellers of our times. And he has invented new levels of complexity in storytelling every time he has made a film. Maybe the Dark Knight trilogy is the only time he really conformed to the accepted norms of making films for wide audiences. But, otherwise, he has always been one to break new ground with the sort of themes that he explores. Interstellar takes his experimental exploits to a whole new level.

In Interstellar  he weaves together concepts and emotions that can never be associated even in the wildest imaginations. He takes astrophysics, quantum mechanics, relativity, space-time distortions, black holes, worm holes, parallel dimensions, continuums, gravity and weaves them all into a deliciously complex narrative, and the thread that holds all these heavy concepts together into one solid story love, the love of a father for his daughter and his will to give her a good life.

We have seen movies about outer space, aliens, planets, apes, asteroids, comets, space expeditions,

satellites, space stations, and most recently space accidents, which Alfonso Cuaron so brilliantly told through Gravity. But, never has the science of outer space been taken so seriously in a movie. We are not talking jet propulsion and mechanics here, but quantum mechanics and relativity; the kind of stuff that Einstein and his peers like to deal with. It would have been a nightmare to conceive a script that has its foundations on these concepts, and yet Christopher Nolan (co written by Jonathan Nolan) manages to get through to audience about what he wants to convey. A brilliantly simple explanation about what a worm hole is all about is one such instant (now we all know what the worm hole from The Avengers might have been).

The premise is pretty straight and simple. Earth is no longer getting better for humans to live. The blight wants to take over the earth and so if man wants to survive he better look for other places. NASA, long shut down, or so the world thought, had detected an anomaly in space time a long time ago and believed that answers for a new home lay on the other side of the hole. Now, they have the clues that came from probes that they sent long ago, and they need a team to go in and make sure.

It is difficult to sum up what Interstellar is all about because it encompasses so much. Be it the relativity on the planet that takes 7 earth years for every hour, be it the sheer desperation of a scientist to live that made him let down his entire team, maybe entire humanity itself, the sacrifice of a robot and an astronaut to get to the heart of a black hole so that they can find the answers necessary to save humanity. And most importantly, how ever second in a girl’s room is captured and laid out as a huge array to space time so that she can one day learn the answers that will save humanity. It is, above all, how a father’s love makes him find a way back to his daughter, and how she finds a way out for humanity.

Interstellar is outlandishly imaginative, some times even difficult to believe, but Nolan does not leave anything unexplained (except who‘THEY’ are?) The foundations of his story and screenplay are laid

on the complex theories of physics that we have heard about but never really understood. Some of it might appear plain impossible (like how a man can survive a fall through a black hole), but most of it is possible, even though not probable. And, it is brilliantly visualized showing the stoic beauty of space and alien landscapes of planets that might be our homes in centuries to come. Even though it is touted as a space adventure, the pace and turning points of the script are never forced. In fact, Nolan spends almost the entire first hour setting up the premise, using nothing but drama and the father-daughter relation, before starting out on the interstellar adventure. That restraint shown in writing and making is the hallmark of a great film maker. That is not to say that Interstellar does not have its share of pop corn moments or melodrama; like the mobile docking of the ship to the station and the final meeting of father and daughter, but they are acceptable in an extremely well written piece that spans nearly 3 hours.

Interstellar is not one for passive viewing. It was written with much thought and it demands a similar effort from you while watching it. Looking at it as just another visual space adventure is a waste of time, as it gives you much to think about too, like how a scientist’s conscience might work in different situations, how time might just be another dimension in our universe which is there but cannot be seen, and about how love can sometimes be a compass that can guide us when all else seems lost. Interstellar demands you to travel with it, not be a mere spectator. And be sure, it is a journey worth taking. Its brilliantly complex writing and film making, which beautifully simplifies what many great scientists have meant over the decades.

And, yes Mathew Mc Conaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain are the lead cast, but the script overpowers their presence, and Matt Damon and Michael Caine turn out quite uncharacteristic to what they have done till now.

Interstellar: Don’t just watch – experience it

4/5