Friday, December 20, 2013

In Nolan We Hopefully Trust Again: "Interstellar" Teaser Trailer

It feels like the time when Christopher Nolan was not a source of geek contention is further into the past than it probably is in actuality. Even the months before The Dark Knight Rises were belligerent as geeks engaged in a suddenly more vocal debate between those who deemed the gritty realism of the Dark Knight Trilogy to be either appropriate for the source material or detrimental to the superhero genre. 

Following the divisive response to The Dark Knight Rises, that at the very least was underwhelming compared to the films predecessor, Christopher Nolan became an increasingly contentious figure. Supporting Nolan, even  while admitting any shortcomings, meant one was a delusional and biased fanboy. Conversely, criticizing Nolan was met with vile and even violent reactions. Such was and arguably still is the atmosphere around the internet whenever Nolan's name is brought up.

I do not feel a need to defend or explain myself when it comes to my adoration of Christopher Nolan, but to set the record straight: I absolutely adore The Dark Knight, I love Inception in spite of my criticisms towards the first act of the film, and I find The Dark Knight Rises to be highly entertaining despite unfortunately being Nolan's weakest film. (albeit for reasons no worse than most common blockbusters *goughTheAvengerscough*).

Whatever kind of Nolan fan that makes me, even I was beginning to criticize the filmmaker and found myself yearning for the enthusiasm I once had for him to return. While Man of Steel was a box office success, it was hardly the juggernaut Warner Bros. had been hyping it up to be to say nothing of the mixed-at-best critical reception. Assigning blame between Snyder, Nolan and Goyer for the underwhelming response towards the film seems to remain a unresolved issue among nerds (I personally feel all three individuals were the wrong choice considering the source material). For some time I have been waiting for a new Christopher Nolan film to reinvigorate my support for the director. If the teaser for the 2014 film titled Interstellar is to be believed, I may just get my wish granted.




Tone and atmosphere are the aspects of a trailer I consider to be most important over the actual footage in many cases. For example, most of the imagery in the teaser for the upcoming Godzilla reboot suggests nothing more than yet another CGI and explosion filled action fluff piece. However, the accompanying music creates an unsettling atmosphere that hints at a more complex Godzilla film, which heightens my excitement towards the project.

Presenting archival footage of some of humankind's greatest scientific achievements in the field of space exploration (arguably our greatest accomplishments EVER) alongside the hopeful and inspired words of Matthew McConaughey suggests the film centers around a theme of which I am very fond. While I am among those who recognize that there are issues more pressing than space exploration, I also understand the importance and pure wonder of the program. Truly, where would we be without certain scientific advancements and expeditions? It feels like scientific progress and exploration is taking a backseat to other issues when in fact many of these problems could (some certainly would) be resolved if we continued to push our limits in the field of science. It is astounding how many technological advancements have been made and continue to be important components of our civilization as a direct result of space exploration alone. Then of course there is the benefit of acquiring new knowledge to negate old superstitions.

Considering the rumoured storyline for the film the teaser hints that this will be a strong message the film will convey. This has me excited. I was interested in this film long before Christopher Nolan was attached to direct, back when it was announced simply as a film to be directed by Steven Spielberg which would be based on the theories of physicists Kip Thorn and would involve explorers who travel through wormholes. Now, I am even more excited to see what Nolan will bring to the space setting and concept of wormhole travel considering the excellent story and aesthetic style he offered in films such Inception and Memento. After anticipating this film since it was vaguely announced, I am looking forward to both the project finally coming to fruition and hopefully the renewal of my enthusiasm for Nolan as well. This teaser promises that I will have reason to rejoice. 

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