When once discussing the literally explosive climax to “Jaws,” Steven Spielberg waved away any criticism of the implausibility of the scenario by essentially saying that, by the point the climax arrives, if the audience is turned off by an exploding shark then he never had them anyway and he needn’t worry about it. Your reaction to the divisive “Interstellar” depends entirely on if you find the film’s journey emotionally compelling, as fans of the film do, or if you find it overly sentimental, as its detractors do. It’s easier to roll with the twists and exposition dumps when you’re emotionally invested, and easier to nitpick them to hell when you feel you’re being emotionally manipulated. These differing reactions are what cinema is all about, and there’s no wrong or right way to view a film. Just don’t disabuse someone of their honest reaction to any film, be it another Christopher Nolan big-budget epic, an indie wordless treatise on the dangers of Communism, or “Nail Gun Massacre.” That being said, we’re likely still going to be talking “Interstellar” for a while longer, so let’s take a look at the film’s timeline, which, yes, does contain spoilers.
This writer was quite sure that “Interstellar” was Nolan’s most straightforward non-Batman film, at least in terms of narrative structure and plot linearity, in quite some time. But then Dogan Can Gundogdu’s illustration of the film’s timeline appeared online, via Behance, and now it doesn’t seem so simple. When put on paper, the timeline of “Interstellar” is as bendy and looping as any other Nolan film. The next time you watch the film, make sure you have Gundogdu’s map printed out and see if you can follow along.
Having previously taken a look at the science behind the effects of “Interstellar,” it shouldn’t come as a shock that Wired would be fans of Nolan nor that the tech and science magazine would reach out to the British director to be the guest editor for their December issue. The magazine’s theme will be “Time, Space, and Multiple Dimensions” and is said to have an “innovative structure [that] no magazine has tried before.” Will it too need an illustrated map to navigate?
Meanwhile, one franchise that has played it pretty much straight to consistent success has been the James Bond series, which Nolan has long declared a passion for along with an interest in one day making a 007 picture. It just won’t be right now. "I love James Bond and I’ve talked with the producers over the years, but nothing’s ever worked out. They do a great job —they don’t need me right now, and Sam [Mendes] is an extraordinary talent. I will absolutely be first in line to see the next Bond film as I have been for all of them," he told The Daily Beast.
While you wait for Wired to hit newsstands, keep your eyes glued to the magazine’s website as it kicks off Christopher Nolan week with some cool content from the director. Check out the illustrated timeline of “Interstellar” below.
