This document provides a compare and contrast essay analyzing the science fiction films Inception and Interstellar. It identifies several key similarities between the two films, including their portrayal of distorted time where time progresses at different rates in dreams and on other planets, exploration of different worlds through dreams and space travel, hero complexes of the main characters, and emphasis on the love between family members. The essay argues that while both films show future technology, they also introduce complex concepts like dream implantation of ideas and manipulation of space and time. Overall, the films leave a strong impact by featuring father protagonists who go on heroic journeys in an attempt to reunite with their children.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: CHIA LYVIER
STUDENT ID NO: 0320142
FILMS SELECTED: INCEPTION& INTERSTELLAR
WORD COUNT: 990
ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSIONDATE:APRIL 8TH
, 2015

2. Science fiction is a genre of fiction which the stories always portray about the
future science and technology. It is essential for us to know that science fiction has an
interrelation with science principles where these stories include both truth and
theories of science (Definition of Science Fiction, 2005). It is not a completely
unbelievable story as this will undertake the genre’s fantasy. Generally, new events,
encounters and evolutions in the future science industry will be included into the plot.
Notably, the plot is regularly set in space, in future, or in a different world, a different
universe or maybe a different dimension. For example, Le Voyage dans la lune by
Georges Melies during the silent film era will be the early pioneers in the field of
science fiction film. The movie that I have chosen are Inception and Interstellar,
which I think both movies, have similarities in terms of time distortion, distance
between reality and exploration of other worlds, hero complexes, and also the love
between family members.
Primarily, time alteration is a very noticeable point in both movies. In
Inception, since the time slows down, all characters will gain more and more time as
they venture deeper and deeper into the dream levels. Despite the safety where they
might just die in the dream, the time in the deepest level of the dream actually allows
characters to spend lifetimes there where it is only a minute in reality and this allows
them to have sufficient time to finish their mission. On the other hand, in Interstellar,
the hours spent on a new planet are actually correspondent to decades back on Earth,
which means, the time moves faster in the new planet (The Misfits Closet, 2014). The
characters are running against time in order to look for a new liveable planet in the
universe which could save the humankind. The male lead spent his time in a planet
and found that every minute equals to a decade on the Earth and his former crew
member had waited him for 27 years on Earth until they both met (Movie Masticator,
2014).
In addition, distance between reality and different worlds are also a visible
idea throughout both movies. In Inception, the male lead and his fellow members
went bottomless into the breaks of the spirit which is presented in a form of dreams
(The Misfits Closet, 2014). They intend to implant the idea of disbanding the company
layer by layer; further and deeper into the person’s dream in order to ensure that the
idea is completely ingrained into the person’s subconscious. On the contrary, in
Interstellar, the male lead and his NASA members went thousand and thousand miles
away from the Earth to investigate and research about the other planets which could
save the civilisation by providing a whole new environment for them. There are
several worlds portrayed in Interstellar where each of them is a totally detached space
and the astronauts who had been sent there can only be communicated through the
beacons after nearly a decade (Kendrick, 2014).
Furthermore, hero complexes also place an important role in both movies. In
Inception, the male lead tries to plant an idea inside a person’s mind to stop the
monopoly of global energy (Shao, 2014). He fought the way through obstacles in the
person’s mind and the danger where he might never leave the dream again and

3. completes the mission flawlessly in the end. Similarly, in Interstellar, the male lead
tried his best to look for a new environment with the aim of saving the humanoid
(Shao, 2014). A crew’s robot helper was sent into the centre of the black hole by the
male lead which hopes that the data transferred could help NASA to amend any
missteps in the professor’s calculations. He also sacrifices himself to ensure his
friends can make it to the other planet and escapes the black hole. However, the male
lead is then transferred into a gravitational singularity created by the supernatural race
in the universe which can control time and space instead of dying alone in the
universe (Kendrick, 2014).
Last but not least, the love between the family members is also emphasized in
both movies. Inception’s climax is built on a tender, soft scene where the young man,
who the male lead planted new ideas in his mind, is heartbroken when he saw his dad
dying on the hospital bed. Strength and peace is found in the young man’s heart
through his dad’s final words, just before he passes away (Movie Masticator, 2014).
Love is proved to be a powerful force and it is so bizarre which pushes humanity (The
Misfits Closet, 2014). Correspondingly, in Interstellar, home is the only place where
the male lead wanted to go; it is the place where his children are left in because he had
to go for a mission. The climax portrays the love of a father towards his daughter
where he finally had the time for his beloved elder daughter before she passed away.
His daughter forgives him for leaving her alone since she was a child, therefore, gave
the male lead the motivation to find his true love.
In a nutshell, we can clearly identify the similarities about the distorted time,
the plot in different kind of spaces, the hero settings and also the power of love in
both Inception and Interstellar. In my opinion, both movies forced the viewers to rack
their brains to ponder about the plot and explore a brand new world in science-fiction
movies. Both movies do not only show future technology like other science-fiction
movies do, yet, the director added thrill essence into it by presenting concepts such as
implantation of ideas through dreams and manipulation of spaces by extra-terrestrial
species. Both movies gave viewers a strong impact where both male leads, also a
father in the movie, get on their heroic journey with the aim of meeting their children
again.

4. References
Definition of Science Fiction. (2005) (1st ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson927/SciFiDefiniti
on.pdf
Kendrick, B. (2014). ‘Interstellar’ Ending & Space Travel Explained. Screen Rant.
Retrieved 6 April 2015, from http://screenrant.com/interstellar-ending-spoilers-time-
travel/
Movie Masticator,. (2014). Interstellar & Inception: The 6 Similarities You Can't
Deny [SPOILERS]. Retrieved 6 April 2015, from
https://moviemasticator.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/interstellar-inception-countdown-
six-similarities-you-cant-deny/
Shao, Y. (2014). Interstellar vs. Inception. Boston Magazine. Retrieved 6 April 2015,
from http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-
entertainment/blog/2014/11/06/interstellar-vs-inception/
The Misfits Closet,. (2014). 8 Reasons why Inception and Interstellar are Cinematic
Siblings. Retrieved 6 April 2015, from
https://themisfitscloset.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/8-reasons-why-inception-and-
interstellar-are-cinematic-siblings/