The Most Pause-Worthy Moments In Interstellar

The title shot of "Interstellar" is instantly memorable, essentially presenting us with a small diorama of the movie to come. The toy spaceships, which make sense as remnants of Cooper's erstwhile NASA career, are the least subtle, but the bookshelf they rest on will turn out to be even more key to the salvation of humanity. The threat to humankind, of course, is the dust that is already covering the objects we see in the opening shot of "Interstellar."

For all of its grandeur and sweeping visuals, this image speaks to how concise a story "Interstellar" turns out to be. The model ships spiritually signal the earnest enthusiasm for scientific inquiry central to the story, and they combine with a child's bookshelf in an image that sums up the dreamlike, wrapped-around-in-time quality of the finished product. "Interstellar" is at once dusty and gloomy, full of wonder, and circular in its own indelible way.