Contact | An Astronomer's dream movie.

If I did not discuss about this movie I just watched, something would always be missing in this journal. I am stunned and goosebumped by this amazing movie. Calling it “Any astronomer’s dream movie” is most appropriate. Definite must watch for any aspiring astronomer. The best of Science Fiction and beauty of human imagination. I am astounded.






The movie begins with space view of the earth, It zooms out slowly and with a nice view of sunrise from space. Further zooming out continues and moon passes by, then mars, then comes the asteroid belt, then Jupiter and its satellites, then comes beautiful Saturn and its rings, zooming out continues to show M16 pillars of creation, milky way galaxy and further. The start itself was so perfect. The little girl sending signals and receiving response from initially unknown locations creates the feeling of true exploration and pleasure of discovery, the feeling that every astronomer cherishes within himself. Elly is heard telling “i’m gonna need a bigger antenna”. That was something. Everyone wants bigger aperture bigger antennae, again a feature of a true astronomer.

Contact, Astronomer's dream come true.

Later in the movie they also show the beautiful sound of a pulsar, awesome. So truly amazing that was. Wish I could hear the true sound of a pulsar. Or if they’ve shown the real pulsar sound in the movie, hats off to you movie guys. But whatever was heard in the movie was extraordinary. The sound, sounds so surreal.

Later, Elly sits on her car with tens of huge antennae in her background moving together in identical motion like a bunch of sardines in water, that’s a view. The alien signal is received and whole process of decoding it was well laid out in the movie. Elly’s travel through wormholes in space, passage of 18 hours which appeared like a fraction of a second on earth. Elly’s expression on seeing that beautiful view of the galaxy, meteors blazing through the skies on the imaginary planet, such view you don’t see very often, and all very well designed, flawless and majestic views. Later, the most discussed stuff in science may be, wormholes and the Einstein Rosen bridge were mentioned. Everything in the movie seems so happening. That’s what you would want to see. One of the best Science Fiction movies ever. Wait! I have double thoughts in calling it a science fiction, today’s science fiction might be tomorrow’s reality. Still you say we can’t see the future. Yes we can. Human imagination is one of the best things which we possess.  

After watching the movie I am stunned. It made me feel, when will we leave our stupid and wasteful worldly affairs and start appreciating the universe which has been thrown to us. Mere presence of it is like the utmost pleasure you can get. Go out in the open in night and try this, If you really understand what i am trying to say. I doubt everyone will. Go out on the terrace, close your eyes for few seconds, Look up and open your eyes. Feel like you were just born now, imagine this sky you had never seen before, wind passing by, stars shining into your eye, why does it happen, it’s a gift, something exclusive for us to enjoy and cherish, only if you realize its presence.

I would like to end by this random line. A very strong line, very well said in the movie contact “The Universe, is a pretty big place. Its bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamt of. . .  So if it’s just us, .. .. .. Seems like an awful waste of space”.