Christopher Nolan's Inception

[-Arya-]

Spoiler

He THOUGHT that he was in someone elses dream...he THOUGHT he was helping to break into someone elses subconscious...but in reality they were working under a structure that Ellen page created and taught to one other team mate (but never Dicaprio) and breaking into his own subconscious, because it's his dream.

Spoiler

Yes, it is his 'dream' but the actual structure of the world was envisioned and made by Eames/Ariadne.

 

[TNC9852002]

WOW.

I've seen Inception 3 times in 2 days.

I luv it!

BTW, there are two moments with Ken Watanabe where I still can't make out what he says:

Spoiler

1. After he says, "I bought the airline.." what does he say after everyone turns and looks at him?
2. After Eames leaves Saito and gives him the grenade to cover the team while he went to plant the charges. I can't make out what he says to Eames.

 

[Avengers-Report]

I have a few questions if someone could answer them.

Spoiler

1. How do you get to limbo? How did Mal and Cobb get to their limbo and get out?
2. In the 4th dream layer, is that limbo? If not, why does it look like Cobb's previous limbo?
3. What world were Sotto and Cobb in at the end of the film?
4. How do you get back to reality from there?

 

[Anita18]

What Nolan did wasn't a smart. A smart twist would've been.....well......smart. The ending we received was no different than Freddy jumping out of the mirror at the end of Nightmare on Elm Street 2010. Its not smart. Its a cheap last minute ploy to generate buzz and create sequel potential.

I don't think it was a twist per say, just a reminded of what some of the themes of the movie are.

I personally believe that

Spoiler

the top falls over at the end, after it cuts to black. But Nolan doesn't show you because he wants to remind you of a major theme - that what you perceive may or may not be "real." It was a huge part of the movie, and he ends it on that note, but nothing more.

What you can also consider regarding the totem is that

Spoiler

if Cobb doesn't see the top fall over or not, can he still use it as a totem? In dreams, it's explained that you create and perceive at the same time. That's why the dreamer in the deeper levels stay behind to deliver kicks.

If Cobb doesn't turn to see the top after he spins it, he obviously isn't perceiving it. So that's why I think the final scene must be real.

But it doesn't really matter either way, as I explain below in another spoiler tag.

Earle,

The actual plot is fairly simple. It gets complex in terms of the structure of the film, it's action sequences, and the layers upon layers it adds to the plot.

But, at the end of the day, the film is a full-on character study of DiCaprio's character. It's 100% about him.

Yes, that's what I thought too. Inception was Cobb's story. Period. It wasn't like TDK where it was Gotham's story. The scope was actually fairly small.

No. I don't think that at all. Some just may not have gotten it, I know some people I took did not. So that is just that.

But there are people such as myself that understood what was going on, but found that there is many more layers to it. It was made to look deeper and see it multiple times.

There are lots of questions about Cobb that may be talked about for a while. But the general idea of the story is somewhat straight forward but there is still lots to take in.

Right. That's the idea I had - I actually didn't have that much trouble comprehending what was going on, but once you think about it, there are a lot of possibilities underneath the surface.

And it's funny because trying to remember what happened in the movie is like trying to remember a dream.

This is a double edged sword for me a lot of the time. Sometimes, I just want a definitive answer.

I don't think it matters either way.

Spoiler

It's like Memento, where you can either believe that Teddy is lying or believe that he is telling the truth. Either way, it serves the story because the story is basically a glimpse into the life of Leonard. Having a definitive answer doesn't help or hinder the story.

Yea. People laughed at that scene lol. But yes that is further evidence that that is how its done.

Yeah that was the scene that got the most laughs. I didn't catch whatever scene that Ariadne was supposed to say that made people laugh.

 

[Bunker]

Yeah that was the scene that got the most laughs. I didn't catch whatever scene that Ariadne was supposed to say that made people laugh.

I think was "Your subconscious is a real charmer!" or something to that effect. I chortled.

 

[batman44]

Saw it and enjoyed it. The end.

I'll probably watch it again with my mum because she now wants to see it.

 

[Anita18]

I think was "Your subconscious is a real charmer!" or something to that effect. I chortled.

Actually JGL's "I see you met Mrs. Cobb" got a lot of laughs as well.

 

[Anita18]

Now that I've read through most of the thread, I can type out what I thought of it.

Like most Nolan movies, it's really hard to gauge on first viewing. I'm going to have to see it again before I give it a proper rating. This is EXACTLY what happened with me on TDK.

It's just that the construction of the films aren't traditional, and you feel like you're being bombarded with plot the entire time. It's hard to get a read on it after only one viewing. But the fact that I wasn't confused after 4 dream levels definitely speaks a lot to the editing.

On a point that I haven't seen here at lot, I really liked the small subplot with Fischer and his father.

Spoiler

It may not be real, but it helped bring some peace nonetheless.

 

[-Arya-]

But the fact that I wasn't confused after 4 dream levels definitely speaks a lot to the editing.

Most definitely. Hilariously, I could follow the events during the film itself but afterwards and even now, I've forgotten how some of them started and ended...

Need to see it again.

 

[Solidus]

Now that I've read through most of the thread, I can type out what I thought of it.

Like most Nolan movies, it's really hard to gauge on first viewing. I'm going to have to see it again before I give it a proper rating. This is EXACTLY what happened with me on TDK.

It's just that the construction of the films aren't traditional, and you feel like you're being bombarded with plot the entire time. It's hard to get a read on it after only one viewing. But the fact that I wasn't confused after 4 dream levels definitely speaks a lot to the editing.

On a point that I haven't seen here at lot, I really liked the small subplot with Fischer and his father.

Spoiler

It may not be real, but it helped bring some peace nonetheless.

That scene with Fischer was good.

And you read through the entire thread? Sorry I repeated myself with some of my theories like 100 times lol. Hopefully you skipped a lot of mine lol.

Truly this is a movie that you should watch multiple times. It seems to be the common thing with most Nolan films. TDK, and The Prestige and Insomnia were the same way for me. Seriously with each viewing my love for this film multiplied.

 

[TNC9852002]

What would you guys use for a totem?

Good question...

 

[Charlie No-One]

Spoiler

I can't decide if I think he was still dreaming or not. I would like it to be real but I can't follow that. Unless I missed something, why did Cobb wash back into limbo at the end? Wasn't he already there? It kind of goes back to that "how did you get here?" thing Cobb explained. You can't explain how he was washing up on limbo again so it has to be a dream. Or it was real. I don't know. I loved it though.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Spoiler

After seeing it again I don't like that the ending was up for interpretation. It feels a little forced, but I can just imagine that the top fell over after the credits.

 

[Heretic]

Okay guys, answer this...

Spoiler

If it is true that there were multiple dreamers, and not just layers of Cillian Murphy's...then why do NONE of them create any random people except Murphy? The dreamer populates the dream...and yet the dreamers opted not to and instead let Cillian populate it with people who want to stop them? Heck, in the snow level, the person getting shot at the most is the guy people claim was having the dream...which is absurd since his creations should have been going after everyone BUT him. Why were his own population/creations trying to kill him the whole time when they should have immediately recognized him as the dreamer and stayed true to their mission of protecting the dream from outsiders, like Murphy...who no one seemed to care about at all...because it was all his dream.

Seriously...I've seen no evidence that shows that there were multiple dreamers. It's all "they knew the layout" which is exactly what any trained person would do if they were in charge of a part of the mission. "Oh, my part is to handle all the hotel stuff...give me all the info I need about the hotel part of Murphy's dream then".

Sorry...I just see so much evidence leading to one dreamer and none leading to multiples aside from people wanting it to be that way.

 

[-Arya-]

Spoiler

I can't decide if I think he was still dreaming or not. I would like it to be real but I can't follow that. Unless I missed something, why did Cobb wash back into limbo at the end? Wasn't he already there? It kind of goes back to that "how did you get here?" thing Cobb explained. You can't explain how he was washing up on limbo again so it has to be a dream. Or it was real. I don't know. I loved it though.

Spoiler

The fourth level was the world that Cobb and Mal created. I don't think it was technically 'limbo'. The last level where he washed up on shore was the actual limbo. I happen to think the ending of the film was real, but that's just my take on it.

 

[batsfan81]

Saw this earlier. Easily one of the best films of any year. Everyone in the cast was great.

 

[Solidus]

Spoiler

After seeing it again I don't like that the ending was up for interpretation. It feels a little forced, but I can just imagine that the top fell over after the credits.

It was not forced, it was carefully chosen. Ambiguous endings I know some don't' like but that's the point, it gives for more discussion and almost can create two movies in one kind of ordeal.

Spoiler

But mainly it is about the entire theme of the movie. What really is reality? What defines it? Do we make our own reality? Does it matter? These kind of endings are not just for the story it self but for the themes. And the themes like this have a very Phillip K. Dick feel to make you uncertain and ask questions to yourself. Not all like it but I love it. But yea if you want to think he's in reality do so. If you don't, don't. Both answers are right, but both are wrong. There truly is no right answer, and that is the beauty of it. With those endings the past 10 pages many theories have come to my head with it. It adds much to the idea of themes and most importantly the inception of Cobb. But yea dude chose how you wanted it to be.

 

[DarKJediKnight]

AMAZING film, but I want to have a clarification on some things:

Spoiler

I've read the article from Cinema Blend,and I have to disagree on one point: The dreams, whatever level it may be, doesn't belong to any of the crew but Fischer Jr.'s. Remember on the second level, when Fischer Jr. told Cobb that he's in a dream? All of the projections looked at them, indicating that the 2nd level dreams still belongs to Fischer Jr.'s.

And on the issue of Limbo, you will go there when you kill yourself in a dream and can't wake up due to heavy sedation, right? So when Dom and Mal kills themselves in the Limbo and woke up in the real world, that means the sedation has already expired, the same with Dom and Saito (this is irregardless of whether Dom and Saito woke up in the real world). My question is this: what if you're still under sedation and kills yourself in the Limbo, where will you go? Will you still die or you won't? Is this explained in the film?

 

[Marx]

I just got back from seeing this. All I have to say is wow.

 

[-Arya-]

Okay guys, answer this...

Spoiler

If it is true that there were multiple dreamers, and not just layers of Cillian Murphy's...then why do NONE of them create any random people except Murphy? The dreamer populates the dream...and yet the dreamers opted not to and instead let Cillian populate it with people who want to stop them? Heck, in the snow level, the person getting shot at the most is the guy people claim was having the dream...which is absurd since his creations should have been going after everyone BUT him. Why were his own population/creations trying to kill him the whole time when they should have immediately recognized him as the dreamer and stayed true to their mission of protecting the dream from outsiders, like Murphy...who no one seemed to care about at all...because it was all his dream.

Seriously...I've seen no evidence that shows that there were multiple dreamers. It's all "they knew the layout" which is exactly what any trained person would do if they were in charge of a part of the mission. "Oh, my part is to handle all the hotel stuff...give me all the info I need about the hotel part of Murphy's dream then".

Sorry...I just see so much evidence leading to one dreamer and none leading to multiples aside from people wanting it to be that way.

I think we are misunderstanding each other on semantics.

Spoiler

The actual "dreams" not including the fourth level are, I think, Fischer's (Cillian Murphy), but the layouts were made by the team and the 'point men' are the ones who are just in charge of the 'kick'. They don't actually control the minions sent after them. Those are part of Fischers unconscious. What the point men do have control over is the layout of the area since they helped to design it.

 

[DarKJediKnight]

AMAZING film, but I want to have a clarification on some things:

Spoiler

I've read the article from Cinema Blend,and I have to disagree on one point: The dreams, whatever level it may be, doesn't belong to any of the crew but Fischer Jr.'s. Remember on the second level, when Fischer Jr. told Cobb that he's in a dream? All of the projections looked at them, indicating that the 2nd level dreams still belongs to Fischer Jr.'s.

And on the issue of Limbo, you will go there when you kill yourself in a dream and can't wake up due to heavy sedation, right? So when Dom and Mal kills themselves in the Limbo and woke up in the real world, that means the sedation has already expired, the same with Dom and Saito (this is irregardless of whether Dom and Saito woke up in the real world). My question is this: what if you're still under sedation and kills yourself in the Limbo, where will you go? Will you still die or you won't? Is this explained in the film?

Uhm, anyone?

 

[Legion]

I've been browsing through the thread and I haven't read anything about

Spoiler

Cobb's Totem. It once belonged to his wife Mal and it is supposed to be unique to each person. You shouldn't even be allowed to touch another person's totem. Doesn't this support an ending where Cobb is in a dream?

 

[Solidus]

Okay guys, answer this...

Spoiler

If it is true that there were multiple dreamers, and not just layers of Cillian Murphy's...then why do NONE of them create any random people except Murphy? The dreamer populates the dream...and yet the dreamers opted not to and instead let Cillian populate it with people who want to stop them? Heck, in the snow level, the person getting shot at the most is the guy people claim was having the dream...which is absurd since his creations should have been going after everyone BUT him. Why were his own population/creations trying to kill him the whole time when they should have immediately recognized him as the dreamer and stayed true to their mission of protecting the dream from outsiders, like Murphy...who no one seemed to care about at all...because it was all his dream.

Seriously...I've seen no evidence that shows that there were multiple dreamers. It's all "they knew the layout" which is exactly what any trained person would do if they were in charge of a part of the mission. "Oh, my part is to handle all the hotel stuff...give me all the info I need about the hotel part of Murphy's dream then".

Sorry...I just see so much evidence leading to one dreamer and none leading to multiples aside from people wanting it to be that way.

. This is not a theory part this is just the rules of the dream world that has been set up.

You are forgetting huge things.

Spoiler

Remember Mr. Charlie? It was a tactic Cobb used on Fischer to have his own subconscious turn against him, it worked. Where he convinces a trained person that he is dreaming and that he is "Fischer" subconscious and convincing him that he is his subconscious not the others. By tricking himself Fischer believes it. That is why later on they are attacking him in the second and third levels.

Now as for you saying why are they not populating? Well there is nothing to say they are not. But none of the others subconscious projections are attacking them because none of them are having extraction or foreign invaders trying to take in. Remember they said they attack when they know that some one is trying to get into or invade another subconscious. So who ever is being marked the subconscious (mainly the raw) goes after those who are not themselves.

Cobb subconscious projections do intervene in the world. Not just Fischer. Remember I said before Mal and the train are Cobb's not Fischer. So Cobb is leaking into it because they are trying inception on him as well.

The subconscious knows when some one is trying to invade, that is what they talked about, so if you are not the target there is no reason you subconscious is worried because the team in in control, they know that they are not being extracted (for the most part) so their subconscious is not after them. Sometimes it can though for weak members of the team. Like Luke Haas character it does seem to go after him.

But that is how the rules work. It says it pretty clearly in the film

 

[Anita18]

That scene with Fischer was good.

And you read through the entire thread? Sorry I repeated myself with some of my theories like 100 times lol. Hopefully you skipped a lot of mine lol.

Truly this is a movie that you should watch multiple times. It seems to be the common thing with most Nolan films. TDK, and The Prestige and Insomnia were the same way for me. Seriously with each viewing my love for this film multiplied.

No, actually like your theory a lot!

Spoiler

Inception within inception is totally thematically relevant, even though I don't think it matters whether we're given any concrete proof of it.

Okay guys, answer this...

Spoiler

If it is true that there were multiple dreamers, and not just layers of Cillian Murphy's...then why do NONE of them create any random people except Murphy? The dreamer populates the dream...and yet the dreamers opted not to and instead let Cillian populate it with people who want to stop them? Heck, in the snow level, the person getting shot at the most is the guy people claim was having the dream...which is absurd since his creations should have been going after everyone BUT him. Why were his own population/creations trying to kill him the whole time when they should have immediately recognized him as the dreamer and stayed true to their mission of protecting the dream from outsiders, like Murphy...who no one seemed to care about at all...because it was all his dream.

Seriously...I've seen no evidence that shows that there were multiple dreamers. It's all "they knew the layout" which is exactly what any trained person would do if they were in charge of a part of the mission. "Oh, my part is to handle all the hotel stuff...give me all the info I need about the hotel part of Murphy's dream then".

Sorry...I just see so much evidence leading to one dreamer and none leading to multiples aside from people wanting it to be that way.

Cobb does.

Spoiler

That's why Mal and the kids keep on showing up. The others have a better handle on their subconscious, but Cobb doesn't.

It's also mentioned in dialogue [blackout]whose dream they're in at each level. Arthur scolds Yusuf for not peeing before the exercise, which is why the rain in LA is Yusuf's dream. [/blackout]

 

[Solidus]

Uhm, anyone?

The first part I explained in full. Yes there are each team members not one person. It makes no sense. Go back a page and read all my posts with Heretic. It is not Fischer's world. It can't be.