Christopher Nolan's Inception

[Anita18]

Dreams are fascinating, but I don't think INCEPTION ultimately has much to say about dreams. About psychology, sure. But Nolan's "dreams" aren't much like real dreams. Not in the way that Gilliam, Lynch, or Cocteau could capture.

I'd argue that Nolan's dreams are more about Nolan commenting on cinema than on dreams. I think it's perhaps best to think of the layers as cinema as shared dreams.

I don't know, I think there's a lot to chew on about how dreams feel real while we're in them, and why Nolan chooses to stage his dreams so real. It's using cinema as a dream, yes.

Most of my dreams are pretty real, they're just random. And most of the time I do know I'm dreaming, although I'm not too good at actually controlling my actions in a lucid dream. (I can sorta control where I'm flying in a flying dream though.) It's when I'm in a dream that plays out very real that it gets me the most when I'm awake.

 

[spider-neil]

Ok, i dont know about Inception, but the exposition in the Matrix was pretty awesome. They made it so that you were craving for all this info and then they showed you most of the stuff, the fake world, the training, the real world robots and man-batteries, etc. It was all really cool and never got tiresome imho.

the exposition in the matrix was indeed excellent. I wish the exposition in inception was more visual, there was 'some' visual exposition but a lot of it (too much imho) was verbal.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Yeah, the whole marketing of the film, plus the first half of it had you craving for the exposition. And then BAM Neo fights Morpheus and learns how to bend the laws of physics!

 

[Anita18]

Spoiler

Cobb's own dream world. But since it was beyond level 3, it was Limbo and that's how Cobb finds Saito there.

Actually I thought it was that

Spoiler

Cobb dies in level 1 by drowning in the van, which is how he "stays behind" to get to limbo where Saito was.

 

[raybia]

What can I say about this movie that has not already been said? Loved it, loved it, loved it! I saw it 3 times(first time regular theater, last two times in IMAX) and it got better each time. It went from great to amazing to one of my favorite films of all time.

Entire cast was great and I love how well dressed everyone was. t: And the score by Zimmer, fantastic stuff.

Nolan does it again.

10/10

Like the Matrix, Inception had its own fashion style. One that I think I could get away with, unlike walking about dressed like Neo!

 

[spider-neil]

I don't think Trinity or Morpheus changed much by the end of The Matrix as both believed Neo was the one and Trinity believed she'd fall in love with The One and by the end they both believed they had been proved right.

morpheus, okay no great there but trinity was a hard bad arse who spoke about prophecy but probably didn't believe them at the start of the movie and but the end of the movie she was a believer even in the face of the impossible.

I going to watch the movie again, I was on the AICN talkback and there is a lot of food for thought and the movie obviously has a lot of layers (literally) I don't think I'll change my mind about the characters thought, I wasn't emotionally involved in the action because I didn't care about the characters as none but cobb were fleshed out.

 

[raybia]

Actually I thought it was that

Spoiler

Cobb dies in level 1 by drowning in the van, which is how he "stays behind" to get to limbo where Saito was.

That is what I thought as well

 

[SuperJediHero]

ARGH! Why the HELL do I have to look the damn picture on this page? :|

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

 

[Ziggyman]

Spoiler

Cobb's own dream world. But since it was beyond level 3, it was Limbo and that's how Cobb finds Saito there.

See I think this seems wrong...

Spoiler

Wouldn't it make more sense if the 4th level was Fischer's dream world with Cobb's architecture and sub-con...and since Fischer is just only dying and hasn't yet...the de-fibulator acts as the kick so he and Ariadne leave...Cobb then dies because of Mal's attack...and then he is officially sent off to limbo...that's why he ends up in the water again...

 

[spider-neil]

okay here's a question I feel positive has been asked

Spoiler

if cobbs spinning top can be brought into the dream world, why would it obey the laws of physics?

 

[Hunter Rider]

morpheus, okay no great there but trinity was a hard bad arse who spoke about prophecy but probably didn't believe them at the start of the movie and but the end of the movie she was a believer even in the face of the impossible.

I going to watch the movie again, I was on the AICN talkback and there is a lot of food for thought and the movie obviously has a lot of layers (literally) I don't think I'll change my mind about the characters thought, I wasn't emotionally involved in the action because I didn't care about the characters as none but cobb were fleshed out.

She seemed like a beleiver to me, she was a soldier and followed the train of thought and faith that Morpheus did, the only thing changing for her is she fell in love with Neo and that was how her faith was confirmed b/c the Oracle told her it would happen, it was more a case of her faith being confiremd by the end than her changing or being someone different inside.

I think as long as you care about Cobb's journey and mission you care about the others because all are working for the same goal, plus I think to invest in a character when it comes to action they key is whether you like them or not, are they cool, funny, honourable etc...traits are what invests you in them IMO.

 

[Hunter Rider]

okay here's a question I feel positive has been asked

Spoiler

if cobbs spinning top can be brought into the dream world, why would it obey the laws of physics?

Spoiler

You mean in the scene with Saito at the end? I was thinking because they were in limbo.

 

[DarKJediKnight]

Actually I thought it was that

Spoiler

Cobb dies in level 1 by drowning in the van, which is how he "stays behind" to get to limbo where Saito was.

That's what I thought to. That's why I'm asking

Spoiler

how did they access Limbo (I'm sure it's Limbo because Fischer is in there, and as the film's rules state, once you die in a dream but can't wake up, you'll be stuck in a Limbo) through Cobb's dream (i'm also sure it's Cobb's dream or limbo or whatever, since they don't connect the device to Fischer).

 

[Infinity9999x]

This quote from the end of the


I agree with that 100%

I can see where you're coming from. However, I don't think comparing Inception to The Matrix is the best example if you're trying to say that the Matrix was better at storytelling. The Matrix wasn't bad, but where it fell apart for me was when they basically compromised all their interesting theories on life an existence by turning the last act into a kung fu slug out. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it would have been interesting to see them expand beyond that.

 

[spider-neil]

Spoiler

You mean in the scene with Saito at the end? I was thinking because they were in limbo.

Spoiler

I meant in general. how can it be a test of reality if in the dream world it is a projection?

 

[Heretic]

I can see where you're coming from. However, I don't think comparing Inception to The Matrix is the best example if you're trying to say that the Matrix was better at storytelling. The Matrix wasn't bad, but where it fell apart for me was when they basically compromised all their interesting theories on life an existence by turning the last act into a kung fu slug out. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it would have been interesting to see them expand beyond that.

They did...it's called Reloaded. I wouldn't bother.

 

[DarKJediKnight]

Spoiler

I meant in general. how can it be a test of reality if in the dream world it is a projection?

Spoiler

The top won't stop spinning in a dream. That's why the ending is ambiguous.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Spoiler

I meant in general. how can it be a test of reality if in the dream world it is a projection?

Spoiler

I was thinking that limbo followed real world rules because the people in limbo were there because they thought the dreamworld was real and couldn't escape.

 

[TNC9852002]

ARGH! Why the HELL do I have to look the damn picture on this page? :|

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Those artists of the 18th century were some weird fellas..

 

[Anita18]

morpheus, okay no great there but trinity was a hard bad arse who spoke about prophecy but probably didn't believe them at the start of the movie and but the end of the movie she was a believer even in the face of the impossible.

Trinity always believed in the prophecy. That's why she always knew that Neo was the One, because she was falling in love with him the whole time. There's nothing in the movie that suggests she changed her mind about that.

That's what I thought to. That's why I'm asking

Spoiler

how did they access Limbo (I'm sure it's Limbo because Fischer is in there, and as the film's rules state, once you die in a dream but can't wake up, you'll be stuck in a Limbo) through Cobb's dream (i'm also sure it's Cobb's dream or limbo or whatever, since they don't connect the device to Fischer).

I really have to see the movie again to make sure, but IIRC

Spoiler

Fischer doesn't die immediately. Eames is hooking up the defibrillator and Cobb says it's too late because they don't have enough time to revive him before the kick that's supposed to send them all up. If he were in limbo, then it would already be too late and Eames would not have bothered with the defibrillator.

Ariadne says they do have enough time because she's better at math than everybody. IIRC they only show Ariadne getting hooked up to the machine, but I assumed that Cobb and Fischer got hooked up too.

Again, these are details I'll have to look for the next time I see the film, but that's how I'm explaining it to myself now.

 

[spider-neil]

I can see where you're coming from. However, I don't think comparing Inception to The Matrix is the best example if you're trying to say that the Matrix was better at storytelling. The Matrix wasn't bad, but where it fell apart for me was when they basically compromised all their interesting theories on life an existence by turning the last act into a kung fu slug out. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it would have been interesting to see them expand beyond that.

I though the 'story' of matrix was better than inception but the 'execution' was better in inception, the long and the short of it is I found the characters in matrix more compelling, thus when they were put in danger I was on the edge of my seat because I cared about them but was almost ambivelent about the characters in inception during the action scenes.

I had a similar reaction to 'heat' first rate action but I didn't care about the characters so the action wasn't edge of your seat stuff. this if only my opinion and I realise I'm in a minority and I'm fine with that

 

[TNC9852002]

Spoiler

I was thinking that limbo followed real world rules because the people in limbo were there because they thought the dreamworld was real and couldn't escape.

Spoiler

What do you consider real world rules? It seemed like limbo is a place so deep in subconscious where like they said, they were creating and perceiving at the same time on such a raw and pure level so it probably never occurred to them that anything was unreal or strange.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Spoiler

What do you consider real world rules? It seemed like limbo is a place so deep in subconscious where like they said, they were creating and perceiving at the same time on such a raw and pure level so it probably never occurred to them that anything was unreal or strange.

Spoiler

I meant the physics of the top and things like that would still follow what they had always known them too, otherwise why would Cobb use the spinner with Saito at the end?

 

[spider-neil]

Spoiler

The top won't stop spinning in a dream.

duh! of course, okay I'm being thick

 

[spider-neil]

so why do you think nolan didn't push the 'wacky' nature of dream world more?