Inception - SPOILERS

Strong Bad

If ya haven't seen the movie yet and don't want it to be spoiled...turn around and leave!


For those of us that have seen it, let's discuss. I just watched it today on Blu Ray (and saw it in the theater). I think I have it figured out and want to see what others think about it.

First off, very cool smart movie! I love it!

Now, I think the whole movie from start to finish was in the dream world. Leonardo DiCaprio, aka Cobb, has been trapped in a deep layer dream and can't get past the death of his wife. Everything about the movie is an elaborate setup to plant an idea in HIS mind (Inception) to get him out of the deeper level dreams and to help him get over his wife. When he completes the "mission" of planting the idea in the other guys mind, then Sato honors his agreement and allows Cobb to "return home" through customs. He is also helped to get past his wife's death and to return to the higher level dream world.

The end, I think he's still in the dream world, but is one level away from waking to the real world. Thats kinda my take on it.

What is everyone elses take on it?

VR3

At the end of the credits you hear the spinny thing drop - which kind of hints at it being in the real world. Thats my own take on it - but every theory is correct as I can see that being the case too.

treitz3

Time to back out of this thread quickly! I have the BR, just haven't had time to watch it....I'll join in the discussion later, folks.

Ricardo

I am pretty sure I watched this movie, but sometimes I think it was just a dream.

Tony M

It dropped, therefore, here and now.

I agree he is still haunted by memories but maybe another watch is in order.

VR3

If you note throughout the movie he uses his spinny thing to see if he is dreaming or not -- therefore I dont think the entire thing is a dream, just saying...

bobman1235

Didn't Nolan say he purposefully left it up to interpretation whether or not the "top level" in the movie was a dream or not?

kuntasensei

It's also hard to rely on the spinning top as an indicator of reality, because everyone is supposed to have their own individual totem... and the top was Mal's, not Cobb's, so its behavior in the dream could be based on how he believes it should behave (whereas only Mal knew its real physical properties).

A friend told me that Cobb only has his wedding ring on in the dream world. I need to go back and see if that's true or not. Gives me an excuse to re-watch the movie with a little more volume behind it. :biggrin:

nguyendot

I doubt he's only one layer away. Remember the deeper you go the longer it lasts. If he's only one layer away then he'd still have to get up and pee, and #2, and it would be much easier to wake up wherever he's at.

danz1906

Great Movie, Im not sure if he Dreaming or not.

F1nut

The entire movie is an effing nightmare.

specd_out

kuntasensei wrote: »

It's also hard to rely on the spinning top as an indicator of reality, because everyone is supposed to have their own individual totem... and the top was Mal's, not Cobb's, so its behavior in the dream could be based on how he believes it should behave (whereas only Mal knew its real physical properties).

A friend told me that Cobb only has his wedding ring on in the dream world. I need to go back and see if that's true or not. Gives me an excuse to re-watch the movie with a little more volume behind it. :biggrin:

That makes sense.

I checked when i watched it again, your friend is correct he only wears the ring in the dreams.

This something I thought was kinda cool about how zimmer tied two musical pieces together along with the story line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkQ0C4qDvM&feature=player_embedded

Face

tommyboy

bobman1235 wrote: »

Didn't Nolan say he purposefully left it up to interpretation whether or not the "top level" in the movie was a dream or not?

I really hope this isn't true. Then that means the whole story you were following meant nothing. For a story to work, you need some sort of reference point or backstory. If thats not there, everything falls apart IMO.

The ending completely lost me. I don't mean the end end with the spinning top (well ok that too) but before that dicaprio and katsimoto (the last samurai). Earlier on they were making a big deal about them being in pretty much in a coma if they are killed but then at the end they start killing themselves off to get to the previous dream. Whatever, my thoughts on the movie will soon be over as the drink will take care of all my worries

bobman1235

tommyboy wrote: »

I really hope this isn't true. Then that means the whole story you were following meant nothing. For a story to work, you need some sort of reference point or backstory. If thats not there, everything falls apart IMO.

There's lots of backstory, and that's what makes the movie powerful. How does leaving something up to interpretation take anything away from it? It basically says "you can see the movie this way, OR you can see it THIS way."

I understand when people get mad when someone says "it means whatever you want it to mean." That can be a cop-out. This is just more a "it means one of two things, and they're both pretty powerful" if taken in the context of the film.

Here's some talk with Christopher Nolan :
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/02/christopher-nolan-talks-inceptions-ending/

Nolan adds that he tries to leave his movies open to interpretation. “There can’t be anything in the film that tells you one way or another because then the ambiguity at the end of the film would just be a mistake,” he says. “It would represent a failure of the film to communicate something. But it’s not a mistake. I put that cut there at the end, imposing an ambiguity from outside the film. That always felt the right ending to me."

tommyboy

bobman1235 wrote: »

There's lots of backstory, and that's what makes the movie powerful. How does leaving something up to interpretation take anything away from it? It basically says "you can see the movie this way, OR you can see it THIS way."

I understand when people get mad when someone says "it means whatever you want it to mean." That can be a cop-out. This is just more a "it means one of two things, and they're both pretty powerful" if taken in the context of the film.

Here's some talk with Christopher Nolan :
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/02/christopher-nolan-talks-inceptions-ending/

Sorry, I probably should have worded it a little better. I have no problem having them leave the ending up to interpretation(if he is still dreaming or not), but you quoted saying that the whole film might be a dream and thats what I meant. If the movie was all just Cobb's dream, then anything of any significance ( the spinning top, the whole plot they are trying to pull off, his kids, etc) gets thrown out the window.

A good example is the movie Jacob's ladder. The ending was intriguing at first, But then I realized the whole plot of the film really meant nothing (sorry for those who haven't seen it)

danz1906

tony millard wrote: »

It dropped, therefore, here and now.

I agree he is still haunted by memories but maybe another watch is in order.

I will have to watch it again also to look for all the clues mentioned.

Tour2ma

I smell sequel...

Only saw it in the theater, but I left thinking he was awake at the start and happily trapped in the dream at the end.

Then a again I don't remember hearing the drop... remember spinning and the wobble followed by more spinning...

dorokusai

I didn't hear the top drop but it did start to wobble a lot, which earlier in the movie, when in the dream....it spun perfectly straight and it never wobbled. We both really liked it and while my wife didn't like Memento, Nolan is a favorite. He's far more talented than M Night Shamalamadingdong.

bobman1235

dorokusai wrote: »

He's far more talented than M Night Shamalamadingdong.

So's my dog.

Disc Jockey

dorokusai wrote: »

I didn't hear the top drop but it did start to wobble a lot, which earlier in the movie, when in the dream....it spun perfectly straight and it never wobbled.

Yep, my vote is back to reality too. He also couldn't see his kids faces when he was in a dream because he couldn't remember what they looked like. At the end of the movie, the kids turn and run to him with their faces showing.

tommyboy

Tour2ma wrote: »

I smell sequel...

Why? Inception doesn't need to turn into another matrix trilogy. When the matrix first come out, the film really drew me in. It had nothing to do with the CG effects and fights, but the whole feeling that our world could just be in a computer. But the sequels lost ALL of that, it was just a bunch of useless fighting ( If punching people through buildings and ramming eachother at jet speeds doesn't do anything, then why fight at all?)

Inception has the original matrix feel going for it and doesn't need a sequel to explain it.

concealer404

I wouldn't want a sequel to Inception. A prequel might be cool, though.

mrbiron

I fell asleep on my roof and for my "kick", i rolled off the side.....and woke up....i used my broken femur as my totem.......the movie has truth!

It reminded me of Friday the 13th....1, 2 Freddy is coming for you.

Tour2ma

dorokusai wrote: »

Memento, Nolan is a favorite.

I loved Momento... never realized it was same writer/ director. Although under repeated viewings it's clear that Guy Pearce's character was remembering thing from time periods he shouldn't... like where his car keys are... I can't even do that...

bobman1235 wrote: »

dorokusai wrote:

He's far more talented than M Night Shamalamadingdong.

So's my dog.

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

tommyboy wrote: »

Why? Inception doesn't need to turn into another matrix trilogy.

To paraphrase Tina Turner... "What's need got to do with it?" It's all box office. Hell it doesn't even need to do well at the Oscars...

Production Budget: $160,000,000

Total Box Office as of Dec. 22, 2010
....Domestic: $292,525,041
....+ Foreign: $532,923,026
= Worldwide: $825,448,067

Tony M

I'll have to rewatch it.

My mind might have taken the wobble as a fall. Thanks for the corrections and also the wedding ring theory.

Tour2ma

Lasareath wrote: »

I have this movie, I just can't watch it. I watch a lot of movies, some really good and some really bad. And this movie just didn't do anything for me, I tried to watch it but it was way too confusing and not that enjoyable

Am I dreaming or is this the second time you've made almost exactly this same post? :eek:

tony,
Not only did it wobble, but, as I remember, it righted itself... and tops that are awake just don't do that.

bobman1235

Please post a larger, slower-loading image of the box.

kuntasensei

I suspect that Peter Marlowe may be in the dream world. Someone shoot him in the head so he'll wake up.

Pycroft

I flipping loved this movie. I am speechless. I saw the beginning until just before the first layer with the businessman, then had to start over on another day. I watched it beginning to end tonight. I blew my mind. I will watch again with all the theories going on. i just don't know, but I'm blown away. I love movies that leave questions.

James

Knucklehead

I thought it sucked.