The Inception Thread (*SPOILERS*)

[chesspoet]

Let's put our heads together and analyze Christopher Nolan's latest masterpiece!

I'll pose this question first: What was Dom Cobb's (main character) totem? Keep in mind that the spinning top was Mal's (his wife) totem.

[silverflower]

So many Inception enthusiasts! I keep seeing good things about this movie on my facebook status updates.

[GhettoDru]

His totem was his wife's totem after she passed away. As to what it was before that, they never mentioned it..but I believe that he realized the importance of totems during that trial period of when he was with his wife.

[chesspoet]

I like the theory that the spinning top was a symbol of Cobb's fixation on his wife, and how he let's go of the top (and hence, the longing for his wife) at the end.

I also like the theory that Cobb's totem was his kids. The dreamers from his team can only recreate the same image of the back of the kids' heads. When Cobb finally sees their faces, he knows that he's back in reality. To counter what I just said though, why would the dreamers project images of Cobb's kids into their mazes? ... which eventually leads to the theory that Cobb was the one influenced by an "inception".

[Moo]

my gf brought up a good point.

Spoiler below:

He had to be still dreaming. His kids hadn't age at all. I'm assuming that his wife died like a while ago and that he was on the run for a while? Also, how ridiculous the scene was when he awoke and all these people nodded at him. It's almost so surreal of a dream.

On top of that, a spinner can not keep going for that long. Also, just like he mentioned in the movie, how did he get out of the dream? He didn't have a kicker. He was at the beach house with Watanabe's character.

I think the ending was left this way to be ambiguous and to leave you hanging for interpretation but this is my take on it. He was dreaming. Most likely they did accomplish the inception but cobb + watanabe's character was trapped in limbo.

[chesspoet]

Originally Posted by Moo

He had to be still dreaming. His kids hadn't age at all. I'm assuming that his wife died like a while ago and that he was on the run for a while? Also, how ridiculous the scene was when he awoke and all these people nodded at him. It's almost so surreal of a dream.

On top of that, a spinner can not keep going for that long. Also, just like he mentioned in the movie, how did he get out of the dream? He didn't have a kicker. He was at the beach house with Watanabe's character.

This is a fun theory too, where Cobb is still in a dream (ending scenes with the wood-interior house). Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that Cobb was the subject of an "inception". The evidence includes, first and foremost, how strongly Adriade (Ellen Page) was pushing Cobb to get over his guilt about his wife Mal, despite how Adriade had just met Cobb. Next, Mal's arguments about the "reality" level could be convincing. She told Cobb that running from corporations didn't make sense, such as when Cobb was pursued by the Cobol corporation (side note: COBOL is a computer programming language).

Further evidence is more hearsay. If Cobb was going through levels of dreams as part of an "inception" scheme, then who was running the show? Perhaps it was Miles (Michael Caine), the father figure. He had an emotional interest in reuniting Cobb with the children, so there's motivation to create a scenario where Mal is an enemy, and hence easier to go through separation. Miles was also the one who recommended the architect Adriade, who would push Cobb away from Mal (Adriade also explored the Cobb-Mal dreams, in the eerie, old-fashioned elevator sequence). Finally, Saito (Ken Watanabe), despite being the finance guy in the "reality" level, played a large role in the entire story. Once everything transpired, Saito endured the limbo-level (or at least, the collapse of it) to remind Cobb about totems and finding one's self.

Here's an obvious question: when Mal commits suicide in the "reality" level, why was she across the street from the hotel room?

[Moo]

Originally Posted by chesspoet

This is a fun theory too, where Cobb is still in a dream (ending scenes with the wood-interior house). Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that Cobb was the subject of an "inception". The evidence includes, first and foremost, how strongly Adriade (Ellen Page) was pushing Cobb to get over his guilt about his wife Mal, despite how Adriade had just met Cobb. Next, Mal's arguments about the "reality" level could be convincing. She told Cobb that running from corporations didn't make sense, such as when Cobb was pursued by the Cobol corporation (side note: COBOL is a computer programming language).

Further evidence is more hearsay. If Cobb was going through levels of dreams as part of an "inception" scheme, then who was running the show? Perhaps it was Miles (Michael Caine), the father figure. He had an emotional interest in reuniting Cobb with the children, so there's motivation to create a scenario where Mal is an enemy, and hence easier to go through separation. Miles was also the one who recommended the architect Adriade to push Cobb away from Mal (Adriade also explored the Cobb-Mal dreams, in the eerie, old-fashioned elevator sequence). Finally, Saito (Ken Watanabe), despite being the finance guy in the "reality" level, played a large role in the entire story. Once everything transpired, Saito endured the limbo-level (or at least, the collapse of it) to remind Cobb about totems and finding one's self.

Here's an obvious question: when Mal commits suicide in the "reality" level, why was she across the street from the hotel room?

yeah I read the inception theory too about Cobb being a part of it. But an inception to what exactly? That his wife was crazy and he drove her to die? This is getting down the rabbits hole and back. We're making the movie to be really crazy complex. I think I liked how it ended even though it's infuriaitingly difficult.

[silverflower]

I'm ignoring this thread until such a time as when I actually see this movie, lol. Someday, I shall join in.

[GhettoDru]

Originally Posted by Moo

my gf brought up a good point.

Spoiler below:

He had to be still dreaming. His kids hadn't age at all. I'm assuming that his wife died like a while ago and that he was on the run for a while? Also, how ridiculous the scene was when he awoke and all these people nodded at him. It's almost so surreal of a dream.

On top of that, a spinner can not keep going for that long. Also, just like he mentioned in the movie, how did he get out of the dream? He didn't have a kicker. He was at the beach house with Watanabe's character.

I think the ending was left this way to be ambiguous and to leave you hanging for interpretation but this is my take on it. He was dreaming. Most likely they did accomplish the inception but cobb + watanabe's character was trapped in limbo.

Cobb was carrying a pistol and his totem. They could've easily shot themselves to get the kick out of limbo, as long as the totem kept spinning, they would've known if they were dreaming.

Also, not EVERYONE was looking at them at the end scene at the airport. If you recall, those who were considered outsiders would be glared at, but the only people who really looked at him were the main characters involved in Inception and probably some of the people looking for their pickups at the airport.

[chesspoet]

Originally Posted by Moo

yeah I read the inception theory too about Cobb being a part of it. But an inception to what exactly? That his wife was crazy and he drove her to die? This is getting down the rabbits hole and back. We're making the movie to be really crazy complex. I think I liked how it ended even though it's infuriaitingly difficult.

I agree that the ending of the movie was left purposefully vague; did the spinning top fall or not? Some viewers are quite adamant about their responses. In these posts of mine, I'm simply going though one possible interpretation of the movie--the idea that the "reality" level shown is yet another layer of dreaming--because I feel that I have the most evidence for that interpretation.

To answer my question above--about why Mal is across the street when she commits suicide--Mal's death is probably not real. If Cobb had indeed watched her die from the hotel room, she would have been on the correct balcony. However, he has an exterior view of that suicidal jump. Cobb's subconscious created that moment, perhaps in a mixture of architect-made scenery and memories (early in the movie, Cobb told Adriade to never mix the two). Therefore, Mal did not necessarily die.

We viewers can probably agree that a major plot element was that Cobb had to get over guilt about Mal. If the "reality" level is still another dream, then in the next level up, Mal might have simply left Cobb and the kids for some reason.

Now let me try to show that the plot-based inception is (possibly) a microcosm of the Cobb inception. In the given story, Saito hires Cobb and crew to do an "inception" on the energy corporation heir Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy). The goal is to get Fischer to give up his company. The inception idea is written in a "second will" in a completely fabricated safe in Maurice Fischer's (Pete Postlethwaite) bedroom. They cannot simply tell Robert Fischer that idea; it's brought about as an emotionally-charged change of heart. In the "hotel" level of dreams, Fischer is led to distrust Browning (Tom Berenger). In the deeper "snow" level of dreams, Fischer is led to reverse his angst versus his father; that pin-wheel (in the safe) was so devious!

The theory of an inception on Cobb might have a similar attack. Saito tells Cobb that Cobb can go back to his children in America (symbol of freedom, perhaps). However, the image and guilt about Mal is holding back Cobb. The crew then produces a gun-toting version of Mal deep in the limbo level (the initial scene with Saito). This evil version of Mal proceeds to shoot Fischer in the "snow" level, which disrupts Cobb's lucrative extraction business. That act finally pushes Cobb to reverse his longing for Mal.

The next question I will pose is this: why did Saito blatantly talk to Cobb about using inception?

[Coelacanth]

"I think the ending was left this way to be ambiguous and to leave you hanging for interpretation but this is my take on it. He was dreaming."

I Agree, that the whole "reality" was a dream. I'm willing to bet that [$142.9 million dollars in the first ten days] is incentive enough for a whole series to be dreamt up as part II, III, etc.

[chesspoet]

LINK: Inception’s Plot in a 2004 Uncle Scrooge Comic Book?

[terryoh]

This movie was totally overrated. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.

I heard people saying it was a top 3 movie of all time. WTF? Are you for real? Putting Inception in the same sentence as the Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, Godfather II, or even Pulp Fiction is like putting a 4'10", obese, one-eyed, acne-faced, huge mole, bald, and hairy woman in the Miss Universe competition. It's just pure injustice and shows the decreasing quality of Hollywood movies.

I repeat -- especially for those who absolutely LOVE this film -- I'm not saying the movie is crap. I'm just saying it's overrated. I give it a 6/10.

[TimmyAndCo]

Originally Posted by chesspoet

I agree that the ending of the movie was left purposefully vague; did the spinning top fall or not? Some viewers are quite adamant about their responses. In these posts of mine, I'm simply going though one possible interpretation of the movie--the idea that the "reality" level shown is yet another layer of dreaming--because I feel that I have the most evidence for that interpretation.

To answer my question above--about why Mal is across the street when she commits suicide--Mal's death is probably not real. If Cobb had indeed watched her die from the hotel room, she would have been on the correct balcony. However, he has an exterior view of that suicidal jump. Cobb's subconscious created that moment, perhaps in a mixture of architect-made scenery and memories (early in the movie, Cobb told Adriade to never mix the two). Therefore, Mal did not necessarily die.

We viewers can probably agree that a major plot element was that Cobb had to get over guilt about Mal. If the "reality" level is still another dream, then in the next level up, Mal might have simply left Cobb and the kids for some reason.

Now let me try to show that the plot-based inception is (possibly) a microcosm of the Cobb inception. In the given story, Saito hires Cobb and crew to do an "inception" on the energy corporation heir Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy). The goal is to get Fischer to give up his company. The inception idea is written in a "second will" in a completely fabricated safe in Maurice Fischer's (Pete Postlethwaite) bedroom. They cannot simply tell Robert Fischer that idea; it's brought about as an emotionally-charged change of heart. In the "hotel" level of dreams, Fischer is led to distrust Browning (Tom Berenger). In the deeper "snow" level of dreams, Fischer is led to reverse his angst versus his father; that pin-wheel (in the safe) was so devious!

The theory of an inception on Cobb might have a similar attack. Saito tells Cobb that Cobb can go back to his children in America (symbol of freedom, perhaps). However, the image and guilt about Mal is holding back Cobb. The crew then produces a gun-toting version of Mal deep in the limbo level (the initial scene with Saito). This evil version of Mal proceeds to shoot Fischer in the "snow" level, which disrupts Cobb's lucrative extraction business. That act finally pushes Cobb to reverse his longing for Mal.

The next question I will pose is this: why did Saito blatantly talk to Cobb about using inception?

About Mal's death - This couldve been real, as the architecture from the windowsill she jumped from is exactly the same as the one that cobb was standing in - It could have been a U-shaped block, which is a common feature of large buildings such as hotels.... in this case the ledge would go all the way around to the other side, an easy way for Mal to get around. In addition, she had to do it in a place where Cobb couldnt stop her - more motivation to use the other side.

The inception on Cobb theory is a pretty good idea though, that got me thinking with my melon

[Moo]

Originally Posted by terryoh

This movie was totally overrated. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.

I heard people saying it was a top 3 movie of all time. WTF? Are you for real? Putting Inception in the same sentence as the Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, Godfather II, or even Pulp Fiction is like putting a 4'10", obese, one-eyed, acne-faced, huge mole, bald, and hairy woman in the Miss Universe competition. It's just pure injustice and shows the decreasing quality of Hollywood movies.

I repeat -- especially for those who absolutely LOVE this film -- I'm not saying the movie is crap. I'm just saying it's overrated. I give it a 6/10.

I don't think the movie is in my top 3 but it's definitely in top 25. It was thoughtful, crazy set scenes, engaging, and I like pretty much all the actors in it (minus LDC). James Nolan rocks it most of the time. I agree about the overhype. My theory is if the ending wasn't as vaguely left for interpretation, people wouldn't have liked it as much. That and people like stuff they don't understand. Or pretend to like it. I would give the movie overall a 9/10.