INCEPTION Discussion Thread (***Spoilers!!!***)

[RICEaRONI]

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YES!

 

[Maglor]

 

[hairlesswookiee]

the end may be a dream, or maybe not... obviously, it was designed to register with the individual but nothing is definite. the spinning top was possibly about to drop... the filmmaker let the audience decide.

I finally saw this last night with my GF and our neighbors. My GF and myself are disagreeing that the top was about to spin, but my neighbor agrees with me that he is probably caught in an endless loop and constantly repeats everything. I hope there is another movie that can expand this one as it was overall an excellent film.

 

[The Ween]

I made sure I didn't read or watch any spoilers before seeing this today but 3/4 through it I knew how it was going to end, and it did. That disappointed me because I prefer things to have a true ending, not one where you have to wonder about. It's different when you know there's a second part to it, like a cliffhanger, but not when you're left without knowing why, or whatever.

Good movie, but I would've rather there was an explaination why he was in a dream.

btw....no one said a word in the theater. They just got up and left. I'm the only one who said anything and it was "I knew it!"

 

[SnakeDoctor]

Read through a bit of this thread ... there is significant reason to believe it wasn't a dream.

SnakeDoc

 

[The Ween]

Read through a bit of this thread ... there is significant reason to believe it wasn't a dream.

SnakeDoc

I was going to, but then, like King would say, there's too many words now!

 

[EVILFACE]

Looks like Inception topped the box office again this week. Not bad. Even if the new movies this weekend were garbage.

 

[Maglor]

I made sure I didn't read or watch any spoilers before seeing this today but 3/4 through it I knew how it was going to end, and it did. That disappointed me because I prefer things to have a true ending, not one where you have to wonder about. It's different when you know there's a second part to it, like a cliffhanger, but not when you're left without knowing why, or whatever.

Good movie, but I would've rather there was an explaination why he was in a dream.

btw....no one said a word in the theater. They just got up and left. I'm the only one who said anything and it was "I knew it!"

The ambiguous ending is what makes the movie so great. It's why we are all still talking about it.


And I don't know what you mean by "I would've rather there was an explaination why he was in a dream." I literally can't begin to comprehend your question...

I was going to, but then, like King would say, there's too many words now!

You ought to skim through at least. It sounds like you may have missed a lot.

 

[The Ween]

The ambiguous ending is what makes the movie so great. It's why we are all still talking about it.


And I don't know what you mean by "I would've rather there was an explaination why he was in a dream." I literally can't begin to comprehend your question...





You ought to skim through at least. It sounds like you may have missed a lot.

If you believe he was in a dream at the end when he went back to his kids, then why was he in a dream? Who put him there, etc. I would like to know the answers to that.

I'm not going through this whole thread since it's all speculation and opinions anyway. I had read through some of it and I'm don't want to spend that much time on it really. I have too many other threads to try and keep up with. I don't read nearly the threads I'd like to. Not enough time!

 

[Maglor]

If you believe he was in a dream at the end when he went back to his kids, then why was he in a dream? Who put him there, etc. I would like to know the answers to that.

I'm not going through this whole thread since it's all speculation and opinions anyway. I had read through some of it and I'm don't want to spend that much time on it really. I have too many other threads to try and keep up with. I don't read nearly the threads I'd like to. Not enough time!

Well your question is the main practical reason that the ending can not be a dream. How could he possibly have gone from Limbo to another dream? I have brought that up multiple times and all of the answers are purely speculation.


Here a couple of my posts that mostly explains why I firmly believe that the ending was real.

I have yet to hear anyone give an explanation for how the end could be a dream. I mean, obviously Noland did a few things to cast doubt, but by what mechanism did Cobb get vaulted from Limbo to a dream world. A very complex dream world with planes and airports and his house and his children (including their faces). When I watched it the second time I looked for anything that might point in that direction, and there is nothing.


Also, I still think that the ending's "dreamy" quality, along with the fact that Noland cuts the scene before the top falls is not simply to cast doubt. it allows us to exercise the same faith that Cobb has in the end. Cobb no longer struggles with the question of what is real. He has suffered with cognitive dissonance ever since his wife's death, along with being weighed down with guilt for 'causing her death.' When he lets her go, he lets go of guilt and doubt. We as a viewer can choose to keep doubting or follow Cobb to the end of his journey and embrace the truth with faith.

...in the end (for me) the movie is about two things: Faith and Letting go of guilt.

Why does he spin the top and then walk away? Because he has absolute faith that it will fall. Why does Noland cut the scene before it falls?

Because it gives us the opportunity to exercise the same faith. Are we as certain that it's real as Cobb is or will we give in to doubt.


I, for one, believe.

As to the ending being 'predictable' I have this thought:

This I agree with. Having him in limbo at the end is the twist the story needed imo. Wonderful film.

That is the ending I honestly expected. Along with the rest of my group (My wife and parents.) We were all surprised when it turned out happy with the plan working...

So I was actually surprised by the ending! Again, I am fully convinced that the plan worked and that the top will fall. (It was wobbling at the end after all!)

 

[Maglor]

Okay, here's a conversation to share with THE WEEN.


You wanted to know how he got to the "Dream" at the end. I asked the same question:

[This first quote I already posted, but that's where the discussion started...]

I have yet to hear anyone give an explanation for how the end could be a dream. I mean, obviously Noland did a few things to cast doubt, but by what mechanism did Cobb get vaulted from Limbo to a dream world. A very complex dream world with planes and airports and his house and his children (including their faces). When I watched it the second time I looked for anything that might point in that direction, and there is nothing...

It's all up to you. But i've had very complex dream enviorments with a ton of people, all interacting. It's not like it couldnt have been

Okay, so how did he get to that dream then?

He never went back. You never saw him shoot himself. It's up to you.

If he "never went back" how did he get out of Limbo and into constructed dream space?

he stayed in limbo. Or he went up a level.

The point isnt if it was a dream or not. It was that Cobb does not care.

he stayed in limbo.

No. Limbo is unconstructed dream space and looks decidedly different than a dream.

Or he went up a level.

What like level three? The snow world? All the levels fell apart as the respective dreamers woke up.

The point isnt if it was a dream or not. It was that Cobb does not care.

Well I just can't buy that. I believe that Cobb would not be happy with it being a dream. Again, he walks away from the top, not because he doesn't care whether it falls, but because he knows it will fall, and his kids are more important than being distracted by old doubts.

After hugging his kids he will come in to make a sandwich or something and there the top will be laying on the counter, just like he knew it would be.

I can't understand why anyone would want the ending to be a dream. Induced dreaming is shown in a pretty negative light in this movie. In the dreaming basement, it looks like a freaking opium den. Those people were addicts who are trying to escape the real, world no matter how the old guy in the basement tried to spin it. Cobb lets go of that addiction and fully embraces reality. He used to be obsessed with the induced dream world because 'in his dreams he and Mal are together', but since he has let her go, he doesn't need that "hit" anymore.

I am proud and happy for him. And I believe he is right.

Hope that wasn't to much readin' for ya WEEN!

 

[creature4000]

I agree with the WEEN.. none of these converstations are changing my opinion of the film. The whole thing was Cobb trying to get out.. but couldn't. And I aslo agree about.. I like my movies to have an ending as well.

 

[Maglor]

I agree with the WEEN.. none of these converstations are changing my opinion of the film. The whole thing was Cobb trying to get out.. but couldn't. And I aslo agree about.. I like my movies to have an ending as well.

Meaning the whole movie is a dream?


I challenge you to explain how that works. The only thing within the movie to even suggest that is when Cobb is being chased by the Cobol people. It is the "real world" and yet the part where he has to squeeze between the two bindings feels a little "nightmare" like.

That's not proof at all though. It just means that Noland was working with dream archetypes.






For those of you new to the thread, perhaps you could check out the interview with Dileep Rao. He played the chemist in the movie. No doubt working with Noland in making this movie he got to know Noland and what he was going for better than any of us can guess. Here's the interview: https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/07/inceptions_dileep_rao_answers.html





[Credit goes to plasmid303 for finding that interview. ]

 

[DarthNeil]

Saw it... Loved it... Happy that there's a creative person out there (Nolan) who respects his audience and challenges them with his vision...

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Saw it on Saturday....and again on Sunday.

Breathtaking, lived up the hype. Complete masterpiece. Oh, and he was in reality at the end to me, the top was wobbling when every other time it span completely symmentrical with no faults whatsoever.


I am not usually one for ambiguos endings and I probably would have preferred it to topple, but on the scale of endings like this, I enjoyed this one immensely.

 

[Maglor]

^^Glad you guys liked it!


For me, the ending would be diminished if the top fell. Cobb didn't wait to see if it fell and I don't need to see it either.

 

[DinoLast]

I don't know if this has been said already, but it was confirmed in this month's Empire Magazine that the children at the end of the film are different to the ones in the dream, and that they are also two years older. Nolan made them wear the same clothes just to mess with our heads some more.

 

[BadMoon]

My take on the ending:

Basically the whole movie is about how James Cameron actually tricked most moviegoers into thinking that Avatar was actually a good movie.

 

[DinoLast]

My take on the ending:

Basically the whole movie is about how James Cameron actually tricked most moviegoers into thinking that Avatar was actually a good movie.

Well I would like to see the sequel where Michael Bay tricks people into thinking that Transformers 3 might not be a pile of dog ____

 

[BadMoon]

Well I would like to see the sequel where Michael Bay tricks people into thinking that Transformers 3 might not be a pile of dog ____

If you go down another level in your mind (past limbo in the film) you will find it. Good luck!