@ Devil_666 - First, let me say that it is refreshing to see a different take on the “ending is a dream” theory. That being that he was the architect of his own final dream. It’s definitely the most appealing argument I have seen for it. And it also made me think harder than any other such theory. For that I thank you.
Before getting to the meaty part of your post, I will begin by addressing some of your secondary points.
About his wedding ring.
The theory is every scene we see Dom wearing a wedding ring is a dream and every scene when he's not wearing one is the real world.
Two things.
1. This actually isn't true, because in the scenes that are supposed to be flashbacks we see Dom wearing his ring. So are those moments from dreams as well!? Just saying.
Well, during those scenes he actually
is married. So of course he would be wearing his ring. Not really worth mentioning… Just saying.
2. People who use this theory point out that Dom isn't wearing his wedding ring in the final scenes of the movie i.e. that's proof that the final scenes are indeed in the real world.
And actually that's not true.
His "wedding ring" isn't real. It's a projection of his subconscious in dreams. And that's because in his dreams, subconsciously he's still holding onto Mal. Like a prisoner. When he finally let's her go and clears his conscious/subconscious of his memory of her that projection of his wedding ring is no longer necessary.
I actually fully agree with this. I have made the point at least once in this thread (and many times when talking with friends) that, although it is interesting that he is wearing his ring in dreams but not at the end, it’s doesn’t hold much real water for proving the end is real for the very reason you just stated.
Now about his kids.
The main points I see regarding the kids are their clothing, their age and the fact that Dom only sees their faces at the end. So that must mean it's real.
I disagree.
Their clothing is irrelevant. We see Mal (whose part of Dom's subconscious) throughout the film in different clothing. So whether or not the kids at the end are wearing the same clothes, similar clothes or even completely different clothes is irrelevant.
I can see why you would say that the clothes are unimportant, but it was clearly a very intentional decision to have them wear the same clothes throughout except for the very last scene. Therefore, while admittedly a minor point, it still does help the argument for a real ending.
Their age is also irrelevant because they look almost exactly the same. And like I said before, without info outside of the movie it would be impossible for anyone to prove within the realm of the movie differently. Because there is no definitive proof.
I disagree. And as I said before, one wouldn’t need IMDB and ending credits to see that the kids are different and older. Yes the difference was intentionally subtle to leave room for doubt and the kind of speculation you are sharing, but as these screen caps show, the untrained eye can easily see that the kids are different and older.
If nothing else, that girl is a lot taller. “Impossible for anyone to prove within the realm of the movie differently” is a very bold statement. But even if that were true, are you suggesting that the reason they cast different, older kids at the end was random or accidental? Like the different clothes, it was a very intentional decision that Nolan wouldn’t have put on screen if it wasn’t for a reason. And he knows that we live in the age of IMDB.
Lastly their faces. This is interesting because at one point (while in a dream) Mal calls to their daughter and right when she's about to turn Cobb turns away and puts his hands over his face in shame. IMO this is because it's Cobb who can't face his children since he feels guilty and blames himself for the mother of his children being dead. It's not because he can't imagine/remember his kids faces. As a father myself it doesn't matter if the last time I saw my son he was facing away from me, whether in a dream or awake and just in my imagination I could easily remember and picture his face clearly. Even years after the fact. The reason Cobb never sees his kids faces in dreams is because he can't bear to look them in the eyes. But AFTER he forgives himself and lets Mal go, then and only then can he face them.
A compelling argument, but one that relies heavily on the assumption that Cobb is feeling
shame when he turns away and puts his hands over his face. I’ve seen the movie 3 times and I never got that vibe from that scene. I have the shooting script, so I could check and see if Nolan calls for a specific emotion here. Could you remind me of when that happens?
Well what happens at the end of the film? He confesses to Mal (actually himself) about planting the idea that eventually lead to her death and he finally makes peace with himself/cleanses his soul. He meets up with Saito in limbo and again when he "wakes up". His stateside troubles disappear once and for all. And finally he sees his children again. ALL examples of positive emotion, reconciliation & catharsis.
I actually agree with all of that. It fully fits into my take on Cobb and his character arc. Take the quotation marks off of “wakes up” and that describes much of why I think the ending is so powerful.
However, that is not the only positive I get out of the ending.
I love the ending because:
1) Cobb finds redemption, reconciliation & catharsis.
2) When Cobb lets go of guilt (through said catharsis) it allows him to also let go of doubt.
3) Cutting the scene before the top falls lets us make a choice to either continue to doubt what is real, or like Cobb fully commit to the “leap of faith.
I realize that I have not addressed the most important part of your post about the ending being a dream of Cobb's making.
I will soon.
Gonna quote it here for quick reference:
This point is often missed, and it's important. Your totem only tells you if you're in someone else's dream.
Dom states this to Juno (forget her name lol). He doesn't say totem's help a person tell if they're in reality or if they're dreaming. He clearly states that the purpose of a totem is to help a person tell if they're in the real world or if they're in someone else's dream.
Every single dream sequence in the film (minus the ending scene) where Dom uses the totem and it spins indefinitely is a shared dream i.e. not Dom's individual dream.
You never see an individual dream and see a person using their totem in their own dream so there's no basis to declare that totem's act the same in your own dream like they do when you're in someone else's dream.
So the only proof of their use is stated by Dom. And again, he clearly states that the purpose of a totem is to help a person tell if they're in the real world or if they're in someone else's dream.
So for your Option #2, if it's Dom's dream the top WOULD stop spinning and fall over. But that is NOT proof that he's in the real world. It's only proof that Dom isn't in someone else's dream. That's it. And I believe he isn't. I believe he's in his own dream, of his own creation.
It's mentioned numerous times throughout the film that Dom was once a great architect (both in real life and in dreams) and capable of creating vast landscapes. And you can even see evidence of his work i.e. creating huge amounts of architecture from memory (real places) for Mal to inhabit. The reason he stopped is because of his subconscious projection of Mal. After the last scene between the two, when he finally forgives himself and lets her memory go it would be perfectly logical that he would then regain that ability to recreate the airplane, to recreate (or even just create) an airport and to recreate his home which we see in the film he's already done before.
