It's up for interpretation. I wanted it to be reality, so I chose to interpret it that way. I like how they cut it off, leaving the audience to believe what they want. great film.
If you notice the way the top was spinning, and the final frame, it looked as if it were about to tip over. When it spun in the other dreams it was much more fluid. You can notice in the final frame that it's wobbling a bit, again, like it's about to tip over.
Though, I'll give it to Nolan for figuring out a nice way to leave it up to the viewer.
Another reason besides the amount of wobble is the people when waking up. None of them acted like projections. They didn't really stare and all that Jazz. It's amazing how the ending really messed with us but no one really seemed pissed about it.
@TucanSam: remind me again how the totem works: Tips over = dream? Doesn't tip over = reality? Inception definitely seems like a film that would require more than one viewing to understand better.
" @TucanSam: remind me again how the totem works: Tips over = dream? Doesn't tip over = reality? Inception definitely seems like a film that would require more than one viewing to understand better. "
It does,I really want to watch it again before it comes out on dvd.
I honestly didn't think it was that hard to follow. They did a pretty good job explaining everything, I thought. Not as complicated as, say, 12 Monkeys.
As for the ending, definitely Reality. It has to be, if not... I'll cry for him.
No, I think you guys are missing the point. It wasn't whether it's reality or not reality, it's that we have no real way ofknowing. I know that sounds cheesy, but I honestly think that's what they were trying to get at, but I really enjoyed the movie, regardless. You know, David Hume, and all that.
I think it's intentionally open for interpretation, you pick the ending you prefer. I gave it 5 stars in my review, possibly better than the dark knight.
I thought it was a dream because the kids look exactly the same as the earlier dreams and the whole end sequence seems to have the traits of being in Limbo with the rest of the characters treating him in the same way as the other subconscious characters. But yeah, it's open for interpretation and the final spinning totem was an Inception of its own in the audience's mind. I don't want to say that's clever but it's something I appreciate.
" @TucanSam: remind me again how the totem works: Tips over = dream? Doesn't tip over = reality? Inception definitely seems like a film that would require more than one viewing to understand better. "
Nope, Tips Over means its reality, Does not tip over, dream
" I thought it was a dream because the kids look exactly the same as the earlier dreams and the whole end sequence seems to have the traits of being in Limbo with the rest of the characters treating him in the same way as the other subconscious characters. But yeah, it's open for interpretation and the final spinning totem was an Inception of its own in the audience's mind. I don't want to say that's clever but it's something I appreciate. "
" I thought it was a dream because the kids look exactly the same as the earlier dreams and the whole end sequence seems to have the traits of being in Limbo with the rest of the characters treating him in the same way as the other subconscious characters. But yeah, it's open for interpretation and the final spinning totem was an Inception of its own in the audience's mind. I don't want to say that's clever but it's something I appreciate. "
Except that before he could not see their faces. "
But isn't that because he was dreaming of the moment where he had to go to the plane rather than this whole new limbo dream?
@HandsomeDead: Maybe, but I'm basically operating under the assumption that the fact he could see their faces signals some kind of difference, whether that difference is that he is now awake or not. I tend to think that the wobbling of the top at the end is the biggest clue for reality. The best part is that if it is a dream, it's only a dream from the point where he "awakens" on the plane and fortunately isn't a shitty "the whole thing was fake" sort of twist.
" No, I think you guys are missing the point. It wasn't whether it's reality or not reality, it's that we have no real way ofknowing. I know that sounds cheesy, but I honestly think that's what they were trying to get at, but I really enjoyed the movie, regardless. You know, David Hume, and all that. "
But that is the whole point of the spinning top isn't it? That is his check to see if he is in a dream or in reality. Though reading what David Hume said in the wiki, I can see what you are saying.
Also, I don't think his character could live in a dream world again. As he said to Mal in his dreamworld, she is but his memory. She is nothing but a shadow, his own creation. She isn't who she is, but who he remembers her to be, and he can't live with that. So by that logic, how could he go on living in the dream world with his kids who a nothing but his memories? I don't think he could.
" I thought it was a dream because the kids look exactly the same as the earlier dreams and the whole end sequence seems to have the traits of being in Limbo with the rest of the characters treating him in the same way as the other subconscious characters. But yeah, it's open for interpretation and the final spinning totem was an Inception of its own in the audience's mind. I don't want to say that's clever but it's something I appreciate. "
This is kind of cheating but the kids were played by different people in the two sequences, meaning they are older. If it was a memory they would still be the same age.
Instead of being caught up in whether or not it was reality, he went to see his children. In other words, he chose to invest his energy in sentiment and familial love over attempting to verify the nature of reality. Which, in my opinion, is a good choice to make.
" @MauveForest: He could if he didn't realize it. Instead of being caught up in whether or not it was reality, he went to see his children. In other words, he chose to invest his energy in sentiment and familial love over attempting to verify the nature of reality. Which, in my opinion, is a good choice to make. "
That is the thing though, the whole movie he was caught up in what reality was. If he was not why would he have left his wife in the world they created together? I just don't think he would settle for anything other than that reality. It just doesn't make sense to me that someone who rejects the memory he created in Mal earlier on in the movie would now just accept memories of his kids. Now having said that, this idea assumes a baseline reality, and that while in the dream world anything that his subconscious creates doesn't have free will, because if they do than the dream world might as well be reality, but I don't think that is the case within the fiction though I have doubts. I need to see this movie again, cause I already forget half of it a lot of the details. My main point is that I don't feel like Cobb would settle for anything other than the reality was in, now whether or not that is a dream I am still unsure of that. I feel like I am trying to figure out the plot too much now, and thinking about the ideas of the movie, which I think is more important.
" @MauveForest: He could if he didn't realize it. Instead of being caught up in whether or not it was reality, he went to see his children. In other words, he chose to invest his energy in sentiment and familial love over attempting to verify the nature of reality. Which, in my opinion, is a good choice to make. "
" @HandsomeDead: Maybe, but I'm basically operating under the assumption that the fact he could see their faces signals some kind of difference, whether that difference is that he is now awake or not. I tend to think that the wobbling of the top at the end is the biggest clue for reality. The best part is that if it is a dream, it's only a dream from the point where he "awakens" on the plane and fortunately isn't a shitty "the whole thing was fake" sort of twist. "
It really doesn't wobble that much. I just got out of the movie and people are building up the wobble in their heads.
" My main point is that I don't feel like Cobb would settle for anything other than the reality was in, now whether or not that is a dream I am still unsure of that. I feel like I am trying to figure out the plot too much now, and thinking about the ideas of the movie, which I think is more important. "
I think you're right that he wouldn't 'consciously' accept the dream as reality. However, an idea I have been playing around with is whether the Inception mentioned in the title is possibly one Cobb is pulling over on himself--and the idea he is trying to trick himself into believing is that he has found Reality. If the ending is part of the dream, what if the entire ploy was an elaborate setup Cobb created to bring himself to the point where he could both defeat/release Mal, and defeat Limbo (by revisiting it and saving Saito), so that he could feel he had earned the right to go home and be with his kids.
" My main point is that I don't feel like Cobb would settle for anything other than the reality was in, now whether or not that is a dream I am still unsure of that. I feel like I am trying to figure out the plot too much now, and thinking about the ideas of the movie, which I think is more important. "
I think you're right that he wouldn't 'consciously' accept the dream as reality. However, an idea I have been playing around with is whether the Inception mentioned in the title is possibly one Cobb is pulling over on himself--and the idea he is trying to trick himself into believing is that he has found Reality. If the ending is part of the dream, what if the entire ploy was an elaborate setup Cobb created to bring himself to the point where he could both defeat/release Mal, and defeat Limbo (by revisiting it and saving Saito), so that he could feel he had earned the right to go home and be with his kids. "
I have been thinking about this idea as well. I think I would have to watch the movie again to work out all the plot details, but I could see Cobb trying to pull an inception on himself to convince himself of a "baseline" reality and just be happy with his kids. In the end, it really has the same outcome of meaning as him choosing if it is not a dream, in terms of him choosing to be with his family.
" It's up for interpretation. I wanted it to be reality, so I chose to interpret it that way. I like how they cut it off, leaving the audience to believe what they want. great film. "
Indeed. While I think most people will agree it's reality, the way the movie ends is a ploy to make us do just this...talk about it. As a random side note, if you liked Christopher Nolan's "Inception" go rent "Memento." The acting isn't as great, but its as much of a mind fuck as Inception.
It doesnt realy matter if its reality or not because he believes it to be reality and he made it home to his kids so he made it to the place he worked so hard to get to
This; if it was a dream, the top wouldn't have wavered there at the end, mainly because it never, ever wavered during a dream. Gosh, that movie was a mindfuck!
It doesnt realy matter if its reality or not because he believes it to be reality and he made it home to his kids so he made it to the place he worked so hard to get to
"
This is part of the beauty of the movie -- it does such a good job of playing with the 'what is real?' question, but keeps a good balance by showing that humans simply don't exist well without some form of stable reality. So even if nothing is real, we need to commit to some form of reality, or we'll lose our minds.
Did anyone else feel some bizarre deja vu between this movie and Shutter Island? Aside from both starring Leo, they both also dealt with complex relationships with his wives, guilt, remorse, and questionable sanity/reality.
I was waiting for the payoff twist for pretty much the entire second half in the film. When Cobb wakes up from sampling the heavy sedative, he goes to a bathroom to regain composure. Saito stops him before he can test out his totem. The next three scenes after that move by very quickly. Later Saito is shot while the rest of the team is surprised by the ambush. I was waiting the whole film to discover the whole final act was an elaborate double cross to dig into Cobb and extract from him.
I'm glad it wasn't, and I'm glad we didn't get a clear cut answer. The final shot reminded me of how Blade Runner ends. We still debate today if Deckard was a replicant or not, and the argument is all but won that he is, but it's a question that will never be answered with absolution. And if it ever was, we'll only go "oh" and it won't feel as rewarding as the discussion. Same goes for this. That top looks like it was starting to wobble, but we'll never know. Either Cobb lives happily ever after, or he wakes up in the opium den and still has a job to do (or has a whole new dilemma if someone had him put under with intent)...
" Did we ever really see Cobb's totem? The one he is always using is the one that was his wife's. "
I think this is the thing that was most interesting to me. He was defined by her in so many different ways, in the end he was an empty vessel who wanted to be filled with love. As a person coming off a difficult break-up, that was the part of the movie that hit closest to home.
I'm gonna go see it again tonight because.... well, why the hell not?! Inception is great!
Dream. It creates a mystery to the whole movie, where it's impossible to tell what's dream and what's reality, because the perceived reality could just be a dream.
I really think this may be my favorite film of all time. Before that is was Donnie Darko followed by Following (Nolan's first flick). Nolan can do no wrong.
Also, I don't know if anyone noticed, but Mal's little beauty mark on her forehead was only present during "dream" sequences (I say "dream" because we don't know if any reality is presented in the film), reflecting Cobb's inability to perfectly recreate her. Also, Cobb is the name of a guy in Following. In fact, all the name's reflect the characters. Mal, Ariadne, Cobb (profession is similar to Cobb's in Following), and Arthur.
EDIT:Also, at the end when he fist spins the totem, it begins wobbling. It then cuts to him seeing his kids, and then cuts back to the totem spinning again. So maybe it fluctuates with the wobbling?
I kind of got the impression that the wobbling was more the table than anything. Like the sound it made and the way it wobbled was similar to a top hitting a groove, not necessarily that it was stopping. I don't know what the would signify though. I like to think he was in reality.
When Cobb and the crew woke up in the plane, the dream machine was gone. There was no removal of the syringes, or any sign of the suitcase getting returned to the cabinet. When Cobb and his previous crew woke up in the train, however, they had to pull the syringes out and unman the suitcase.
" When Cobb and the crew woke up in the plane, the dream machine was gone. There was no removal of the syringes, or any sign of the suitcase getting returned to the cabinet. "
That's because he and Saito woke up after the rest of the team.
"EDIT:Also, at the end when he fist spins the totem, it begins wobbling. It then cuts to him seeing his kids, and then cuts back to the totem spinning again. So maybe it fluctuates with the wobbling? "
I actually think I just realised how I'm going to interpret this film based on what you just wrote. My guess beforehand was that he's still in the dream, but now I think he was in reality (hence how it began to wobble as he span it) but as soon as he sees his kids he is living out what he's dreamed of for years: to be with his kids again. I think the final shot of the top spinning endlessly is a simple metaphor that's hidden by implications bigger than it really is. He's living out his dream in reality.
Saw the movie a second time to confirm this theory. I shared this on Screened but I feel its pertinent here as well. Here is the simplest answer to the ending confusion:
Throughout the entire film, Dom Cobb is wearing a wedding band whenever he is in a dream, and is not wearing one whenever he is in the "real world" present.
He is not wearing a wedding band in the final scene.
" Saw the movie a second time to confirm this theory. I shared this on Screened but I feel its pertinent here as well. Here is the simplest answer to the ending confusion:
Throughout the entire film, Dom Cobb is wearing a wedding band whenever he is in a dream, and is not wearing one whenever he is in the "real world" present.
He is not wearing a wedding band in the final scene. "
It could simply be because he finally let her go and his dream is reflecting that. @Bo17 said:
" @Xtrememuffinman said:
"EDIT:Also, at the end when he fist spins the totem, it begins wobbling. It then cuts to him seeing his kids, and then cuts back to the totem spinning again. So maybe it fluctuates with the wobbling? "
I actually think I just realised how I'm going to interpret this film based on what you just wrote. My guess beforehand was that he's still in the dream, but now I think he was in reality (hence how it began to wobble as he span it) but as soon as he sees his kids he is living out what he's dreamed of for years: to be with his kids again. I think the final shot of the top spinning endlessly is a simple metaphor that's hidden by implications bigger than it really is. He's living out his dream in reality. "
That is genius. I am floored good sir. Doesn't change my theory though XD
@Xtrememuffinman: I wouldn't go so far as to try and change your mind. I just felt you needed credit for giving me the idea because it wasn't until you reminded me of the slight wobble the totem gave as he span it that it suddenly panned out in my mind. So, yeah. Thanks =)
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