Inception &#8211; My Questions, Your Thoughts?

Jul

Inception – My Questions, Your Thoughts?

Posted on July 29th, 2010 in Life and Family by Fred McKinnon

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* SPOILER ALERT *

When I started seeing the previews to “Inception” I didn’t think it was the type of movie I’d pay to see. Thanks to the buzz on social networking services like Twitter and Facebook, I changed my mind. It seems like every person that went was sounding off on what an awesome movie it was. I’d call it a “real mind bender”.

I was told countless times to pay attention to everything – to make sure I took care of everything (ie. bathroom, snacks, etc) before the movie so that I wouldn’t miss anything … and I listened to your advice.

So when the movie was over, I thought to myself “yeah, I think I’ve got it!”.

Then I came home … and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I didn’t miss something huge.

So here’s what I think … and here’s a few of my questions. If you saw the movie, please comment and share your thoughts. It will only take a moment.

My Thoughts:

On the ending … I *think* that their mission was successful. I *think* that they were awake, and in reality. I *think* the top would’ve toppled.

If I’m wrong, I clearly missed some things.

Questions:

1. Why did it START with that scene on the beach where he was captured, and taken into the old man? The same scene that happened towards the end.
2. Was the old man at the end the Asian guy (who got shot) who’d hired Leonardo anyway? (I say Asian, he looked kind of Asian to me!)
3. Why was Leonardo still young at the end (in the dream), but the Asian guy (if that’s who he was) so old (in the dream)? They were both in the same “dream” at the same “time” right … unless his dying after getting shot made his time move faster?
4. Why did the kids’ ages never change? I mean, I know that very little time happened (ie. 10 hours) in real-life-time during the main dream … but how long had his wife been dead. (assuming she really was dead).

So, overall, I believed the story line … I believed that everything must have worked, that Leonardo was able to get the Asian guy back, that they woke up on the plane, and that his phone call got Leonardo home to his kids, and that Leonardo and his wife had previously been in the long dream before the movie began, etc. That her jumping off the building was “real life” … that Leonardo was right.

DID I MISS SOMTHING BIG AND OBVIOUS?

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http://randyelrod.com Randy Elrod

Fred,

I just saw it for the second time. It was just as mesmerizing as the first time. Maybe more so.

I recommend reading this article by @jonahlehrer http://bit.ly/bsibRm . It is a fascinating look at the movie.

I want more movies like this. That make me think. Awesome post!

Randy

http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

Very interesting, Randy – thanks for the link. A 2nd time will definitely help. One thing is for sure, “ma” … she continues to make us question the whole issue of what is real.

Great flick!

http://www.russhutto.com Russ Hutto

1. Why did it START with that scene on the beach where he was captured, and taken into the old man? The same scene that happened towards the end.

Maybe the entire thing is one big loop? Like if we kept following it, it would happen again and again and again?

2. Was the old man at the end the Asian guy (who got shot) who’d hired Leonardo anyway? (I say Asian, he looked kind of Asian to me!)

Yeah that was Saito (Ken Wantanbe) as an old man. I’m thinking that when a person is in limbo and accepts that as reality the aging process kicks in. When Cobb (Leo) goes in to get Saito he knows that it’s not reality so he stays young. When Cobb and Mal are in their limbo together they stay there for 50 years and are really old when he convinces her to come out of it.

3. Why was Leonardo still young at the end (in the dream), but the Asian guy (if that’s who he was) so old (in the dream)? They were both in the same “dream” at the same “time” right … unless his dying after getting shot made his time move faster?

Same answer as #2. It’s about perception and knowing where you are. Saito has grown old because he perceives that realm is his reality. Cobb isn’t old, because he knows it’s not reality.

4. Why did the kids’ ages never change? I mean, I know that very little time happened (ie. 10 hours) in real-life-time during the main dream … but how long had his wife been dead. (assuming she really was dead).

That’s the REAL kicker at the end. The kids look exactly like HIS memories of them. If enough time has passed they’d at least be in different clothes (but they’re not). So then (contrary to what we WANT the ending to be)…the top keeps spinning at the end and we realize that he’s probably still in a dream. Which stinks because we want a happy ending, but the fact that the kids don’t age or change, might mean he’s still dreaming.

I personally, don’t believe he ever came out of the dream. My wife thinks otherwise. She likes movies that you can tie up with a happy ending. I like movies that make you think.

I think they ended it in such a way that you could project your own ending onto it, but if you think about the “little details” in the movie, it leans a little more to the whole thing being a dream.

I want to go see it again though to see if I can pick up on more of those details.

http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

Great thoughts, Russ – let me know when you’re ready for #2 .. I may go with you! Yeah, actually, perhaps the ending, when they wakeup on the plane, was all part of HIS dream.

http://www.chrisfromcanada.com Chris

I saw it last night and I think all of your *thinks* are wrong

I won’t say anything more but I think the secret is with one of the totems – it’s just not one that we’re directed to in the movie.

I have to see it again!

http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

now you’ve REALLY got me curious, Chris … what totem. The only ones I knew of were the dice, the top, and the chess piece. The more I think about it, the more I think the end probably was NOT reality. But I’m still clueless.
http://saysomagazine.com James R. A.

The totem is the key. The asian guy had Mal’s totem in the last part of the movie when he was aged. And I think I remember Leo saying “don’t let anyone touch your totem” becuase your totem is your grip on reality.

If you remember, the spining top totem originally belonged to Mal. She hid it deep in a secret place in the dream so that she would loose her grip on reality. Leo went and retrieved her totem and then was able to convince Mal to leave the dream.

That leads me to believe that the whole movie was a dream controlled by the Asian guy. I haven’t quite figured it all out — I need to see the movie a second time. But I’m starting to think that the Asian guy was in control the whole time — to get what he wanted: the split of the company.

What do you guys think?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1661182367 David Goodwin

I’ve only seen it the once, and being a Christopher Nolan uberfan I need to see it again, but … I think you’re right James.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=530448499 Leslie Sellers

I’m not sure about all those questions, but by the end I do believe that we never actually saw “reality”. I think the whole movie happens at least one level into their dreams. So the last scene, the totem keeps spinning because he’s still in the first level of his dream? We need to see it again too! I did really enjoy it, no matter how confusing!

http://www.fredmckinnon.com Fred McKinnon

Hey,
Like I said to Russ … if ya’ll wanna go hit it for the 2nd time .. .let me know, I’ll join you.

Tracie

I am glad this is a blog about questions more than answers, as I feel confused. It reminded me of watching the Matrix movies. To me, the end was a reality. I thought growing old with his wife was the dream, and that her death was a most current reality. She wanted to stay in the dream to grow old again but the reality didn’t make it possible so that’s why Leonardo wanted to keep visiting. The asian guy being old confused me too. Feel like the wife was dead because they died in their dream, and then she killed herself in real life. And to me the children were real. I thought the wife and him growing old part was their dream world, and his age/her death/and the I children was the present reality. I never saw the girls totem though during the whole process. So maybe in the end she was still dreaming and everybody else was projections. Haha I really have no clue just a guess. They need to make a sequel to clear it all up!
Tracie

By the girl I meant the architect who had the chess piece. Didn’t it mean if you had your totem you were in reality? And I never saw hers during the whole process, but did see Leonardo’s totem.
Tracie

If the end is a dream, I think it’s the girls who architected it, and the subconscious of the asian guy, with Leonardo’s projections. Haha that sounds like the Clue game/movie. If the end of the movie is reality, then the asian guy instead of staying in the dream, was able to get out because of Leonardo. And the wife is recently dead, and their growing old is a dream, and the children are real, and young still.
Ok that is my final thought. Unless I see it again
http://www.carusophotography.com Jay

The big thing for me as Russ points out, is the fact that the kids did not age. When he gets off that plane and goes home and sees them in the back yard, they look exactly the same as they did when he flashes back to the last time he saw them.

If I remember correctly (and this is why I need to see it again), when he spoke to his kids, they sounded older.

Take that for it is worth.

Whatever happened, all I know is that if Chris Nolan is making a movie, I am going to go see it. I already consider him one of the best directors of all time even with his small body of work. But it includes:

Memento
Insomnia
The Prestige
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
Inception
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1405481054 Jennifer Hudson

I had too many thoughts to confine them to a comment.

Feel free to take a look over at my blog:
http://persimmon-pulp.com/inception/

However…
1 – the scene from the beginning continued at the end. It picked up where it had left off.

2 – yes, the Asian guy is the old man – and he did exactly what Leonardo’s character said he would. Get old and forget why he was there.

3 – I think he got old because he was told he would.

4 – because I don’t think he ever actually FULLY woke up. At the very least their clothes should have changed. That and how probable is it that they would be wearing the same outfits playing in the same lighting and sitting the same way as in his memories?

Oh – and the kids were there on the beach at the beginning too. Building sand castles.
http://www.hypraise.com/blog/ Todd Barton

Reading everyone’s quotes and articles – loved the movie, esp the shot where Ellen Page folds Paris over on itself. Have seen it twice now.

One thing that keeps occurring to me reading these is Dom (and I believe the chemist) state that the brain works faster in a dream state – they do some sort of math stating that 5 minutes real-time is an hour of a “first-level” dream, and going layers within dreams is exponential (I think the arctic layer was supposed to last something like 10 years?) This could add a layer of clarity while adding another layer of complexity, esp to the Asian man’s time-line.
http://www.hypraise.com/blog/ Todd Barton

Just saw this, thought of this thread – timeline graphic.

http://dehahs.deviantart.com/art/Inception-Infographic-172424503

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