OK, so now it is time to talk about my new favorite movie --Inception. And by the way, I'm not the only one who thinks this movie is that good. On IMDB's top 250 movies of all time list, voters have placed this at number three (right between The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II). But, before we get down to the very juicy ending, I just wanted to mention a few things about the film in general.
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love all Christopher Nolan films. I have seen them all and love the storylines and how the stories are visually presented as well as the thought-provoking, complex themes explored. Before I even knew what this movie was about, I knew I had to see it simply because Nolan had written and directed it. The cast also sounded great: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, and Michael Caine! Yes, an odd collection but all great actors who do make it all work convincingly. When I found out the film was about dreams, I wanted to see it that much more. I know Nolan is very interested in the mind, memory, and dreams, as well as what is real and whether reality is subjective, objective, or in fact doesn't matter at all. I find these topics fascinating and not at all "gimmicky" as some haters contend. While addressing the critics, I would also like to say that those who don't understand certain plot points should not be excused. Unless you were not listening, there is no reason why you should not understand this film and the elements of the various dream levels. I will agree that this movie demands an attentive viewer and that if you get too immersed in your popcorn or take several bathroom breaks, you are liable to miss some important piece of information. However, unlike Memento or Following, this movie does not demand mental Olympics at the end to try to decipher the events leading up to the big finale. It is basically told in chronological order and keeps the audience on the same page as the events unfold. So, for the blogger on EW who asks what happens to you in one dream level when you enter a deeper level, the answer is you are sleeping (duh --it's a dream within a dream --get it?).
Anyway, this brings me to the big ending and this is where even the most attentive viewers disagree. The big question everyone has is, "Does Cobb return to reality or is his reunion with his children nothing more but a dream?" I am on the side that believes this to be reality. And these are my reasons:
1. Cobb was promised that he would be able to return to the U.S. and see his children if he successfully completed the mission which is pretty evident that he did because Fischer was convinced not to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue the family empire.
2. Although the screen fades to black before we see the ultimate outcome of the spinning totem, it does appear to slow down and start to lean to one side more as an indication that it may be getting unstable.
3. In a very emotional scene never the end, Cobb confronts Mal (interesting choice of a name --in Spanish it means "bad" as many of the characters in this seem to have meaningful names), saying that he could never imagine her as detailed as she could be in real life. He goes on to say that to live with this imperfect, incomplete version of her would not be worth it. Therefore, why would Cobb ever want to live with an imperfect, incomplete version of his children. He would want the real them.
4. Cobb finally sees his children's faces and he even touches them for the first time.
5. It is very clear that all members of the mission, including Cobb, wake up on the airplane and return to real life, gathering their luggage at the airport, etc.
Now, people who insist the ending is a dream will give the following as support:
1. The children are wearing seemingly the same clothes as in Cobb's dreams and appear to be the same age.
I admit this seemed problematic for me as well, but we don't know how much time has passed since he last saw them. Remember, dream time does not equal real time. They could still be about the same age, and if so, children often wear the same clothes, especially if they are their favorites or are their designated play clothes.
2. We don't actually see the totem stop rotating and fall.
Yes, this is true as mentioned. However, I believe Nolan is certainly playing tricks on us and doesn't want this to be too easy after all. He has succeeded in this as now we are the ones questioning what is real and what is not. Many people on various blogs have commented that perhaps the whole film is yet another dream level and we are really never even shown reality at any point. I think Nolan is probably chuckling at these comments. He's got us questioning everything and made us bury down and down, into our own "basements," not able to come up anymore. It really is like finding a labyrinth, with no way out, just more and more layers. But, there is a cautionary tale in there --we must not become like Mal where we cannot decipher dreams from reality.
3. Some have pointed to the fact that the ending feels rushed and "dreamlike" so it is therefore unreal.
Well, first of all it is 148 minutes long --how long is it supposed to run? I found the ending to just be an effective montage. The flight attendant clearly hid the suitcase quickly so Fischer would not see it and become suspicious. And, why do we need to see all the details at the airport? How boring would it be to watch each character go through all the pedestrian aspects of claiming luggage and maneuvering through the airport.
One issue that people also question is why does Cobb turn his back on the spinning totem. Is it because he is sure it is reality and doesn't need to see it cease spinning? Is it because he sees it spinning and is rapidly convinced it is a dream, not waiting to see his belief confirmed? Is he just excited to see his kids that he neglects to see the results unfold? Or, does it no longer matter to him what is real and what is not? In other words, is reality subjective, open to interpretation and different for each person? Is the ending Cobb's own reality --different from yours and different from mine? It is what he lives, what he wants it to be, what feels real to him. Does it matter what we think and how we label it?
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there was no doubt in my mind that the ending was "real!"
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