[Movie] Inception - Page 16

I definitely didn't understand a good chunk of that part, but I think Saito died of his gunshot a few moments before Cobb in the first dream level. I guess that translates to a bunch of years in the "limbo" dreamspace, so when Cobb drowned in the car, he was able to also enter the "limbo", just way later than Saito would had.

I think all they did once they found each other after those ~50 years was kill each other, and I guess Saito could have done so all along, but he just didn't know?

The only part that is bothering me is how they came back through the first dream. Wasn't it the feeling of falling that was supposed to wake them up when they were in the van? If so, then why were they able to swim out of the van THEN get woken up. The way i understood it was that if they werent able to jump start their way out of that dream, they'd be stuck there for a week. hmm this is the only part that is bothering me

First off, the motive for the whole movie taking place. The inception of the idea into the corporate heir's mind. The protagonists have no motive for this other than greed, and in Cobb's case, the need for his children. They literally explain the whole preface of the movie in a minute, saying that Saito's company can no longer compete with Fischer's company, so instead of using ethical corporate means they just decide to rub out a multi-billion dollar company. Such a potentially powerful plot piece goes to waste (justifying this rash movement by Saito, or at least a conversation between Saito and Fischer Jr.), as Saito's character isn't developed and this plot string shreads.

The arguably main story of the film, Cobb's story about losing his grasp on what was reality and what wasn't. If his mind was so compromised, why would Ariadne let him come? She knew full well how dangerous his subconscious was when Mal stabbed her in her second dream, as well as when she invaded Cobb's dream. You could say that she was ignorant to a point, but give me a break. She was an american student studying architecture in Paris from a British professor who thought highly of her, she wasn't exactly stupid in any regard.

Besides Ariadne, why would Cobb enter the multi-level dream if he knew exactly just how dangerous it would be for everyone involved. It wasn't his accomplices were just accomplices, they all knew his story, and were probably his only close friends. Is he really so selfish to endanger everyone around him just to get half of his life back? He could have just assembled the team, and then told Saito that he was a liability, and that he knew the rest of the team could do it. I assume he was just extremely selfish from everything that had happened to him before the film even started, which makes me care so much less for the scenes between him and Mal.

The Ending.
This isn't really a complaint as the ending didn't really make or break the movie, but really? They are going to leave the top teetering? To be honest, I thought his dad would have came and pushed it over while Cobb was running out the children. I was literally thinking "I'll have so much more respect for this film if he knocks it over, because then it could mean A. It was reality and Cobb's father just wanted to reassure Cobb, or B. that it was a dream and Cobb's subconscious just wanted to be done with the whole situation and just be happy." I was really disappointed, but it doesn't really matter.

What is this movie trying to be?
Was it trying to be a romance, an action movie, or just a thriller? I couldn't pin it on one of the three, and to be honest neither of the three genres prevailed in the end. Oh, it's listed as a drama, but there wasn't really anything dramatic in the movie, everything felt so understated to me in the end.

Final Thoughts
I know it's just a movie, I just into it with super high hopes i guess. With high recommendations from friends as well as movie critics, and tl.net I thought that inception was unstoppable, and that it could even topple Vanilla Sky as my favorite movie.

Unfortunately, it didn't come close. Inception's lack of an identity completely turned me off, and was the complete opposite of Vanilla Sky's direct shot of sadness and despair straight into my heart. While I have seen Vanilla Sky 40+ times, I'm afraid I will only see Inception once more just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Feels like i missed a few things about how/why certain effects are felt throughout the different dream worlds and some are not, whereas some are only felt 1 dream world away, and so on.

Ahh that would make some sense. Still not sure about that last part you mentioned though. Saito should be able to kill himself to return to reality while in that dreamspace, no?

-Jumping off the building in limbo
-blowing up the snow fortress
-releasing the cords on the elevator
-van hitting the water

I don't think Saito knew he was dreaming. When Cobb arrived he sparks the memory that they need to kill each other to return to the real world.

Ahhhhh okay yeah that makes sense. I recall Saito having to jog his memory in regards to what Cobb was telling him. The top also proves to be a significant thing at the scene too because of that. Thanks!

2 notes though:

1) Watch it a second time, and keep track of his hands. Specifically the wedding ring.

2) The whole movie itself, the point that an idea is contagious and can't be stopped like a virus sparks the very question if the ending is real or not. THATS the unspoken twist. If he's in reality, then the idea in our heads is to question how we know that. If he's in a dream, then it begs us to question what Cobb's reality is.