Only big plot hole in this movie is arent you not supposed to touch other peoples totems because only you need to know what its like and how did he get old in the dream, but cobb's age changes in his dreams, flashbacks show him old, then when they die to wake up they were young then, and woke up.
Its not a plot hole. Cobb only realized the importance of having your own totem, AFTER he Incepted Mal. She had a totem for Limbo. It was her idea to forget reality. Cobb did not forget reality. He knew what was real. He found Mal's totem and changed it. But he had no idea of the ramification. So he kept the top as a keepsake of her. And a top does not spin forever in reality. So it was a totem others could use as well. But it did not help Mal, because she was Incepted with the idea that her world was not real. The totem could not help her. Nobody could help her. She could not get rid of the idea that was planted in her. The most resilient parasite.
@@tykjenffs The totems simply reflect back to the person what they already believe. Their value is in giving the person the trust to take the leap of faith, but this only works if they actually believe the totems can guide them. Cobb understood this at the end which is why he walked away from the spinning top. It wasn’t going to reveal to him the truth. He already knew the truth.
The top was Mal's totem, not Cobb's. Cobb's totem, whether he realized it or not, is his wedding ring. In the dream sequences, he is wearing it. In reality, he isn't wearing his wedding ring.
+mw4205 Earlier in the movie... *Cobb*: If I get on this plane and you don't honor our arrangement, when we land I go to jail for the rest of my life. *Saito*: If you complete the job, I make one phone call from the plane and you'll have no trouble getting through Immigration.
+Adam Ohm What he means is that he loves that he makes that phone call straight away. Saito was in limbo for what, to him, would have felt like half a century, at least. He's spent a lifetime in the dream-world, perhaps even forgetting (until Cobb appears) that it is not real, but as soon as he wakes, the very first thing he does is honour his word (and he even remembers the number). No shock, no nostalgia, no celebration - just fulfilling the promise. I say perhaps forgetting, but honestly, it'd be even more impressive if he was for the entire time aware that it was just a dream; imagine waiting patiently, all that time, with only a single purpose in mind.
@@WiggaMachiavelli lmaoo you idiot didnt see the movie properly , he didnt lose track of reality , somewhere in his own mind there was inception by leonardo that made him aware that he is still in dream , but so many layers down , deep in limbo he started forgetting that the world is not real , but he still had that little spark , that is why he knows leonardo name , and also leonardo forgot that he was in the limbo , they voth through conversion remind themselves , thus in the end either saito kills himself in limbo to wake and then leonardo kills himself or leonardo is just stuck up in limbo forever , but I dont think leonardo did because I guess he also.killed himself to wake up
Dee A Same here. But I edited so many mashups...Im on a 5 year break from seeing the entire movie. I want to forget it completely..and watch it over again and again ^
@@tykjenffsRevolutionary Road came out in ‘08 if I recall correctly. For what it’s worth though Inception and Shutter Island within the same year is insane too.
This is leaps and bounds ahead of anything that's been in the cinema for quite sometime. I'm SO glad I saw this at the IMAX. I'm SO glad I was around to embrace this film.
The ending of Inception is meant to leave you thinking and questioning the nature of reality. The important question is not "Is Cobb still dreaming?" -- What is important is the fact that the character of Cobb goes from being a guy who is obsessed with "knowing what's real" to ultimately being a person who stops questioning and accepts what makes him truly happy as what's real.
To me it would be except for when Mal's projection complains to Cobb that he promised her they'd grow old together, he says "But we did" and it cuts to the two old people hand in hand. I'm tearing up just remembering the damn thing.
Yes if you’ve had lucid dreams where you lived years, waking up is just instant Edit: what I mean is that there’s no disconnect, almost like your brain has a different part reserved just for dreams, so it’s just tossed out of the way and right back to where to left off before you slept. I have had some dreams where I was in there for very long, in the dreams own time.
that's an interesting point in regards to those certain people who dream decades+, would most likely be somewhat cognitively un-alike the person originally went to sleep. because upon waking up, due to the fact of accumulating a vast amount of new memories from the dream. surely that phone number would seem like lifetime or two ago in order to remember. great point again. this was a great thought provoking film. just like nolans newest film oppenheimer. i hope every person can especially see that one. cheers
might honestly agree with you, watched this in theatres when i was 13 and still too young to truly comprehend it. Just rewatched it again and omg this scene, this scene in particular has never given me such chills down my spine. incredible
One thing I loved about this scene is how Cobb asks him to take a leap of faith, which is the exact same thing Mal asked of Cobb when she killed herself. Saito and Cobb had probably spent so long in limbo at this point that Saito didn't know if he was dreaming or not. Cobb had his totem, but Saito describes his memories of reality as a half-remembered dream. To him, the totem would topple in a dream, and remain spinning in reality. It's a wonderfully done parallel to Cobb and Mal.
Indeed. Cobb was arguing in limbo with his own subconscious projected in the image of his wife. A wife that was lovely in real life, but malicious within the dreamworld.
He got out of the dream. During the whole movie, even though he said that the top was Mal's totem, we started thinking it was his because he always had it. He was just holding onto Mal. Remember. He planted the idea in mal's head that if the top was still spinning, her world wasn't real. So he used the totem and that idea that went with it, to hep him know what was real, and what wasn't. Since mal died in real life, the top has no relevance to her. So Cobb can use it whenever he wants. Now. The ring theory, even though I have watched this many times, I'm not sure about, but it does make perfect sense. Cobb went back in the end as he promised and found Saito. Saito was in Limbo, and he didn't remember anything from his mission he had with Cobb. But, when Cobb saw that it was him, and completed his sentences, saying "I'm just an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone" Which is what Saito told him repeatedly throughout the movie, He remembered, shot himself, and him and Cobb returned to the real world. Now the reason why they were all still on the plane, was because in the dream world, the time lasts longer. Cobb wasn't in his limbo, he was in Saito's. Saito had memories of earlier dreams, the prominent one being that room which we see in the beginning of the movie. Now the whole theory stating that they were dreaming the WHOLE TIME I mean like Cobb was just dreaming all of this, can't be true. I think Christopher Nolan inserted something in the movie that made that theory not even probable. Ariadne made a totem for herself. It was a unique chess piece. When she was done, she knocked it over to make sure it would work properly. If it wouldn't have knocked over, she would've been dreaming, and still that wouldn't have meant they were in Cobb's dream. His totem had to fall or whatever to ensure he was in reality. I do believe Cobb's totem was his wedding ring, because it wasn't seen in the last scene. In allllll of Cobb's dreams, him and Mal were STILL MARRIED AND STILL TOGETHER. when he wasn't dreaming, it was reality, and Mal had killed herself. So, he didn't wear his wedding ring. But, we don't see any reference to his wedding ring at all during the movie. Maybe only when Mal asks "do you remember when you asked m to marry you?" but again i think that was another idea Nolan wanted us to figure out or think of. Another reason I think they did it is because when Cobb is walking back to collect his things, Fischer Jr. recognizes him, but not directly. and they all don't talk to each other because they don't want Fischer Jr. to suspect ANYTHING ABOUT THE DREAM OR THE IDEA THEY PLANTED INTO HIS MIND. And the whole theory that he was still dreaming because when he woke up they weren't concerned for him, wasn't right either. Ariadne tells Arthur that Cobb will be okay, When Arthur says he will be lost. They all know he will be okay. And they didn't talk to him because of what i said in my last comment. The reason Cobb got through security without a problem was because Saito called right when he woke up and kept his promise to Cobb. I think that's why Nolan inserted the security pause also.
I rewatched the movie today after 8 years and it turns out that as of yesterday I believe (crazy timing) the ending was confirmed to have been reality. Good to know because I was freaking out for a couple of minutes until I looked it up. I know that the totem was starting to look like it was going to fall over but I think they said that CN purposely left the ending ambiguous for the watchers so neither was really confirmed but I guess up to the watchers but now we have a definitive answer
There is no his/her limbo , everyone's limbo is same , watch the scene where joseph gordonn levitt and leonardo when they enter the warehouse after.capturing cillian murphy
[Saito] : Have you come to kill me ? [Saito] : I'm waiting for someone. [Cobb] : Someone from a half-remembered dream. [Saito] : Cobb ? [Saito] : Impossible, We were young men together. [Saito] : I'm an old man [Cobb] : Filled with regret. [Saito] : Waiting to die alone. [Cobb] : I've come back for you, To remind you of something. [Cobb] : Something you once knew, That this world is not real. [Saito] : To convince me to honour our arrangement ? [Cobb] : To take a leap of Faith, Yes. [Cobb] : Come back... So we can be young men together again. [Cobb] : Come back with me. [Cobb] : Come Back.
I love this film and one of my all time greats .. hand on heart I’d like to say I really understand this film but which ever way u look at it there’s another flip to it 😂. Such a great movie ❤❤
Sometimes I feel that Cobb is talking to himself (subconscious). He is trying to pull the last piece of himself from limbo, from his lucid dream and come back to reality. The moment he is asking Saito (projection of one part from himself) to come back and that particular way, essentially begging that part of him to come back...to be young men together again and accept reality.
What i find so fascinating is that you could live a whole lifetime in your mind in a couple hours. This movie and Vanilla Sky are the only movies where i wish it were to be possible to just sleep and be in control and live a life without all the bs.
@@nicholascerniglio7618 if mimosa hostilis bark isn't banned where you live it is very simple to extract yourself. if you can bake brownies from a box you have all the skills necessary. the q21q21 vinegar/lime extraction is simple. however any dairy products you have in your refrigerator will get tainted during the freezing process and taste of lighter fluid. i will warn you that if the escapism/alternate life idea appeals to you you are at risk of a psychological dependency on it. i had that issue and had to stop for a long time because of it.
They were both lost down there, but the spinning top started to remind Cobb of the Dreamworld he was in, and from then on Saito too became aware. And that was the key. Awareness that its not real. Only then its a safe escape. Mal basically took a leap of faith with Cobb on the traintracks as she was completely lost. And sadly she became more lost after Cobb incepted her with the truth that "her world was not real".
This movie I couldn't fully understand the concept as a 16-17 y/o when it released. Watching it tonight it dawned on me that I didn't just feel like drugs would alter your mind and question what is real. Every waking day technology is advancing where we question the future. Sure enough it will get to the point where it is present and that feeling of is it real will be eerily similar.
She basically lost her mind being in limbo and the idea of “this world is not real “ was applied to the actual world as well. But then she would not know what world is real and she just went insane.
What's amazing is that we're actually in limbo by watching it. At the end we don't know whether the spiner stops or not. We can't define if Dom reunion with his kids is a reality. We're confused. But you can see that at the ending scene Dom doesn't put the ring on his finger. He only puts it in a dream. So that's the totem for the viewers. Which means Dom united with his kids in reality.
I think the real point of the ending is that Cobb leaves the totem behind. He no longer cares if it is real or not, something he was obsessively anxious over the entire movie, constantly checking his totem. But when he finally is home and with his kids, he doesn't care- that's the true message.
Limbo is also a state of mind. If one is lost in Limbo and wakes up without knowing its not real, one will probably end up like Mal; brains for scrambled eggs leading to a tragic suicide. Cobb only knew one way of getting to Limbo. Which means Ariadne must have done some experiments of her own during the planning of the Fischer mission, since she proposed to just dream one level further when Cobb thought it was all over. Ariadne knew she was entering Limbo, so she had no problems escaping it.
Man. i watch this, again... and the same thing happens. i get the goosebumps when cobb whispers "come back.." and Saito grabs the gun, and Cobb wakes up in the airplane...
@Karnezar The end being a dream or not is still in question. Cobb did not ride the big kick, he stayed behind to look for Saito, the only man to redeem him of his regret. He found Saito, in a state of being old, filled with regret and waiting for someone. And that someone was Cobb. And Cobb had the totem with him, which started to remind Saito. And when Saito realized limbo was not real, he kicked Cobb and himself out of limbo with the gun.
It's possible that you're right. The beauty of this movie is that we can argue with equally convincing evidence that it wasn't a dream as well and then spend weeks or months in debate at the end of which we will realize that we [as the audience] became like Fischer and an "inception" that forbids us from forgetting about this movie has been performed on us by Christopher Nolan. In fact, this isn't even a movie... it's an experience!
@oopopp Hell yea. On a wild sidenote, Inception made me realize that its me who's been my biggest enemy throughout my life. And it also taught me that true change can only come from within.
The entire movie is an inception on the audiences mind from the inceptor. Which is why they movie's time length mirrors the same length of the song they play before going back up a a level. Which is why the the spinning top is left going on at the end (the same way Cobb incepted Mal's mind with the safe and the spinning top). Which is why people are still talking about this today (the idea is growing) because Christopher Nolan incepted our minds, hence the movie being called INCEPTION!!!
A few things to wonder about: 1: Why does Saito have projections in Limbo? Since Cobb + Mal never seemed to have any around them in there 2: why don’t Saito’s projections kill Cobb instead of bringing him to Saito? Since projections are supposed to be innately hostile. 3: why are Saito’s projections militarised? Since in the two previous dreams of his he only had bouncers / an angry mob as projections
1. Cobb + Mal had their kids around them in Limbo. To the point where it broke them. 2. Saito is waiting for someone... so the guards might just check with him first.. 3. Cobb most likely trained Saito in Dreamshare. So its militarized.
Many people have wondered how Saito could just pick up the phone after how many years in Limbo. I was simply suggesting the telephone number Saito called might have been a reality check. Maybe he called his wife, before making the phonecall that set Cobb free.
Maybe just maybe this scene is hinted that saito turn mal totem and cobb saying come with me and remember our agreement. Meant that saito got inception by cobb. Because he planted the idea the proof is saito wakes up and straight calling the team because he remembered the agreement
As I sit here after years of shedding the layers of false self that have accumulated like moss on an old temple, I can’t help but resonate deeply with this scene. There is a deep part of us all that needs to be reminded of who we really are. To come back home. And it takes a leap of faith to let go of a life that feels so real that you can reach out and touch it but leaves you feeling like you are drinking endless buckets of sea water to quench your thirst. Is this real? Is it a dream?
I just realized that if someone was in limbo, the only way you could find or reach them is if you were in limbo, too. Together you kill the bs and get back to living life. Interesting.
@@mneumonictowel Not really the point. Inception was not talked about enough back in the day. Everyone was too distracted by the ending. But it has themes that is worthy of much more discussions. And that will come. Just like Blade Runner did decades after its release.
Regardless of your theory, it could also mean he got back to reality. Cobb's radical notion of the top projected its special property when Saito set it to spin. And Cobb could not see his childrens faces in the dream world, only in reality. And seeing their faces again was his assurance, enough to ignore the top in reality.
quando si risvegliano e si guardano mi viene un colpo al cuore, lui è vissuto altri boh 60-70 anni, la sua mente è invecchiata tantissimo, chissà che trauma, ti fa dubitare di tutto, ti fa sperare che il film sia vero, che possa davvero avvenire
Why does Saito suddenly realize it is Cobb when Cobb says: "Someone from a half-remembered dream".? Earlier on Saito said the exact same thing; "It belonged to a man I met in a half-remembered dream." Cobb wasnt applying any imformation that Saito didnt already know, and yet, he suddenly realizes it is Cobb...
It’s because they’ve had that conversation in limbo beforeC, many times. The first scene isn’t a flashback, it’s a loop. Which is why it’s the same but slightly different. It’s de ja vu for both Cobb and Saito realising who each other are and what they’re doing there. There may have been many iterations until the sedative in real life wore off and they could kick themselves out of limbo.
* School friend from 2006 shows up. Holding a copy of the PS2 game GTA San Andreas * Me: I have played this game before, many many years ago. It reminds me of a time that... is just a half remembered dream to me now. Me: Is it really you? Impossible, we were young teenagers together. Me: I am a 30 Year-old Boomer now. Friend: Slowly rotting away. Me: Alone in a studio apartment. Friend: I have come back for you...
Saw it back to back myself ^ Was quite the mindfuck. And then started to read about Jung and dream interpretations and then the movie started to make more and more sense.
COBB NEVER GOT OUT OF HIS OWN DREAM HE USED MEMORIES AND IF YOU REMEMBER HIM EXPLAING THAT TO ARIADNE NEVER USE SCENE FROM YOUR MEMORY BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH WHAT IS REAL OR WHAT IS A DREAM
if the levels above have collapsed you go straight to reality. and in order to get to level 4, one must travel through level 1 2 and 3. 3 Dreamers needed, but Mal and Cobb were only 2. Which means they sacrificed a lot of risk going to level 4 since they gotta collapse the levels above. No dreamers stayed behind in level 1 2 or 3 when Cobb and Mal experimented.
When I saw this in the theater , the music was SO LOUD that I almost complained to a manager. It shook the walls! You could hear it next door in other theaters while they’re movie played. I know this, cause I snuck into another movie after this one ended.
When I was high on shrooms a few weeks back, Inception played a BIG part in my trip. Got paranoid about being stuck in limbo/time/something, was struggling to separate reaity and my hallucinations and I think this scene played a big part in that.
I was on a lil lsd and rewatched inception for like the 3rd time. When i finally understood that saito was stuck for like 50 years it really messed me up and hit me hard
Nice touch! Maybe because, if you can project human beings with all the abilities we saw in the movie, there might be a chance that the projection is extensively refined, i am that the projection in limbo can go as far as human with beings with their feelings and memories and so on.
The ring is merely a visual clue, not a totem. Cobb did not reality-check himself with the ring in the movie. But the ring is on him in Limbo across the table from Saito, and its not on him when he hands over the passport to the customs agent.
Cobb would have had a starting point as an extractor where he first went into dream security. He would have kept track of where the real world is based on his first time extracting and/or training. This, coupled with the fact that he then went and performed inception before means he knows what its like and as long as he was able to keep track of the level of the real world during his first inception with Mal, then he will always know which level is ghe real world. Based on this.. he eould 100% know if he was dreaming or not in the last scene.
Saito: Are you here to kill me? Cobb: .....actually....I'm here to talk about your car's extended warranty... Saito: *shoots himself* "Inception By Chris Nolan"
