I waited a few days to write this so I could let the movie sink in. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you doing? It's the movie of the summer. I don't claim to be a movie expert, and don't usually see the "award-winning" movies, but this was probably the best movie I've seen in a real long time, and wouldn't be surprised if it is a strong candidate for movie of the year.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILERS I'M CORRUPTING YOUR BRAIN AND RUINING THE STORY DON'T READ THIS.
I got in this debate with my buddy after we saw it - was the whole thing a dream? It's entirely feasible that the entire movie was just Cobb's imagination, that he had been lost in limbo the entire movie, and was just continuing to go down the rabbit hole.
ARGUMENTS FOR: The end scene doesn't make sense - if he came out of limbo he wouldn't see his kids in the same scenario as he's had them left in his memory. They should be older, but if they're not, that EXACT scenario wouldn't happen unless it was a dream. That's why his totem didn't show any signs of stopping. But it's also that Christopher Nolan was messing with us.
Also when Cobb comes out of limbo and back onto the plane, no one seems shocked to see him. As if he was always supposed to come back. How could he have kicked back through that many dreams when he missed his chance 3 or 4 times?
If he was in his own dream the whole time, wouldn't he get what he wants? I.E. seeing his children, getting over his guilt of killing his wife, etc.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST: The totem would stop spinning in the "real" world.
He couldn't re-enter his own dreams twice (based on what we know,) but they never really explained how dreams work and what the "rules" are - or even how it came to be. They mentioned that this used to be a military exercise, but how did they get access to it?
That was my only problem with the movie - they never explained how it all works. How do they get the things they need? Is there a Matrix-like ability for them to summon whatever the desire (guns, cars, clothes, etc) ? We're just supposed to accept this world where this technology exists. Let's roll with it.
I'm out of ideas for and against, but just wanted to voice my opinion.
Sweet dreams.
1. the totem did infact show a sign of stopping, arguable yes - but it didnt spin flawlessly as it did when it was in the safe
ReplyDelete2. his kids don't necessarily need to be older. as far as i remember, michael kane never specifically said how long Cobb had been gone for. it could have easily been over a month's span
3. when Cobb wakes up onto the plane, no one would be shocked to see him because only a minute could have gone by (in real time) while the others waited for him to wake up, but in the 4th layer of subconscious the amount of time Cobb was trying to find/get the Jap outta there could have been years -- but only been minutes on the plane
4. the derranged wife would have projected herself into Cobb's subconscious from the moment he woke up on the plane to the amount of time it took him to get home -- but she was no where to be found..
... all agruments for Cobb not being in limbo anymore!
1) it showed signs, but didn't stop.
ReplyDelete2) they never gave a time, but the way Cobb seemed it had been more than just a month - grandmother said he was never coming home, Michael Caine's character taking presents home, etc. Even if it was a month, to have it look as the EXACT scenario as Cobb remembered it is too convenient.
3) A minute in real time would have given the crew enough time to express concern about Cobb being left in limbo or one of the other dreams, and that minute passing they would still be shocked to see him come back from limbo, unless they come out at the same time
4) Potentially she could have disappeared from his subconscious from their confrontation in limbo and he was in another dream and she was finally out.
I'm pretty sure it was all real, but it's possible the other way.