*SPOILER WARNING* Inception was brilliant. It’s definitely the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing and buy the Inception DVD immediately. If you have seen Inception, you may have been confused by the ending, no matter how impressed you were with the film. So I created an infographic with a theory about the ending of Inception.
Since infographics big in social media for visualizing information, this Inception Ending Explained Infographic is still somewhat on-topic. And as a disclaimer, yes, I am fully aware that I am a dork.
Download the Inception Ending Explained Infographic PDF
You’ll notice that there is a two distinct levels: Cobb’s Dream and Limbo. My theory on this stems from the fact that at the very end (and beginning) of the movie, Saito is old while Cobb is still the same age. Many people guess that it’s because Saito loses grip on what’s really reality while Cobb realizes that limbo is a dream so he doesn’t age, but I don’t buy that. I think a more reasonable explanation is that Saito dies in Eames’ dream from the gunshot wound before Cobb dies of the stab wound from Mal in Cobb’s dream, so Saito spends more “time” in limbo before Cobb dies and gets to limbo.
Backing this theory up is the fact that Ariadne “kicks” herself from Cobb’s dream by jumping off the building. If Cobb’s dream really was limbo, that kick would have been unsuccessful, as the only way out of limbo is to kill oneself. If Ariadne’s fall had killed her, she would have gone directly to reality (the plane). Instead, she joins the rest of the team and swims out the van in Yusuf’s dream.
Oh, and as for the question if the VERY ending is a dream or reality for Cobb? It’s reality. The top gets wobbly, and supposedly you can hear the thud of the fall a few seconds into the ending credits (though I admit I have to go see the movie again to verify). Also, throughout the movie Cobb wears his wedding rings in all dreams, and not in reality. At the very end, he is not wearing the ring, and therefore is in reality. His wedding ring may have been another totem. If you argue that the children are the same age at the end as throughout his memories, I have this question for you: do we know how long ago Mal died before the Inception mission takes place?
And to give credit where it’s due, this infographic was inspired by the awesome infographic by DeviantART. I wanted to see one with more visualizations, such as the cast and the imagery of the levels, and I thought the timeline element was a bit confusing, so I wanted to make one of my own!
EDIT: To answer the emails I’ve been getting asking how I made this infographic: PowerPoint is more awesome than you think. Also made some minor tweaks in Photoshop (image sizing and white silhouettes). Also, I respect all other theories out there; that’s the beauty of this movie, there are so many ways to interpret it.
What is your theory about the ending of Inception? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Very cool Diana!
Thanks!
One question though. Why doesn't Fisher go to limbo when he dies ? How does Cobb end up with him when he and Ariadne go into the next dream?
The ending isn't meant to indicate whether everything is a dream or not, it's meant to indicate that Cobb has stopped caring whether it's a dream or not. When he spins the top throughout the first half of the movie, he watches it intently to see if it falls. But in that last scene, he spins it, sees his children's faces, and decides that whatever this world is, it's real enough for him, and doesn't look back at it.
there is a hidden inception within in Inception watch again and look closer at the word “regret” it is said to Cobb, as he regrets he couldn’t do anything to save his wife. “Do you want to become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone?”. The song Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien is a nice touch. It’s meant for Cobb to overcome his demons and not become an old man filled with regret, his totem reminds him of Mal, his connection. The ending dictates that his overcome the connection to Mal.
I agree – this movie plays with time and regret. There is a link between “regression” and “regret” throughout. The idea that when / where we live with regret we “go backwards” through regression. Dreams can move backwards in time – play with time, reality seems to move only forward consistently. There are no regrets for killing or dying in this movie – that is a freeing act – only for the planting / stealing of ideas which permeate layers and these acts are far more powerful.
and thant’s the best thing in this movie
Ah, but Fischer didn't really die in Eames' dream; he just gets knocked out. Hence he goes to the next level of dreams with Cobb and Ariadne. Remember how Eames resuscitates Fischer? Fischer then wakes up and is able to go talk to his father in the dream, and the inception mission is accomplished.
Getting shot only knocks you out? Being returned from unconsciousness requires a defibrillator? How come they didn’t hook the dream machine up to Fischer to get to the “same dream” as him? Why is Cobb’s dream already established for Fischer?
No offense, but it doesn’t add up for me.
they are sedated, you die in the dream you drop down into limbo, where you share the space “dream” who has been there before, in this case Cobb that is why Fischer is in what others think of as Limbo
While most of your theories make sense, how does Cobb get through all of the dreams back to reality. The answer cannot be that he dies because they established in Yusuf's dream that if one of them were to die, they would go straight to limbo. So the only way to get back to reality is to “kick” though all of the levels – which Cobb did not do.
Hi! As I missed the first 5 mins of the movie, unfortunately, I m unable to relate to the old Saito and Cobb scene. Plz help me fill these blanks:
1. Once Cobb returns to reality(his kids and father), leaving Saito and rest in the airport after the 10 hr flight, how and why does Cobb washes-up on old Saito's house?
2. If its another dream that Cobb is in, when does this dream take place? Once he is back to his home or sometime else?
3. Why is Saito 'old' and Cobb young?
4. Can there be another theory that old Saito and Cobb is reality and all the rest of the story is old Saito's direction?
In limbo, at the very end (before they're all back in the airplane), you see Saito reach for a gun. Then it jumps right to the plane. I assume that when Saito recognizes Cobb, he realizes they are not in reality and are in limbo. Knowing that the only way out is to die, he shoots Cobb and then himself. It's one of those things they don't show, but it's assumed.
what about the very beginning of the Movie? Why there was a scene of Saito and Cobb dialog? And that dialog is not the same as the Limbo scene at the near end of the movie. When that scene has taken place? Is it possible the whole story is just a continuous looping all over again?
The entire movie is a flashback. In the beginning, Cobb pauses, presumably thinking about Inception, which was how he ended up in Limbo with the old Saito. That “thought” is shown as the main part of the movie.
1. Cobb doesn't wash up in Saito's house after the airport scene, it's before. After the scene in Saito's house (limbo), they wake up on the plane (reality).
2. Not sure which dream you're referring to here, but all the dreams in the mission take place within each other while they're sleeping on the plane.
3. Saito is old because he died in Eames' dream before Cobb dies of the stab wound in Cobb's dream. Each dream-level down extends your perception of time; for example 5 minutes in reality would seem like an hour in the dream, a day in the dream-within-a-dream, a week in the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream, etc., until limbo which could seem like a lifetime. The time between Saito dies and Cobb dies seems like a lifetime for Saito because of the time-perception difference between Cobb's dream and limbo. That is why Saito looks old and Cobb looks young.
4. I haven't heard that one yet, but sure. There can be many different theories; that's the beauty of this movie. It's all up for interpretation.
Your big flaw: Eames is never the dreamer – Fischer is. Although they fool Fischer into thinking that the level with the snow fortress is his Godfather's dream.
If Adriane's fall had killed her she would have gone to Limbo and not to the plane. They were too heavily sedated.
Hmmm… really? But if this is true, then that dream level wouldn't have been able to exist when Fischer passed out. All of the dreamers of each level had to remain within that dream (which is why Yusuf remained in the van, Arthur stayed in the hotel, etc.). I remember them tricking Fischer into thinking that dream was his Godfather's dream, but I'm still not convinced that the dream was Fischer's dream…
They *say* (i.e. they explicitly explain it to the viewer) that they are entering Fisher dream in level 3 but make him believe that they are entering his godfather’s dream. It seems there is no point arguing with you because you believe what you want even though it is explicitly explained to the viewer what happens. Same with Saito’s projections.
I’m not the only one who theorizes that level 3 was Eames’ dream.
IMDB FAQ: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/faq#.2.1.54
Eames is the dreamer. Fischer is the subject of the dream.
Anyone can write that FAQ and the other thing it says is also wrong because the dreamer isn’t designing the level, but the architect. Before they enter level 3, they *say* that they are entering Fisher’s dream even though they told Fisher that he thinks that he is entering his godfather’s dream so that’s why Fisher projects his father in there because he thinks that his godfather doesn’t want him to know the “truth”. Did you sleep during the movie? Because there would be no need to reference other source if you had just listened to what they said during the movie. I wish there was a transcript of the movie so I could point you to the line…
They were entering the dream in which Fischer was the subject of the dream. Eames was the host.
it is Fischers dream, because when they hook up to that machine to go to sleep in the dream where they loose gravity, adriadne asks whether they are going into the godfather’s dream, and cobb says they are going into fischers. I don’t know anything about how thay have to stay in their own dream, but the way you explained it its not possible. Eames is not in the dream you claim to be his, and Arthur goes on to another dream. and I thought that all of the dreams were Fischers? they say that on the plane, and the projections that are in the dreams are all fischers. also he has had “security” implanted to protect him from extractors, and the whole idea with mr. charles is to make Fischer suspect that his own protectors wants to extract imformation.
I thought Ariadne's fall was her “kick,” rather than suicide.
nope, eames was the dreamer hence the reason an architect is required to design the dream so they can fool fisher who then populates the dream
Ariadne throwing Fischer and herself off the balcony was suicide. The suicide was required, I think, for them to be able to “ride” the kick, which was the defibrillator for Fischer (who wakes first) and the explosion in level 3 for Ariadne. (The explosion in level 3 kills Fischer, Ariadne and Eames while they were being kicked by the elevator in level 2). I think they were synchronizing the kicks in one level up, with deaths in one level down to be safe.
If you are a dork, you are a pretty dork, even dorks dream, have you woken up yet?
I like the way you think!
10/10
The first dream was Ariadne's dream, not Yusuf's. Yusuf's was responsible for the kick. And I think Arthur's dream was in fact Fischer's dream. Arthur was reponsible for the kick.
A couple quick questions about the ending: How does the Cobb's father-in-law pick him up at LAX? He is a professor at a university in France, right? Also, why do you think the team isn't even mentioned after Cobb gets past the passport check?
Totally agree, it was Eames’s dream, otherwise the dream would collapse!
Interesting! I definitely hadn't thought about the kicks being death, since I assumed death in any of these levels led to limbo, rather than being kicked to the prior level. I definitely need to rewatch…
I have to beg to differ… and my argument is that Yusuf has to, ahem, go to the bathroom, which is why it was pouring. And therefore it was his dream.
Well, technically Ariadne (being the architect) designed all three dreams, remember? She was even responsible for the maze (the third level). The person being left behind (i.e. not entering the next lower dream level) is only responsible for the kick. I don’t remember who’s dream it was in the first level, but the second level was Fisher’s dream because when Cobbs explained to him that he was dreaming, he got itchy and his subconscious made the projections mad at Cobbs (they started starring at thim) until he explained to Fisher that he was there to protect him. 3rd level was also Fisher’s dream because they convinced him that they would be entering his uncle’s dream but they were in fact entering his dream so they could incept him. How would they have incepted Fisher, if it wasn’t his dream?
The architect designs the dreams, but there is a subject who hosts the dreams. Ariadne designed all of the dream levels, but each level has an individual host.
The host of the dream has to remain in that dream without passing to a deeper level, otherwise the dream would collapse. The 2nd level was definitely Arthur’s dream. The projections followed Fischer from dream to dream because Fischer had undergone training to prevent extraction. (Anyone’s projections can appear in another host’s dream… remember how Mal appeared in Ariadne’s Paris dream earlier in the movie?)
The 3rd level could not have been Fischer’s dream because when he passed out, the level would have collapsed (see earlier comments). You can incept someone while not in their dream (Cobb was able to incept Mal in their mutual limbo).
I thought that was Cobb's father, rather than in-law? And maybe he was… on vacation? haha. As for the team, seemed like the ending where they go their separate ways was enough closure. Especially when Saito takes out his phone to make sure Cobb can get back into the US with his passport and not get arrested. However, one thing that's definitely strange is that Fischer MUST see that the people on the plane were the same people as in his dream… wouldn't he think that a bit odd? haha
There is no 4th level, it's all limbo after the snow fortress. Here's the in-movie quotes to prove it (also just posted to Cinema Blend):
Once more, I will copy-paste the movie quotes that absolutely prove that Cobb and Ariadne go straight to limbo, not a 4th dream level:
- Ariadne to Eames: “Mal killed Fischer.” (Fischer died, and went to limbo)
- Cobb to Eames: “There's no use in reviving him, his mind is already trapped down there.” (How could Fischer's mind be anywhere but limbo?)
- Ariadne to Cobb: “We just have to follow Fischer down there.” (Since Fischer's in limbo, that's where they'll follow him.)
- Cobb to Ariadne (on “level 4″): “Saito's dead by now, that means he's down here somewhere, that means I have to find him.” (Cobb doesn't go anywhere else to find Saito – they're both already in limbo.)
If you still believe there's a 4th level after reading these quotes, let me know. I do love a good debate.
Excellent job with the graphic!
Hi
What you say makes sense, however I thought only the DREAMER could populate the dream?? Hence Fischers projections were in every dream defending him. So if it was one of the crews dream then they would have control over the projections.
Remember when they first got to Yusuf’s dream, they realized the Fischer had gone through training to prevent extraction. This training allowed these projections to exist in others’ dreams. But Arthur had neglected to discover this prior to the mission, so they were unprepared to deal with Fischer’s projections. Which is why Cobb then reveals to the team oops, sorry guys, we might all die now and end up in limbo forever.
Yes I remember now, thanks, does beg the question why our team of experts couldn’t have projected some defense and a couple of bullet proof vests??
I definitely wish they explained more about how one can “architect” dreams and how the projections worked. You’d think anything, like bulletproof vests, would be possible in a dream dreamed by dreaming experts. hehe
I thought they were pretty clear about the architect/dreamer/subject roles.
1) The architect designs the dream in the real world – they need someone who can build a good maze, not just throw a few buildings on a street. Once designed, the architect teaches the design to the dreamer.
2) It’s the dreamer who creates the actual mental space where the dream takes place – they create streets, buildings, cars, and everything else that’s not at person. The dreamer can make changes to the design if they wish, because it’s their mind that’s dong the dreaming. The dreamer and the architect can be the same person (like Nash), but they don’t have to be.
3) The subject is brought into the dreamer’s dream, and populates it with their own subconscious projections (the people). In this controlled setting, the extraction team tries to find out the information the subject wouldn’t want to share.
Why not just make your team invincible? In most dreams, you’re trying to convince the subject that he’s not dreaming. Being armored to the teeth might make the subject suspicious.
It wasn’t Fisher who had gone through training, it was Saito. That was explained in the beginning when they tried to the extraction on Saito who was in fact testing them. The flight was the first time they had the chance to enter Fisher’s dream. That’s why they went on that flight, because they were not able to otherwise to get close to him. Also, Cobb had to explain to him in the hotel lobby that that they were dreaming because Fisher was absolutely clueless. You should pay more attention when you watch that movie.
Nope, Fischer definitely had gone through training as well. I’m 100% certain of this. The team just didn’t realize it until the train crashed into their car in Yusuf’s dream and there were projections fighting them. Cobb then yelled at Arthur for not finding this out.
Then in the hotel bar (in Arthur’s dream), Cobb approached Fischer to pretend to be one of his guards. He told Fischer that they were in a dream, and convinced Fischer that someone was trying to extract something from his mind, and that’s why Cobb showed up; to make Fischer think that Cobb was on his side defending him.
Quote from the Wikipedia synopsis: “However, they come under attack by Fischer’s trained projections, as the audience later discovers that Fischer has been trained to fend off potential extractors.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception_(film)
Just because someone else like you who got it wrong wrote it in Wikipedia doesn’t make it fact. How can you be 100% certain when it was specifically said that SAITO was trained to defend against extractions. Don’t you remember the beginning, when Cobb and Arthur meat heavy defense in Saito’s dream and Saito even says that he hired them to see how good they were. He then said they failed his test, but Cobb complained that it wasn’t fair because Saito was prepared. Later, Cobb yelled at Arthur because Arthur should have known that Saito was trained and that his projections would fight them when they share a dream. The train was Cobb’s projection because Ariadne told him that she knew that it was his and that he should tell the others. Not only is it explicitly explained in the movie that it was Saito’s projections, but Fisher having been through training makes no sense at all.
ok here is the thing, i believe they were all Fischer’s as he stays in every dream level. as you can see he was still in the van when he moved into all the dream levels and so on. when he passed into “Cobb’s” dream, he was still in “Eame’s” dream eventhough he was knocked out.
Now the only dream that wasn’t Fischer’s dream was Cobb’s dream. As for how he got there, Cobb’s wife was a part of Cobb’s dreams that sneaked into Fischer’s dream and actually got involved in it pulling Fischer into Cobb’s dreams.
damn its confusing, hope u got my point
Thanks for posting the quotes! I DO still think there's a 4th level, and here's why:
I don't take everything Cobb says here as fact. I think that this character was confused himself, thinking that he was in limbo when it was in fact a 4th level: his own dream. Cobb had so much internal conflict going on until Mal died in his arms in the 4th level that he may not have realized that he was dreaming his old limbo that he and Mal had grown old in. As even Ariadne had figured out earlier in the movie (after meeting/being killed by Mal), Cobb was pretty messed up in the head. haha
The quote: Cobb to Eames: “There's no use in reviving him, his mind is already trapped down there” proves this, as Eames does, in fact, revive Eames. So here, Cobb was incorrect, and therefore also wrong about Saito being on the same level. Cobb either died (1) from Mal's stab wound or (2) from drowning in the van, and at THAT point entered the actual limbo, was washed ashore, found Saito, etc. etc.
Ariadne's quote “Mal killed Fischer”… Ariadne THOUGHT that Mal killed Fischer, but was he really dead or just knocked out? Could be argued either way, depending on which theory you go with. But since there's no revival from limbo besides death in limbo, I'd argue that the level Fischer was in afterwards was not limbo. (And if the argument is that he died from falling off the building, he would have ended up on the plane rather than in the van level.) Woo this is mind bending, haha.
I don't take everything Cobb says here as fact.
I agree, Cobb is not a reliable witness. However, I'm not comfortable dismissing everything he says. While he is losing touch with reality, he is still the best dream navigator around.
The quote: Cobb to Eames: “There's no use in reviving him, his mind is already trapped down there” proves this, as Eames does, in fact, revive Eames.
There was no point in reviving Fischer only while he was alone in limbo. Fischer would need a synchronized kick to get back up to level 3. This would not have happened if Ariadne and Cobb hadn't followed him down.
Some folks have been confused about the nature of limbo (not sure whether you are, but let me explain….) Limbo is just another dream level, it's just so deep that time moves incredibly fast. If you're aware you're there and what to do about it, you can kill yourself, or even get kicked out. Fischer wouldn't have realized it by himself, however – he would have missed the kick and stayed in limbo. Ariadne needed to throw him off the building to get the “falling sensation” kick while Eames was defibbing him in the fortress.
Cobb either died (1) from Mal's stab wound or (2) from drowning in the van, and at THAT point entered the actual limbo, was washed ashore, found Saito, etc. etc.
Cobb didn't have to die to get to limbo – no one HAS to die to get there. On this job, you automatically go there if you die because of the sedation, but anyone could have gone there just by dreaming another level down (like Ariadne and Cobb did). Cobb and Mal didn't die when they first went to limbo, they just went too deep.
Ariadne THOUGHT that Mal killed Fischer, but was he really dead or just knocked out?
Since Mal shot Fischer square in the chest, I think it's safe to say he's dead. Why defibbing works on a man with a bullet in his heart is another issue…
But since there's no revival from limbo besides death in limbo, I'd argue that the level Fischer was in afterwards was not limbo.
Limbo is just another dream level, so you don't have to die to get out. The kick of falling off the building was enough.
(And if the argument is that he died from falling off the building, he would have ended up on the plane rather than in the van level.)
If Fischer died from falling off the building, he would have stayed in limbo until the sedative wore off on the plane. There was no kick from the van level – no one was waking up until the 10 hour flight was over and the machine shut off.
Woo this is mind bending, haha.
Yeah, isn't it great?
Thanks for the response, I look forward to your answers…
Sorry for my delayed reply! These are all really great points. I love that there are so many ways people have interpreted the movie, and I definitely question whether there is one right answer or if it’s that there are plot holes that have created all these different theories.
Regarding having to die to get to limbo, that’s definitely a good point since Cobb and Mal didn’t have to die to get to their limbo; then again, it doesn’t say exactly how they got there, just that they experimented with the boundaries of dreaming.
However, I’m pretty sure you do have to die to get out of limbo. So, you must be able to get out of limbo before the sedative wears off, because Cobb and Mal were able to get back to reality by committing suicide on the train tracks.
I really feel that I need to rewatch the movie before commenting on any other points.
my guess is unlike saito who's aware that he's under extraction, fischer was clueless and therefore did not care to remember his dreams like how our normal dreams are. after a few minutes and the activities of your day sets in, you forget. unless you're keeping a dream diary beside you to record your dream right after REM. while washing your face, something small makes you remember you dreamed but then w/o any imagery to back it up (coz you just really cant remember anymore!), you dismiss it and just start the day. this is just what happened when cobb passed by fischer. fischer briefly recognized him but dismissed him just as quickly.
yours by the way is the most organized presentation (and even discussion) of inception's ending. thanks!
Have just one question – I was comparing 2 scenes, one at the beginning of the movie (where cobb is taken to Saito) and the same scene at the end of the movie. There was a dialogue that Saito says in the beginning “I am waiting for someone, from a half remembered dream”. The same dialogue in the end goes something like this – Saito says “I am waiting for someone” and then Cobb says “..from a half remembered dream”. If you look at the tone, it comes out that Cobb has heard this before and is repeating the sentence. What is the significance of showing this? There must be something as it has been put in deliberately… Thanks.
Hi Diana,
I was about to post that I am in total agreement with you and that it has always been my interpretation of the events that Cobb, Ariadne and Fischer actually enter a level 4 dream (Cobb's) which was not originally planned and therefore contains Cobb's house from his memories.
I was also going to post that I believe that Cobb dies after being stabbed by Mal in the level 4 dream and enters Limbo otherwise this this action does not serve a purpose and does not forward the plot.
However the quotes and arguments posted by Paizlea have got me thinking just when i thought i had it all worked out!!!
I have a few thoughts and questions which provide evidence for level 4 being either a dream OR Limbo that hopefully you or Paizlea could answer but i fear that there is some abiguity around the events allowing for differing interpretations. In no particular order:
1. Even if Fischer was defibbed/revived in the snow fortress, he was technically dead until that happended so therefore Level 4 could be Limbo.
2. If Level 4 is a dream then wouldn't Cobb and Ariadne also have to hook up Fischer to the dream machine? I am sure we did not see them attaching wires to his body therefore Level 4 could be Limbo.
3. If Level 4 IS a dream then Mal stabbing Cobb causes him to die and sends him into Limbo with Saito. If this is not the case then this action serves no purpose and does not further the plot. Therefore, if Cobb is already in Limbo then the stabbing (if it kills him) would wake him up. Evidence for Level 4 being a dream.
4. Doesn't Cobb say earlier in the film that they will only enter Limbo if they die while being heavily sedated and therefore level 4 is Cobb's dream after he and Ariadne hook themselves up to the machine? Perhaps i don't recall the entering of Limbo via NOT dying being expained. Evidence for Level 4 being a dream.
5. How do Cobb and Mal originally get trapped in Limbo for 50 years? Maybe this will help explain the above.
This is mind warping stuff!
Hi, I am sure that Diana's reply would add more light to this but cant stop myself from putting in one point – Level 4 was, in all probability, Fischer's limbo and Cobb and Ariadne enter that limbo. The construction there was the same as that of Cobb's limbo becasue limbo is a shared dream space where the architecture would be that of someone who has already been there. And since its only Cobb and Mal who have been there and spent a lot of time, the construction in Fischer's limbo is same as that of Cobb's. Now even if Cobb died due to the stabbing, he would have gone out of the limbo but into the 1st level where the van is in the water, because level 2 and 3 are already over. If he goes into level 1, he has died in his dream (as he drowned in the water) while being heavily sedated and hence again goes into limbo where he sees Saito. But as mentioned below, i still have my doubts on the conversation that followed between Saito and Cobb there…
Hi, I am sure that Diana's reply would add more light to this but cant stop myself from putting in one point – Level 4 was, in all probability, Fischer's limbo and Cobb and Ariadne enter that limbo. The construction there was the same as that of Cobb's limbo becasue limbo is a shared dream space where the architecture would be that of someone who has already been there. And since its only Cobb and Mal who have been there and spent a lot of time, the construction in Fischer's limbo is same as that of Cobb's. Now even if Cobb died due to the stabbing, he would have gone out of the limbo but into the 1st level where the van is in the water, because level 2 and 3 are already over. If he goes into level 1, he has died in his dream (as he drowned in the water) while being heavily sedated and hence again goes into limbo where he sees Saito. But as mentioned below, i still have my doubts on the conversation that followed between Saito and Cobb there…
I think my new theory is that there are plot holes at the end, because you can really argue it either way and both arguments definitively prove the other wrong. But in keeping up the spirit, let's assume there are no plot holes and there is one correct answer:
1. Perhaps Fischer still had a heartbeat, and was only unconscious. In this unconscious state, he entered dream level 4 rather than limbo (whether his own limbo or a general limbo that everyone goes to)
2. No, because Fischer was able to get there via being unconscious from the gunshot wound. Cobb and Ariadne need to force themselves to pass out by hooking up to the machine.
3. Agreed!
4. Also agreed! My primary rationale for level 4 being a dream rather than limbo is that it is accessed not just by dying.
5. Cobb ad Mal were experimenting and pushing the boundaries to see how many levels deep you could go. What they didn't realize was the possibility of losing a sense of reality.
I saw the movie and it was incredible, I understood all the dream levels and the Inception Infograph cleared it up even more. But the ending goes further I think, that totum was not his it was his wifes. There is a point in the movie where Cobbs turns it and locks it in the safe. Also what was she doing in limbo. That would mean she killed herself in a dream which would of put her in limbo. So was the whole movie Cobbs dream? I understand the levels but how does the wife fit in???
I thought there was only one possible limbo for all people who are sharing the same dream. So I don't think there is a separate Fischer's limbo vs. Cobb's limbo vs. Saito's limbo, etc.
was that his real father?? or eames disguised as the father??
In the dream, it is Eames (the “Forger”) disguised as the father.
I'm also convinced that the top was his wife's totem, and that Cobb's true totem is his wedding band (which is seen on his hand when in a dream, but not in reality). Cobb spins the top and locks it in the safe to plant the idea in Mal's mind that they are still dreaming rather than in reality, and they have to kill themselves to get back to reality. Unfortunately for Mal, she has already completely lost touch with reality, so when back in true reality she still thinks it is a dream. And kills herself for real.
thank you and thanks for that amazing graphic.. it really helps clear up so much! great job
Eames was not the father, he was standing behind Fischer during the scene. The scene with Fischer Sr. was the make-or-break point – either the inception worked, or it didn't. Eames was waiting to see whether they had succeeded. The fact the Fischer's subconscious created that touching scene with his father proves that it worked.
What about Mal's father? What country was he in when Cobb asked him that he needed an Architect? At the end, Mals' father was back in the US?
Didn't Cobb drown in the van?
They did show Cobb drowning in the van, so perhaps he died of drowning to reach Limbo rather than from the stab wound in level 4.
He was originally in Paris when Cobb asked him if he knew an Architect, but then was in the US when picking up Cobb from the airport.
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Had Ariadne engineered the level to include Fischer Sr.? How did they get the father to say exactly what he needed to say to make the inception for Fischer Jr. happen?
It all revolves around the Inception plan. Fischer has to basically plant the seed they suggest to him. It starts before they even go under, on the plane. Cobb has to talk to him briefly to get the ball rolling. He specifically says “inspiration” and mentions his father and even toasts his father right before they sedate him, power of suggestion. The plan started out with Eames “forging” himself as the family attorney, played by Tom Berenger. They even say that in the second dream level, Fischer’s projection of him would take over, and from there, they’re simply ushering things along. The only way Inception can work is if the “mark” thinks he or she thought up what thought was actually being planted to begin with.
Diana, Your graphic is very nice indeed, except the pyramid should be inverted. As time got more expanded on the deeper layers, it would make more sense.
A question I have is, why wouldn't the deeper layers experience free-fall(anti-gravity) as well?
They incepted (planted the idea) Fisher when they kidnapped him. Ariadne only engineered the level and Robert Fisher himself projected his father because it was his dream. What happened then was just proof that the inception worked. Robert Fisher used the idea they planted earlier to create the last scene with his father to make it believe himself and create a positive connection to his father. That's why the movie was so great, but most people don't seem to understand the plot.
A few things I'm confused are-
-Cobb's kids at the end had the same clothes in his visions throughout the movie.
-Why couldn't Cobb see his children's faces in his visions?
-Another theory… could the Director of movie Nolan implanted his movie (idea) on our minds and incepted all of us (the audience)? Perhaps we were all dreaming. When we woke up (movie ending) was when we thought the dream was strange. We, the audience, did not know how we and Cobb got there in the beach, right?
Ah, I originally did have the pyramid inverted! However I changed it when I thought about how each dream layer was deeper and deeper into the subconscious, and time “takes longer” at the top levels, meaning that the ratio of reality:dream time is bigger at the higher levels than the deeper levels. Does that make sense? It's all very abstract, haha. And then as the kicks happen, they go up and up and up until reaching reality again.
My understanding is that gravity isn't affected at the deeper levels because the deeper into dreaming you are, the less the levels above you affect that level. Which is why people lose touch with reality by limbo; at that point, reality is so far away that it doesn't affect you.
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