"Inception" ending opinions (****SPOILER alert****)

[NewJeffCT]

So, when Leonardo DiCaprio wakes up on the plane, then re-enters America and goes back home to see his children... was he dreaming, or was it real?

[JTG of the PRB]

1. *spoilers*

I'm of the opinion that he was still dreaming, though by the time he finally saw the faces of his children he didn't care anymore. He walked away from the top while it was still spinning without waiting to see if it would keep spinning or if it would fall. My thing is, the top was never his to begin with.

Cobb tells us earlier in the move that he chose the top because it was Mal's totem, her link to the outside world, to remember what was reality and what wasn't. In her dreams, the top would spin and spin forever without falling. But Cobb also tells us that you can;t hand over your totem to anybody else, because that would defeat the purpose of maintaining that link to reality. Only YOU know the weight and feel of your own totem.

The top wasn't Cobb's totem. It was Mal's. She knew the weight and feel and behavior of the top, not Cobb. The fact that he chose someone else's totem to keep track of reality, to me, signifies that he didn't have a grasp on reality anyway. So at the end of the movie, when we hear the top wobble but never see it fall, it doesn't matter whether or not it falls because he doesn't know how it really behaves, how it really feels in his dreams or in his "reality."

At least, that's how I see it. The thing I like about this movie is that everybody has their own ideas, and I don't think there ever can be (or ever should be) a single interpretation of the movie.

[NewJeffCT]

2. This is one movie they should not make a sequel for

unless they make it for Ellen Page's character and leave out Cobb/DiCaprio.

And, is it just me, or does Marion Cotillard remind you of Kate Winslet as well?

[LynneSin]

3. Someone commented about Cobb and his wedding ring

I forget where I read it - perhaps it was here.

But the person noted this the second time they saw the movie. Everytime Cobb was in the dream he wore his wedding ring, which I suppose makes sense because Mal always showed up in his dreams and Mal was his wife.

But in reality, Cobb would never been seen with his wedding ring since he was a widower and probably took the thing off.

The person who made these observations went thru scene after scene and noted all the times that you could see Cobbs wedding finger hand and sure enough the ring was there during the dreams and off during reality.

And if you don't know what the status was then do not highlight between the two spoilers below:


To see Spoiler click here > Cobb was not wearing his wedding ring < to here if you want to see the spoiler.

[NewJeffCT]

4. great point

thanks for bringing that up. I'll have to see it again.

[LynneSin]

5. I'm thinking that the top was never really Cobb's true totem

I think he was so scared about the fine line between dreams and reality that he had a backup totem - one that was all his and he knew would be 100% accurate and that was his wedding ring. He probably knew that in a dream world where Mal exsisted he was technically a married man. Remember, Cobb said in the very beginning he could never trust Mal - said it right to her face. So how could he ever truly trust her totem since it belonged to her, she knew what the totem would do and could manipulate it in a dream - trick Cobb into believing he was in reality.

[NewJeffCT]

6. great points

I definitely need to see it again, just to check out the ring.

Thanks!

[gratuitous]

18. Also, in re Cobb's totem

When he's retrieving Mr. Saito from limbo, both Saito's defender and Saito handle the top.

I agree with an earlier post that it doesn't really matter. Cobb was determined not to see the faces of his children until he'd gotten to a reality that suited him. Whether he's in a dream at the end or not, he's reached his "oh moment, stay" stage.

It was pretty darned good. We may have to see it again.

[SeattleGirl]

7. I completely missed the ring thing. I already plan on seeing

the movie again, and when I do, I'll especially pay attention to that aspect.

[LynneSin]

8. I want to see it again just to check out the ring

Because it's the only thing that truly makes sense to me. For him to use Mal's totem as his own violates the rule he gave to Adriane, even if Mal was only a part of his dreams.

[NewJeffCT]

9. I think it does make sense to me

plus, it makes the movie a happy ending, too.

Now, was Ellen Page's character named Ariadne, or was that her nickname? Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos and helped Theseus defeat the minotaur & get out of the maze.

[LynneSin]

10. That was her name (I probably spelled it wrong)

wow nice catch!

[SeattleGirl]

11. Ooooh, I didn't know that!

Another interesting tidbit. Thanks!

[NewJeffCT]

13. well, I knew I had heard the name before

and it was Greek mythology, but I initially mixed it up with Echidna, the mother of monsters, during the movie. However, once I saw them drawing mazes, I remembered.

[siligut]

16. Maybe you read it on the IMDB message board?

I looked for the message there and I found two that focus on the wedding ring. Spoilers at the links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/board/nest/168063860?p=1 and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/board/thread/167257951?p=1

Both posters break down the different scenes and determine when Cobb is dreaming and when he isn't, going by his wedding ring.

[JTG of the PRB]

17. Ah, very interesting... I had not heard about that at all.

I'm definitely going to see the movie at least once more, and I'll be sue to keep an eye out for that. It would certainly be a very interesting idea about the differentiation between dreams and reality.

[SeattleGirl]

12. Just got tickets to see it again tomorrow!

Can't wait!

[NewJeffCT]

14. I'm tempted to go as well

just to watch for the ring.

[SeattleGirl]

15. That's one of the things I'll be watching for.

As soon as the movie was over the first time I saw it, I planned on seeing it again. It's such a fascinating movie.