Inception Review and Explanation

By the time i write this review, I had watched Inception four times. It is only on the fourth time that I finally got "enough information" to complete my version of Inception that Cobb was back into reality. I guess the director did a good job on the movie by creating wonderful discussion and branches of alternate ending. The movie also created in a way that allows ones to choose the ending they prefer. As it is just a movie, any tiny issue such as clothes, shoes and lossing the chance to spin the totem could also be a hint for a branch of discussion. And, the fun part is there really is no real answer. There are just segments of videos being cut and paste in soundtracks. However, this is my version of Inception where Cobb came back to reality.

First, basic principle (u cant get the story "right" if u dont have the fundamental principles in place)

1) Limbo is not a stage of dream (you cant drop into a limbo).

2) Limbo is when u r in a dream and u dunno u r in a dream and continue to live your life.

3) Dying in a deep dream before sedation over would drop u into a deeper dream stage.

3) Dying in a deep dream after the sedation over would bring you back to previous dream.

4) Dying in a deep dream can go straight back to reality if:

-sedation is over or faded enough to wake

-machine time is not up yet so that u cant wake up naturally

-previous versions of u in previous dream stages had died

4) 1 min in reality gives 12 mins in 1st stage of dream

5) Yusof sedation: 10 hours in reality gives 7 days (1 week) in 1st stage, 90 days (3 months) in 2nd stage, 3650 days (10 years) in 3rd stage.

Question:

1) If dying in a deep dream only bring u back 1 stage only, how come Cobb and Mal died on train track and end up in reality?

Quote from Cobb when talking to Ariadne: "We just dont realise that hours could be years down there". First, Cobb and Mal are highly sedated before exploring different level of dream (it is the only way to go 3 levels deep). When they reached 3rd level, they then killed themselves came back to 2nd stage. When they reached 2nd stage, they then killed themselves and came back to the 1st stage. When they kill themselves in 1st stage, they thought that they are back in reality but in fact, they dropped into 2nd stage of dream because sedation havent over yet. They know they havent back to reality but dont understand why. When they kill themselves again, they dropped 1 more stage deeper. The process continue until they lost track of what is real. When u r in a dream and dunno that u r in a dream, that is limbo. At the end, they reached 4th stage(only logical explanation to be able to dream for 50years and the machine havent time up yet) but 1 thing for sure, previous versions of themselves died in the previous stages of dream. They then settle down in 4th stage and lives for 50 years. After 50 years in the dream the machine time still was not up yet (otherwise they would have woke) due to the great depth of their dream (4th stage ). Although the sedation might not be completely over yet , but have depleted enough for them to wake up to reality should they kill themselves again. Thus, when they try to kill themselves again after 50 years, they get back straight into the reality because they previous version of themselves in previous dream stages had died.

2) Both Cobb and Mal were in the same stage when Cobb make the inception on Mal. Dont you have to go deeper into their mind to do that?

In fact, there are already in very deep dream. The only way inception could be done on Mal is to assume that Mal is the dreamer on that stage unless they drop so deep that both become dreamers because the way they get there is not through machine but rather failure of attempt to return to reality. So, by venturing into Mal's safe and spin the totem, the physical action instantly generate an idea to Mal that seems self generated which is "your world is not real".

3) Did the totel dropped at the end of the movie?

Yes. Cobb returned to the reality. The totem is starting to fall already. It is obvious.

4) How did Cobb and Saito end up in the mansion and Saito is old while Cobb is not.

Saito and Fischer died in 3rd level of dream, Cobb and Ariadne join them using the machine to go to the 4th level of dream. Ariadne assist Fischer to sync his kick while she sync her own kick after that. Cobb stay to find Saito. Because there is no dreamers or everyone is a dreamer in 4th stage, the terrain was designed by Cobb because he is the one that had been to the 4th level before. The last scene could be 4th or even 5th level, most probably still in 4th. Saito created his own world in 4th level as he believe he is in reality. He did this for years before Cobb found him on an island. Saito even aged and become an old man. As Cobb knows that he is still in a dream, thus, he doesnt aged and searched long enough until he found Saito and both kill themselves to go back to reality.

5) At the end, how did the team and Fischer return back to the reality?

As the time is only up after 1 week on the 1st level, when they all were back to 1st stage and swim back to the shore, they have to literally live there long enough (until the sedation is over) before it is safe to killed themselves to wake up. Or they can wait for the machine time up which is 1 week on 1st stage.

Some Proves from the movie for the assumption / principles:

1) When Saito and Fischer died in 3rd level of dream, they were dropped into deeper dream (prove that limbo isnt a stage of dream but a perception in believing that u r not in a dream when u are in fact dreaming)

Alex Tam logged 7 August 2010

Please be noted that my interpretation is not 100% integrated with the movie, Inception especially when comes to certain contradicting technical issues. One of the section which requires correction is my definition of limbo.

Few Corrections:

1) Definition of Limbo: unconsturcted dream space (is a stage of dream where u can drop into)

-when u are too heavily sedated and kill yourself in the 1st level of dream, u drop into a limbo

-Limbo potentially makes people lost track of which is real and which is a dream.

-When u kill yourselves in a limbo after sedation has passed, u go straight back to reality.

2) When u kill yourselves in a dream while u r highly sedated, u dont drop deeper into the dream, u drop into a limbo.

Movie Contridictions:

1) When Fischer and Saito died, logically, they dropped into a limbo. Instead, Cobb and Ariadne were able to find them by going deeper through the machine. The only way to go to limbo in to die while highly sedated.

Conclusion:

As the technology dont even exists yet, there is really no point going too great in depth and details of the technical issue. The movie serves it purpose of entertainment and thrills beside bringing greater awareness on certain issues such as mental security and technology. Review is just a way to express ourselves and finding compromises between reality and movie. So i guess the most important question to answer is, Did u enjoyed the movie? haha......