I'm not disagreeing with your point, but here are 2 counter arguments. (1) By this logic, if Nolan really wanted us to be in reality at the upper level, there is NO WAY for him to truly show the beginning. The first time we see "reality" we're in the train. But how did we get there? Ok so show the train station. But how did we get there? Show the cab and the previous hotel room. But how...so on and so on. You could take this all the way to Cobb's birth and say well all of it is one crafted life experience for Cobb. Something not entirely unrealistic since we do know that Cobb and Mal basically lived a lifetime within one of their dreams. So, because there is no way to show "the begining" the lack of a beginning isn't proof that there wasn't one....if that makes sense. (2) True. And I think this is a strong point. However movies suspend and stretch reality in favor of story telling points all the time. Otherwise, Batman was a dream, Star Wars is a dream, and Lord of the Rings is a dream. So while unrealistic in our world, the tech could be highly common in Cobb's world. Now I'm not saying that this is my theory. In fact my theory is that there is no answer. The movie is made to create these discussions with possible avenues leading every which way.
I also initially thought that you can only remember 1 level down. But then what would be the big deal about going into limbo? If you can't remember 3 levels down, you don't come back out of limbo all "jacked up" if you die while heavily sedated cause you won't remember the limbo anyway......right?
But you're subconscious will. That's the point of inception. Fischer "remembers" his inception, but he doesn't remember it. Mal "remembers" that doubt, but she doesn't know how. So if you age to infinity (I doubt there are lifespans in limbo, just subconcious wear and tear) and then awaken a 30 year old man your mind will be lost.
You can certainly phase it in more for a movie, however (back-story narratives, quick scenes describing Cobb's ascension as a idea thief, etc.). You didn't feel like you just got tossed into the world? I certainly did. In fact, we got tossed right into a dream-within-a-dream. It was very jarring compared to other movies. Yes, for movies you often have to suspend reality. But the main question is: should we for Inception? I think Christopher Nolan wants us to ask these questions. I think he's also fully capable or pulling a fast one on us and expecting us to suspend reality when we really shouldn't be. I see what you did there, Mr. Nolan! (and I really like it)
Can you? If they showed us flashbacks of his ascension, whats to say those aren't visions from previous dreams or even the dream he is still in? I do feel like we're thrown in. I do believe the Cobol corporation was faceless and paper thin in plot development for this very reason. However that doesn't directly mean they weren't real. It could just be attributed to focus on Leo's character arc instead of a lame corporate chess match. Or they could be fabrications of his dream...or his own subconcious trying to take out his friends who are trying to "wake" him and not him. Or they (Cobol) could be his friends trying to save him from extractors (his "friends" Ariadne, Arthur, etc. who may be trying to incept him) so that he, like Fischer, is being used. There are endless possibilities. I completely agree. That's why I'm here. :grin:
The guys after him were the dreamers subconscience (much like the white blood cells of the human body). This was stated numerous times throughout the movie.
He's talking about the Cobol Corp guys who are chasing Leo in the supposed reality. Not the guys Fischer's subconcious develops. He's also saying that what you just said could be correct, as it is all a dream, including Cobol.
Yes, random people attacking you in a dream is the subconscious, but it was never explicitly stated that the group attacking him (Cobol) during the movie were indeed his subconscious... because stating that explicitly would be like stating it was all a dream. But it is indeed additional evidence that the entire thing was a dream.
So, whose subconscious were they in during the plane flight? Level 1? Fischer's right? So how did Mal show up as a projection when she is a part of Cobb's subconscious?
Agreed...though I don't find him that creepy. Anyway, Sunshine was an awesome, mostly overlooked movie. It was just a good movie.
Ditto on both points, Boyle is another director who has some incredibly impressive films on his resume.
I thought the last scene was a clever way to break through the 4th wall. I think it's a dream and it's circular in story arc. Just like when they were explaining the staircase and when Ellen Page drew the circular maze . . . but it's all open ended and left to interpretation.
That's "reality". They never go into Fischer's. First dream level is Yusuf. Second is Arthur. 3rd is Eames. Fischers subconcious does fill the world with people though.
Ok, Yusuf is whose dream they go into when they are on the plane. Then Arther, then Eames and it's Fischers subconscious, hence his projections. So, how does Mal show up in Level 3 since she is a part of Cobb's subconscious?
Something to do with how "messed up" Arthur was to the point where his projection would interject into any dream he as a part of, whether his or not.
Fishcer's subconscious would have to be the first they enter...how else would they be able to plant an idea in his mind and how else would the soldiers appear, since his mind was trained to protect itself from extraction. In fact, aren't they just traveling deeper and deeper into his subconscious...didn't they explain in the beginning that was the only way for inception to work? Ariadne creates the dreamworld which Fischer fills with his own projections.
