Questions tagged [inception]
A 2010 British-American science fiction heist thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
97 questions
115
votes
10
answers
20k
views
At which dream level did Inception end?
In the ending of Inception (2010), there is some doubt that Cobb is in the real world. But if he is not in the real world then at which level of the dream he is in?
Starting at the presumed 'real ...
78
votes
7
answers
12k
views
Why aren't the characters floating two levels down?
If level 0 is the reality, the characters in the van are at level 1. The van drops off the edge of the bridge and goes into freefall. At level 2, in the hotel, they experience the freefall as well. ...
56
votes
4
answers
13k
views
What was the purpose of Saito's presence during the inception job?
In Inception, Saito hires the extraction team to plant an idea or achieve "inception" into the mind of a CEO.
The team consists of trained specialists who each perform a particular task. Saito is ...
45
votes
7
answers
15k
views
Why do the kicks have to occur simultaneously?
In Inception, why do the kicks on the different levels have to occur simultaneously, rather than one after another?
44
votes
7
answers
19k
views
Why didn't Mal use her totem (spinning top) before she actually died?
In Inception, it was told that the totem's concept was invented by Mal.
Then why didn't Mal use her spinning top to find out if she is in a dream or not before jumping off the window?
Is it the case ...
39
votes
5
answers
25k
views
Can someone explain mirror scene with Ariadne in Inception?
The scene where Ariadne closes two mirror planes opposite each other and breaks one.
Can someone explain what that meant?
31
votes
7
answers
125k
views
What's the significance of Cobb's ring in Inception?
In Inception, Cobb was wearing his wedding ring in some scenes and in some scenes he doesn't. After watching the movie so many times, according to me, in every scene of a dream he was wearing his ...
31
votes
2
answers
4k
views
In the movie Inception, why does Cobb's passport not get stamped properly?
In the movie Inception, why does Cobb's passport not get stamped properly at the airport in the final scene i.e, the date was missing.
Was it really intended and is there any implicit reason for that ...
29
votes
5
answers
16k
views
Why was the movie titled Inception?
Inception means:
An event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events.
But the movie talks about humans dreaming & lucid dreaming etc.
So, why is the movie titled ...
26
votes
3
answers
53k
views
Why didn't Saito kill himself when he was stuck in limbo?
In Inception Cobb tells Ariadne that he was stuck in limbo with Mal for 50 years. Then they killed themselves by lying on the railway track.
So, it is possible to commit suicide even if you are in ...
25
votes
5
answers
20k
views
How did they bring Fischer back to life within the 3rd layer of the dream?
Near the end of Inception, Mal shoots Fischer, killing him (or at least mortally wounding him) within the 3rd layer of the dream. Dom and Ariadne go down a level to find him and bring him back.
How ...
24
votes
8
answers
79k
views
What is the implicit meaning of Mal's riddle in Inception?
You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You
know where you hope this train will take you, but you don't know for
sure. But it doesn't matter, because we'll be together.
...
24
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Did Existenz influence Inception?
The movie eXistenZ, which stars Jude Law, shares the concept of layered realities with the movie Inception. Was the movie Inception influenced by Existenz's concept at all?
23
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why didn't Cobb talk to any of his team members at the airport in the ending of Inception?
In Inception, it always makes me wonder why Cobb didn't say a hello to his team members. He does not even smile at any of his team members at the airport.
What is the reason he acts like he does now ...
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How does the dream sharing actually work?
In Inception, dream-sharing is (obviously) a huge part in how the entire plot functions.
Is there any valid references (either scientific or even just an explanation from the writers/director) as to ...
23
votes
4
answers
15k
views
Why does Cobb wake up in the water?
Inception begins with Cobb waking up or lying on the beach in the water. He is brought before Saito. Later on, we learn that this is limbo.
From Eames' dream (level 3), Cobb and Ariadne go a level ...
19
votes
4
answers
13k
views
Why does Cobb use the spinning top?
In the movie Cobb (DiCaprio) tells Ariadne (Page) that the most important rule in choosing a totem is to make sure that no one else has ever touched it.
This is emphasized with flashbacks showing ...
17
votes
2
answers
28k
views
Why did Nolan choose "Non, je ne regrette rien" as a kick song in Inception?
Can someone explain to me the reason behind Christopher Nolan choosing Edith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien as a kick song in Inception?
16
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How does Ariadne know that Saito is dead in the upper level?
When they are in the limbo, we see Ariadne asking Cobb to find and get Saito and not to lose himself before jumping from the building. However, before they entered this limbo Saito was still alive.
...
16
votes
1
answer
940
views
What is Arthur's specialty?
In Inception, when Cobb is trying to recruit Eames in Mombasa, Eames expresses surprise that Cobb is still working with Arthur. Cobb replies "Well, he's good at what he does", to which Eames replies "...
15
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Why doesn't Cobb want to shoot Mal when she is about to kill Fischer?
In Inception, in the scene when Fischer is going to find out his father's last will, we see Mal standing behind him and willing to shoot him. Ariadne tells him that she is not real and that he has to ...
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How does Mal know where to find Robert Michael Fischer?
In Inception Cobb tells Ariadne not to show him the architectural plans so that Mal will not appear in the dream.
Still, Mal appears at the end of the movie and kills Fischer who is standing in front ...
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why does Cobb risk drugging Fischer on the flight?
In Inception, why does Cobb slip the sedative into Robert's glass of water himself, taking considerable amount of risk at getting caught? Why didn't the Air hostess get the pre-drugged water for ...
14
votes
2
answers
14k
views
How did they make the Inception sound?
I've noticed that deep bwaaah sound from Inception in several movies and trailers.
Apparently others have too--hear a montage of similar sounds (collected by Gregory Porter). I found some info on ...
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why can't Mal give a kick to Cobb from the "real" world if she actually escaped
If Mal was right that it was all fake, and she jumped and got out of the dream, Then upon waking up why can't she give some sort of kick to Cobb in the "real" world? (Just like Arthur gave the kick to ...
13
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Why is Mal sabotaging all/only professional dreams of Cobb?
Maybe I overlooked something, but Mal is trying to sabotage (killing his teammates) all dreams of Cobb concerned with his work (theft of information in dreams, inception of ideas). But during the ...
13
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Who decides how a totem behaves in a dream?
In the movie - Inception, who decides how a totem behaves inside a dream?
First of all, in the dream, are the totems manifestations of the dreamer? The architect creates the other parts and ...
12
votes
1
answer
22k
views
Why was Saito old in Limbo?
The only thing that I'm missing in Inception is why was Saito old in the opening and closing scenes of this great movie?
Both Cobb and Saito land in Limbo in (presumably) the same moment and Cobb ...
12
votes
2
answers
5k
views
How did Saito know he was under attack by extractors Cobb and Arthur in Inception?
In the train scene, when Saito was having information extracted by Cobb, the extraction team were using a two-layer dream. In the lower layer of the dream Saito knew that he was in a dream because the ...
12
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Why doesn't Fischer recognize Arthur, Saito and Eames as kidnappers?
In Inception, Robert Fischer was kidnapped by Cobb's team who had him in Taxi with Eames, Arthur and Saito. Robert must have known that they are kidnappers as they kidnapped him anyway. But, in later ...
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How do Cobol's agents know Cobb was in the Mombasa motel?
In Inception, in the Mombasa chase scene, How do the Cobol Engineering's agents know Cobb had arrived in Mombasa?
11
votes
1
answer
681
views
Why the difference in Cobb's reaction to limbo?
In the movie Inception, at the end, when Cobb goes to limbo to rescue Saito he starts to forget "reality" and he has only been there for like 10 - 15 minutes. However, he spends decades with Mal in ...
10
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why does Ariadne's totem work?
In Inception, Cobb's totem was a spinning top, that in reality would stop spinning eventually.
Arthur's totem was a special dice, that in reality would roll a particular number more often.
Ariadne's ...
10
votes
4
answers
3k
views
When did the Inception start?
Many have wondered about this and this may be the silliest question asked regarding the movie INCEPTION but here it is....
When did the Inception start?
Or
Could it be that the whole movie was a ...
10
votes
2
answers
615
views
Why does Mal insist on communal suicide?
Why does Mal insist on communal suicide in Inception? If they were really still dreaming, she could just die alone and kick Cobb on the level above (if death would wake them up, it means there are no ...
10
votes
3
answers
13k
views
Why isn't Arthur woken up by the kick?
First the van rolls, then later the van falls off the bridge. Why doesn't this kick wake up Arthur?
Related questions:
Why do the kicks have to occur simultaneously?
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What fills the void left by the lack of character development in Inception?
Most of the characters excluding Cobb and his wife, do not have very developed roles. The roles are actually shallow and it is at times hard to see the motivation behind characters to do what they do.
...
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is Cobb's reaction honest or sarcastic/angry
In Inception there is the following dialogue between Cobb and Ariadne (forgive me for not being word-accurate):
Ariadne: Why can't you return home?
Cobb: Because everybody thinks I killed her (...
9
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Why is everyone's limbo space the same in Inception?
Cobb, Ariadne, Fischer, Saito all die in the dream and end up in the same Limbo world, which is the world Cobb and Mal built.
Does this have any logical explanation according to the rules set up by ...
9
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How did Cobb and Mal commit suicide while young in limbo if they lived decades there?
We can see the scene in Inception where Cobb and Mal commit suicide on the train tracks at a young age, but in the end of the movie Cobb reminds Mal that they lived to a very old age in their dream. ...
8
votes
3
answers
6k
views
How many layers does the movie Inception involve?
In the third layer, there is a mountain and they ski down it and all, but after that, do they enter the fourth layer of dreaming or do they enter limbo? Is Cobb the only to enter and does he/do they ...
8
votes
1
answer
984
views
Was it impossible to go into same person's dream each level down, or did it serve a purpose?
Why did they have to choose a different person each time they went one level deeper in Inception?
Couldn't they have kept going into Yusuf's dream all the way down?
8
votes
2
answers
16k
views
Shooting of the gravity free scene in Inception
How was the gravity free scene in the hotel in Inception shot? Was zero gravity created?
8
votes
3
answers
739
views
How did Cobb’s crew know about Saito’s apartment?
In the first part of Inception, Cobb’s crew leave the dream where they attempted to extract Saito’s secrets in the castle, and return to a dream (though this is unknown to Saito at this point) in ...
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why should one not share his or her totem?
In the movie Inception, why didn't Arthur allow Ariadne to see his totem, which was a loaded die?
7
votes
3
answers
15k
views
Why did Robert Fischer really accept the inception?
In Inception when every one wakes up in the airplane, Saito finally makes the call so I can understand he knows Cobb successfully planted the idea in Robert's mind. But I don't understand why Robert ...
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Where does Limbo take place?
This question is inspired by Who was dreaming when and whose mind was being projected?, where the infographic shows very well in which mind each dream level takes place, except for the Limbo:
So let'...
7
votes
2
answers
550
views
Why didn't Robert Fischer take his own car?
In the first level of dream, Robert Fischer took a taxi cab driven by Arthur. Robert Fischer is a billionaire. So why didn't he have his own limousine? And shouldn't there be private security for him?
7
votes
2
answers
788
views
Is it actually possible to transfer a totem?
In "Inception" it seems that Cobb takes over the use of Mal's totem (the spinning top).
If the totem is a personal item that helps you keep your hold on reality, can the totem really be transferred ...
7
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Do they ever really wake up from the sedative test?
I distinctly remember a scene in Inception when Cobb is testing Yusuf's custom made super sedative. He then abruptly wakes up and goes to the bathroom where he proceeds to splash his face with water ...