It was all a Dream
Inception has only been in theaters a few days, however its already the topic of many. Mainly because of the ending and what it means. Before I tell you about my thoughts on the ending, I think everyone has to agree that this is one of the best movies that has come out in a long time. Also, this may be an all time classic.
Now there are a few theories I have seen.
1. Cobb is not dreaming and it is all real
2. Cobb is dreaming
3. Saito tricked Cobb
Well, my theory falls in with number 2, however I believe that it is a mix of 2 & 3. Saito did not trick Cobb, Cobb's father-in-law did. Now, you may ask why would he do that? The answer is simple.
Cobb could have never really went home to see his kids and no foreigner could have pulled strings with one phone call. So Cobb's father-in-law did what was best for Cobb and pulled an inception on his son. The idea that he was in "reality" (being able to see his kids). How could you pull of an Inception? Well they tell you, you need a strong positive emotion. What was his emotion? Love. Cobb's love and desire to see his kids made him willing accept he was given one last mission to be bale to go home.
So, with my theory we have an idea that is needed to be planted in Cobb and an emotion to go along with it.
Let's take care of Mal before we go onto the sequence of events. Mal is violent and kills anyone. Well only a security system would do that right? That is what those agents were suppose to be doing for Fischer. Thus, Mal's violence is Cobb's self-conscious targeting someone who is trying to change something or steal something. This reasoning would explain why she got in the way of their plans, because she (his self conscious) was trying to stop him from going on.
Sequence of Events
The movie starts in limbo, then goes to Cobb and Arthur's attempt at stealing an idea from Saito. Ok first let me note that the idea was never specific. Like anything in the dream world it is not really real. Therefore there was never really an idea and at that moment the seed was planted. The seed of the idea of escaping and going back to America to see his kids was planted. Let's call that level 1. Level 1 is suppose to last up to 3 hours or so. That little adventure was no more then 3 hours.
Level 2
Level 2 was lasted a few weeks like they said it would. Level 2 is the whole process leading up to the "first" level with Fischer. When Cobb was assembling a team he happened to just end up at each place without showing how he got there really. Cobb visits his father-in-law and does not ask for his help, but for someone younger this is a key part to the film and my theory. Cobb's father-in-law is more skilled than Cobb, he taught Cobb after all. Which means he would be the best for the job. Cobb's father-in-law says he has a student that is better than Cobb is. This is where it takes a turn nobody might have realized. Ariadine meets Cobb and before you know it they are in sync together and Cobb has a very weird trust with her. Also, she knows and catches on too quickly to Cobb's problem which nobody else could find out and they have known him for months. She must know him from somewhere or should I say he? Maybe Ariadine is Cobb's father-in-law. He could be very well skilled enough to project her and then turn into her as Eames turned into Browning. Thus ensuring the mission went according to plan. Let's get back to the team assembling.
Well, Saito during Cobb's chase scene just happened to be where he was and saved him. Wait! Where was Cobb? We never knew where he was to get Eames did we? Then we do not know exactly how they got to Yusuf either. Another reason for why it is Cobb's dream.
Intermission
This a very confusing concept that involves breaking down a lot of elements. So before I lose you let us stop and go over previous points made.
1. Cobb is dreaming at the end
2. The whole movie is Cobb's dream and the Inception attempt by his father-in-law to let him see his kids with the idea it is reality.
3. Mal is Cobb's security system. Thus, explaining her violence at times his mind may feel threatened.
4. Cobb's father-in-law is Ariadine. Which explains why he trusts her so much and lets her in, as well as how she is so quick to know things about him.
5. Saito's mission is the way they are able to plant the idea in his head. That once this is over he will be able to see his kids.
Level 3
Level 3 is the "inception" attempt on Fischer. Which is the whole plane ride. Now, I am combining the "levels" that Cobb and the rest of the team go through with Fischer as I think it is just another scene constructed and not another level created. This level is about getting Cobb to get over Mal and defeat his guilt as well as his security system. So just like they had a Mr.Charles for Fischer, Ariadine (Cobb's father-in-law) is Cobb's. So they get him to go into the final stage of dreams which is limbo.
*Note - If Ariadine was in Limbo with Cobb she would have washed to the same shore that had Saito.
Limbo
Now, we are back to the beginning of the movie. The real limbo is here, not when Cobb and Ariadine are together. Cobb goes to Saito and he gets him to pretty easily remember their pact, a little to easy. Before you know it, he is in the plane again right? No way of how he got there though. We can assume he got shot, but you can never assume. What does this mean then?
Well, it means that Cobb has been Incepted successfully. He know does not think he is dreaming anymore. So he goes home and everything is fine. Wait, wait, wait! Saito made a phone call in five minutes a murder charge, plus him fleeing was let off. that is impossible for even the President to do. Also, his father-in-law is waiting for him? How could he have known that he would be there I mean Cobb only told him he had a way to get home and he would not tell his dad to wait for him on the chance he got arrested. A major theme from this move is that only when we wake up do we know the little things that were wrong from our dreams. Well Cobb did not notice that his father-in-law just happened to be waiting with no idea he was going to be there.
Now, Cobb is home. First, off he gets home and the house is the exact same. He spins the top on the table and very carelessly leaves without checking it. He has been incepted folks! Why throughout the whole movie would he spin it and check, but not check now? An idea was planted that this was truly "reality". He goes to see his kids who were in the same exact position, looked the same and were the same age. Well that is just not possible, but like I said earlier in dreams we do not notice the errors in them.
Conclusion
Time to bring this all home. The movie is about Inception, but not on Fischer, but on Cobb. It's a plot by his father-in-law to give his son what he wants to see his kid. They used love, the most powerful emotion to plant the idea that he was on a mission and when he "woke" he would be with his kids.
Other important info
I believe that all of the team members worked with Cobb before this inception plan. He really did steal ideas, which gives the team the ability to convince him that he was on a mission. Saito was a projection and is the reason why he aged so much more then Cobb.
When Cobb added his own parts to "Fischer's" dream it was really his own mind trying to take over. I mean Cobb was very good at what he did and his sub-conscious must have assumed something was up. I mean Ariadine is new and she did not screw anything up, but Cobb a seasoned vet did. I do not buy that for one second.
We never knew how Cobb got there and the movie starts out in the middle of an encounter, only as a dream would. To make sure Cobb thought he was out of the dream world, he must be tricked enough to think that he was in it and is the reason for the many "dreams" they had.
Please Comment with your opinions & theories and remember to follow!
Remember to Follow!