Inception: The Ending and What You Think Happened

[dioxyrib]

The final little ending to Inception was nothing more than an homage to similar movies of the past, which always had a "The End...OR IS IT?!" In creating this film, Nolan brilliantly wove together familiar tropes from several genres (caper/action/dream vs reality as the main ones)...and in the end left a final tribute to the last one.

I don't think it was meant to 'mean' as much as people are ascribing to it...I think it was a wink at the audience.

 

[McFarlington]

I don't think the ending was a dream. The main reason for this conclusion is because Cobb sees his children's faces at the end. In all of the previous dreams of his children his inability to see their faces characterized the fact that he couldn't reach them in the real world. Also, when Mal stabs him, I thought this represents Cobb finally letting go of her. As for how he wakes so quickly, I think he dies from her stabbing him and the medication has worn off, so he can wake without a "kick". Mal killing Cobb in the dream world is a sort of re-birth for Cobb and his new life with his children.

 

[DPutna17]

I don't think the ending was a dream. The main reason for this conclusion is because Cobb sees his children's faces at the end. In all of the previous dreams of his children his inability to see their faces characterized the fact that he couldn't reach them in the real world. Also, when Mal stabs him, I thought this represents Cobb finally letting go of her. As for how he wakes so quickly, I think he dies from her stabbing him and the medication has worn off, so he can wake without a "kick". Mal killing Cobb in the dream world is a sort of re-birth for Cobb and his new life with his children.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[dududf]

9) My favorite thought is that Nolan has planted the idea "Our world might not be real." in the minds of millions of people. The movie isn't just ABOUT inception, it is an ACT of inception.

And this has never been done before. Especially not in any movie about a 2-dimensional array of numbers. Released in 1999.

That had guns. Lots of guns.

 

[The Scattered Man]

9) My favorite thought is that Nolan has planted the idea "Our world might not be real." in the minds of millions of people. The movie isn't just ABOUT inception, it is an ACT of inception.

And this has never been done before. Especially not in any movie about a 2-dimensional array of numbers. Released in 1999.

That had guns. Lots of guns.

*smile*
Actually, I forgot to mention my other thought on that: "I'm going to credit The Buddha with being the first to suggest (or at least popularize) the idea that this world is an illusion. But people still act as if this were real. Strange."

 

[metalmmaniac]

i don't think he was dreaming the whole movie. I think he just never got outta 'limbo'. i think he was dreaming in limbo, creating the reality he was wanting for so long. either way, it may be my new favorite movie

 

[acpearce]

utterly confused but two things keep needing answering for me:
i) it was mols idea to have the totems as a marker of reality
ii) there is only ever the one totem - the spinning top - between mol and cobb.

i am not going to sleep well !

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Unless my vision was blurring (it does that), the top was clearly starting to wobble before the credits rolled, which means that it was about to fall.