Cobb’s ‘Emotional Journey’: From Guilt to Redemption

This chapter investigates the development of Cobb's character in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010). It reveals how Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) progresses from a haunted, guilt-ridden man through the major part of the film to becoming a man who has come to terms with what he has done and who has redeemed himself morally. The first hint that there is some unresolved emotional conflict in Cobb's mind comes with the first appearance of Mal. The audience later learns that she is an image created from his own unconscious, and by their nature such images, being inaccessible to conscious control, should be treated with suspicion. One can guess that some kind of guilt complex is causing Cobb to project this image of Mal. At the end of the film, Cobb has finally worked through and overcome his guilt, rid himself of his obsession with Mal, by recognising her as a shade, a poor imitation. The final ambiguous image in the film of the spinning top and Cobb's reunion with his children can be interpreted as implying that maybe it does not matter whether the scene is real or not. As Cobb realised and tried to convince Mal: it is the reality of the experience which is important.

Inception and the Arts

This chapter looks at the specific artistic references in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010). One artist is referred to by indirect reference and visual simulation of some of his works, and another is paid homage to by the inclusion of one of his works in a scene. The artists in question are M.C. Escher and Francis Bacon. The Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, famous for his works featuring constructions which would be impossible in the real world, is not directly named in the film, but he is referred to indirectly by the mention of a phenomenon which he utilised in his work: the so-called 'Penrose Steps'. Meanwhile, in a sequence in which Cobb is talking to Mal, there is a painting visible on the wall of the room, Bacon's Study for a head of George Dyer, 1967. Nolan clearly shares some perspectives on the world with Bacon: a fascination with distorted reality, a sense of horror as in a nightmare, and, in some cases, the real world being actually torn apart.

Introductory Remarks

This introductory chapter provides an overview of Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010). Inception blurs the distinctions between various genres. It is considered as science fiction although it does not contain many of the elements associated with the genre. It can also be identified as a kind of heist film, and the first part of the film, the extraction, certainly involves a complex robbery; but then the second part of the film, while having many of the trappings of a heist, involves putting something into a heavily guarded location rather than stealing from it. Moreover, the heist motifs and the film's character types are reminiscent of film noir. Inception can also be described as a psychological thriller and it deals with the subject of time and how dreams are related to the conscious and unconscious mind.

Critical Reception

This chapter assesses the critical reception of Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010). Rarely in the press and media is popular cinema, of which Inception is surely an example, subject to rigorous critical examination. Occasionally, however, some writers do provide insights worth discussing at greater depth, cues to possible lines of analysis and appraisal. Justin Chang, in Variety, described the film as 'a heist thriller for surrealists, a Jungian Rififi'. Whether this colourful description makes valid comparisons can be determined by considering the conventions of 'heist' films. The British critic Mark Kermode has argued that the film demonstrates 'that it is possible for blockbusters and art to be the same things'. Meanwhile, many negative reviews of the film are simply dismissive and lacking in any justification, but here and there one can find some provocative statements worthy of serious consideration. In the light of contemporary theories about the nature of mind and consciousness, the notion of inception can be seriously challenged.

The Industrial Context of Inception: From Production to Premiere

This chapter traces the production history of Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010). Nolan first tried out his treatment for Inception with Warner Bros. after making Memento (2000), but then realised the scope that would be required for the film and decided to gain more experience making large-scale films. After completing The Dark Knight (2008), Nolan finally decided to make Inception and spent the next six months completing the script. The filming took place in six different countries and on four separate continents, the main locations being in the UK, Morocco, Canada, Tokyo, Paris, and Los Angeles. Nolan has stressed that they deliberately filmed in six different countries, building enormous sets because he was interested in 'pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved practically, as opposed to computer effects'. Concerns for realism also governed Nolan's choice of cameras and film. Inception was released on July 10, 2010, and its opening weekend gross takings made it the second-highest grossing debut for a science-fiction film that was not a sequel or remake.

Dreams and the Cinema

This chapter examines the oneiric film theory which claims that the experience of cinema is akin to that of dreaming, before considering what methods are used in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010) to depict the dream states. It details how Inception uses dream theory. It is clear that the film assumes the existence of an unconscious area of the mind, which can be influenced through access by skilled operators. This is very much in accordance with Sigmund Freud's concept of repression: disturbing thoughts are repressed from consciousness, but, if such thoughts, or ideas, are too disturbing they start to force their way back into consciousness, and the sleeping mind distorts them, changes them in some way, so that they can be contemplated in dreams but will not break through into consciousness. Extraction is a process of gaining access to such a repressed idea. A sci-fi element is thus introduced in the film, with the notion that it is possible to train the subconscious to defend itself against extraction. The chapter then looks at the dream states depicted in the film and considers the presuppositions about the nature of dreams and the subconscious mind.