The movie is excellent. It feels a bit rushed, but that's to be expected in a film which must introduce so many new ideas before the story starts making sense. It also feels rushed because it's excellent.
Spoilers Ahead.
There are a lot of things one might choose to sift through in getting to the bottom of what makes the film so good, but this is a blog, so I'm only going to pick one topic to discuss: what does that final shot of Cobb's spinning top mean?
First of all, the fact that it's unclear is something I like. The ending isn't ambiguous so much as self-guiding-- it lets you choose the answer which makes the most sense to you. Once you decide that Cobb's not dreaming anymore, all of the plot points and relevant emotions snap into place, and the same thing happens when you decide that Cobb is still dreaming afterall.
My favorite theory: the top was about to tip over, proving that Cobb was in fact awake, and ready to live life in reality for a change. Cutting away before the top stays up or falls is Nolan's way of winking at the audience, giving us one brief scare in a film which ends unusually happily. Besides Mal, no one in the film ever dies, and everyone who survives gets rich (except Fischer, who gets closure).
Another theory: the top wasn't going to fall over, it was going to keep spinning, thus proving that Cobb was still in Limbo, having taken Mal's advice and accepting the dream-world as reality. His kids hadn't appeared to have aged very much, and everything was just a little too happy to be believed, wasn't it?
"Wait, WHAT?" theory: the top was going to tip over, but that doesn't prove that Cobb is out of Limbo. In Limbo, Cobb can envision whatever he wants, and if his mind is far-enough gone from reality, he can imagined a totem which no longer warns him that he's in a dream. Thus, he's still in Limbo, but there's now no way for him to tell.
Those two "In Limbo" theories don't hold much water for me, as it sure seemed like Cobb was ready to get the hell out of dreams and let Mal go by the end of the film. Afterall, you need to want to stay in Limbo to stay in Limbo.
The only question left: will he continue working as an extractor after all of this? Maybe there's a peaceful, legal application for dream-navigating that he'll find in the sequel.
--Serge
All those things are true
ReplyDeleteThey just did not give enough information to explain everything. Like how did Cobb find Saito in Limbo? Did he die from that stab wound from Mal? And why did the place where he found Saito look just like his dream world? And once he found Saito, how did he get him back? I assume that his dream world with Mal was Limbo. But if that is true then that means he knows how to get out of Limbo and there is no real threat of Limbo. But then why was it necessary to plant the idea in Mal's head that their dream world wasn't real? Couldn't he just have killed her and himself and have been back? Because they just laid on the train tracks to return. Unless realizing that Limbo is a dream makes you able to come out unharmed? Because they said something about if you are in Limbo too long you will be in a coma or your mind will have been too damaged once you get out.
ReplyDeleteMy theory is that Cobb did die from that stab wound from Mal. Then he washed up on the beach again in the same place because Limbo is like the bottom level. And then he died again with Saito and dreamt up his new perfect reality.
I really just need to see it again.....and maybe again.
I don't think Cobb's world with Mal was Limbo, simply regular dreaming--it's not far-fetched considering Cobb can't dream naturally and so only dreams when he wants to (with help from the unnamed sleep device), and what else would he dream about but being with Mal again. My personal thoughts, anyhoo.
ReplyDeleteAs for the main point of the post, I read an idea which I rather liked that said the totem wobbling was actually a meta-fictional device. That is: it was THE AUDIENCE's kick, waking them up from the "dream world" of the movie.
Also, I support the idea of a sequel to this movie or only one reason: that it would be created by Christopher Nolan. As ridiculous and unfortunate an idea as a sequel sounds (mostly because of the nature of the film's ambiguous ending), after seeing the film I would trust Nolan with anything. The man could suddenly be in charge of the movie they're making based on Monopoly, and I would still go see it in theaters. Probably twice.
I would not welcome a sequel, but if it happened, I don't want to see Cobb again. Any more information would cheapen the original.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, a prequel would be more interesting. Personally, I'd like to see a movie based on the introduction of the technology and the soon-after use of it in crime.
That or focus on Ariadne. I could use some more Ellen Page