Thread: Inception ending, finally explained? Wrong...

I'm confused as to why this debate is still going on. Near the very end, you see the totem wobble, which means it's going to fall over. In a dream, unless picked up, it'll keep spinning without wobbling. So no, I don't think he's dreaming.

Originally Posted by Puffin

I'm confused as to why this debate is still going on. Near the very end, you see the totem wobble, which means it's going to fall over. In a dream, unless picked up, it'll keep spinning without wobbling. So no, I don't think he's dreaming.

Cobb explains purpose, origin and significance of totem to Ariadne.
Ariadne knows the layout of Cobb's home/memories.
Ariadne also knows the condition of Cobb's mental state.

If the totem falls or not in the end is irrelevant.

Ariadne's purpose was to take over where Cobb had left off.
Yes, it was a dream.

I believe from the beginning he was dreaming and the dream never ended. My synopsis regarding the end is that he was still dreaming. He was never actually in the waking world not one time throughout the movie. One main reason is because of his children, who had on the exact same clothes throughout the duration of each time he has seen them.

Edit: Well that blows my theory. From research I find out that the children are wearing different clothes on the final scene. Back to square one for me. :p

Originally Posted by greenhavoc

Cobb explains purpose, origin and significance of totem to Ariadne.
Ariadne knows the layout of Cobb's home/memories.
Ariadne also knows the condition of Cobb's mental state.

If the totem falls or not in the end is irrelevant.

Ariadne's purpose was to take over where Cobb had left off.
Yes, it was a dream.

Please elaborate.

Originally Posted by Ne-yo

I believe from the beginning he was dreaming and the dream never ended. My synopsis regarding the end is that he was still dreaming. He was never actually in the waking world not one time throughout the movie. One main reason is because of his children, who had on the exact same clothes throughout the duration of each time he has seen them.

Edit: Well that blows my theory. From research I find out that the children are wearing different clothes on the final scene. Back to square one for me. :p

Not only were they wearing different clothes, but they were completely different children (actors). The end of the movie was not a dream, it was waking life. The story played out exactly as it was told.

Originally Posted by Puffin

I'm confused as to why this debate is still going on. Near the very end, you see the totem wobble, which means it's going to fall over. In a dream, unless picked up, it'll keep spinning without wobbling. So no, I don't think he's dreaming.

I didn't read all of the replies, but this quote pretty much sums it up. In the dream the totem would spin without every wobbling. Also, I haven't seen the movie in forever but at the end I believe his kids turn around towards him when he goes to them? He clearly stated earlier in the movie that in his dreams his children never turn towards him. They always kept their back to him.

So, the totem wobbled, he saw his children's faces = not dreaming. In my opinion. ;D

Originally Posted by nitsuJ

Also, I haven't seen the movie in forever but at the end I believe his kids turn around towards him when he goes to them? He clearly stated earlier in the movie that in his dreams his children never turn towards him. They always kept their back to him.

I thought the reason he could not see his kids' faces was somehow related to the fact that he could not get over his regret. He knew what his kids looked like, he just couldn't dream about their faces because all he could think of was how he missed his last opportunity to see them. This could have been overcome, even if he was dreaming.

I have a new theory. What if he never really got out of limbo? They already said that being killed on that deep of a level would not wake you up, so how would they wake up if they were hit by a dream train?

Now, suppose that Cobb thought that the train woke them up, but it didn't. Eventually, his wife catches on, but no matter what she can't convince him that they need to do something else to wake up. Finally, she realizes that jumping from a building will do it, in the same way that tossing the guy off the balcony got him out of limbo. I think there is evidence to say that the whole thing was a dream, for Cobb, while Mrs. Cobb is still alive and well in waking life.

Originally Posted by cedward1

I thought the reason he could not see his kids' faces was somehow related to the fact that he could not get over his regret. He knew what his kids looked like, he just couldn't dream about their faces because all he could think of was how he missed his last opportunity to see them. This could have been overcome, even if he was dreaming.

He didn't know what his kids looked like, as they got older, and the children he saw at the end of the movie were older than the children he saw when he left home (completely different actors). If he was dreaming, he would have seen his kids as they were when he last saw them.

Originally Posted by cedward

I have a new theory. What if he never really got out of limbo? They already said that being killed on that deep of a level would not wake you up, so how would they wake up if they were hit by a dream train?

If he never got out of Limbo, the top wouldn't have fallen twice, during the movie. We also don't know what kind of sedative Cobb and Mal were using, when doing their experiments. We don't know how deep they went. They could have been three levels down, or further. We don't know. We were only given bits of information. But to make assumptions on the movie based on information that was never given or implied, is to be taking a tiny speculation and running with it, to assume that it affects the outcome of the movie - much like Inception, itself.

Originally Posted by cedward

Now, suppose that Cobb thought that the train woke them up, but it didn't. Eventually, his wife catches on, but no matter what she can't convince him that they need to do something else to wake up. Finally, she realizes that jumping from a building will do it, in the same way that tossing the guy off the balcony got him out of limbo. I think there is evidence to say that the whole thing was a dream, for Cobb, while Mrs. Cobb is still alive and well in waking life.

What if Cobb is dead and the whole movie is the afterlife? There is just as much 'evidence' to assume that. Personally, I give Nolan more credit than that. If the whole movie was a dream, then the movie is, essentially, pointless. Come to think of it, it's important to note that Nolan does state that the top falling over gives Cobb a baseline reality. He also states that "Cobb's world" is "analogous" to the dream world - making a deliberate distinction between the two. (Article) This leaves much more reason to believe that the entire movie is not a dream, and that there are parts of it that are real life.

Also, throwing Fisher off of the building didn't work alone. It only worked because he was also being 'kicked' on the level above, at the same time. There is no reason to believe that there was something about being thrown off the building that was special, as opposed to being hit by a train. They were both equally efficient ways of waking up.