I think the entire movie took place in Limbo; Cobb's to be exact and Ariadne was sent in to his dreamscape to bring him out. There were clues throughout the movie, given by support characters. (Remember the "Opium Den" scene? The old man there said to Cobb, "They are here to wake up. You of all people should know." that set off alarms in my brain) The biggest clue is the Totem. Cobb doesn't use his own, but his wife's. Each extractor/architect character emphasized the importance of having your own totem that no one else may touch. It grounds you in reality. I think the stuff with his wife did actually happen, but his grief and guilt trapped him in his own Limbo, where he made an elaborate projection that allowed him to let go of his wife's memories. That's why the top was still spinning at the end.
Of course, this is all just a theory. It just might be that everything that happened up to waking up in the plane did happen in RL, but that Cobb never woke up, and his getting through US customs and reuniting with his children were projections.
Your thoughts? IDEAS? Plant em on me!
Of course, this is all just a theory. It just might be that everything that happened up to waking up in the plane did happen in RL, but that Cobb never woke up, and his getting through US customs and reuniting with his children were projections.
Your thoughts? IDEAS? Plant em on me!
nice theory, i can't disprove it, but it doesn't feel right to me. so which bits would you say were in limbo? so he and moll never actually put their heads on the train tracks to wake up? or they did but stayed in limbo and then the whole film was in limbo until he woke up on the plane? i'm understanding the timeline there, but i really like the concept
i think the totem did go, it was on its way to falling, when we saw it spin forever it never wobbled like that
Inception *No Spoilers!* - Discussion thread
17/07/2010 02:57:23 AM
- 2133 Views
Saw it. Loved it. Won't mind seeing it again.
17/07/2010 04:24:06 AM
- 1231 Views
Cotillard was amazing.
17/07/2010 07:58:08 AM
- 1082 Views
Wikipedia says Nolan almost ditched the Piaf song when Cotillard was cast.
22/07/2010 09:38:56 AM
- 1363 Views
Everybody in the theater groaned at the ending. It was perfect.
*NM*
17/07/2010 09:49:01 AM
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Everybody clapped in mine. Of course, there were some scattered groaning as well.
*NM*
17/07/2010 06:21:29 PM
- 680 Views

Yeah, I saw it last night with my fiancee. We both loved it.
17/07/2010 03:19:11 PM
- 1172 Views
Yeah, I walked out of there thinking, "I need to check out Memento."
14/08/2010 04:12:06 AM
- 1048 Views
Gets my vote for best of the Summer.
17/07/2010 10:15:51 PM
- 1055 Views
THAT's what I'd seen him in...
17/07/2010 11:36:34 PM
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He was in G.I. Joe as well. Did an excellent job as the Cobra Commander.
*NM*
18/07/2010 02:58:33 AM
- 551 Views

I felt there were two ways they could have gone with this movie
20/07/2010 06:26:34 AM
- 1078 Views
I thought it was smart of Nolan to use architects in manipulating/exploring the mind instead of
20/07/2010 08:03:42 AM
- 1117 Views
nice theory
21/07/2010 12:20:21 AM
- 1059 Views
Re: nice theory
21/07/2010 06:47:39 AM
- 1135 Views
It makes sense, but eventually feels like over-thinking the entire film.
21/07/2010 06:37:20 PM
- 1053 Views
The place where Cobb meets Adrienne (minor spoilers)
21/07/2010 04:18:41 AM
- 1317 Views
One thing I thought was interesting
21/07/2010 05:51:38 AM
- 1237 Views
If Dreaming was mainstream enough to be taught in schools, Ariadne would have known about it.
22/07/2010 10:12:50 AM
- 1166 Views
There was Inception for real - I mean for REAL real
22/07/2010 03:45:15 PM
- 1082 Views
2 questions
21/07/2010 12:22:20 AM
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Re: 2 questions
22/07/2010 07:40:34 PM
- 992 Views
We get it, and the thought occurred to me in the movie. It is, however, just a movie. So... yep.
22/07/2010 09:02:56 PM
- 965 Views

Classic sci-fi for the ages - My Theory + Plot Twist Elements Used
22/07/2010 05:01:26 PM
- 1322 Views
Enough people should have seen the movie by now, so here is a spoiler question for people to answer!
23/07/2010 12:45:18 AM
- 1086 Views
Objective answer=Neither. Subjective Answer = Spin
23/07/2010 03:15:43 AM
- 983 Views
Um... No. The drop theory is perfectly sound.
23/07/2010 09:23:56 AM
- 1068 Views
Nope. Here's why....
24/07/2010 02:28:03 AM
- 1011 Views
No. It's just a movie. It can drop within the context of the movie. End of discussion. *NM*
24/07/2010 10:47:06 PM
- 600 Views
the kids
23/07/2010 07:41:37 AM
- 1035 Views
Yeah but they turned and he saw their faces
29/07/2010 02:03:53 AM
- 1084 Views
But is that not the point of the film
29/07/2010 02:21:11 AM
- 1241 Views
I can accept that theory, even if I don't agree with it (yet?), but it's just a theory
02/08/2010 02:01:34 PM
- 1011 Views
It doesn't matter what happened to it, because it wasn't his. It was his wifes.
25/07/2010 12:45:29 AM
- 1231 Views
Loved it, but still trying to figure things out. Here were some of my biggest problems.
25/07/2010 07:22:53 AM
- 1018 Views
Bookwyrm, to the rescue! Here are the As to your Qs
25/07/2010 06:05:35 PM
- 1030 Views
I haven't even heard of this movie until now. Maybe I'll see it when I don't have to pay... *NM*
28/07/2010 04:39:53 AM
- 540 Views
Every single moment of Inception is a dream.
29/07/2010 02:52:39 AM
- 1232 Views
Here's my problem with this and other theories advanced in this thread.
29/07/2010 10:19:55 AM
- 1081 Views
What the Costume designer has to say about the ending and the kids. Also: The ring.
03/08/2010 08:25:19 AM
- 1180 Views
Just scored free tix on a radio contest. Time for a re-watch!
*NM*
03/08/2010 08:09:36 PM
- 606 Views
