Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most open-ended films in the history of cinema. Remember that in the movie, to determine whether he is dreaming or awake, Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) uses a totem: a small spinning wheel that stops in reality but returns endlessly in the dream.
When he has just completed his mission and finds his children at the end of the movie, he starts it to check that everything is real. Except the film stops short of a twist… leaving the audience to interpret whether it’s a dream or not.
But the magazine Wired The director of the film, Christopher Nolan, was asked: “(…) Your movies can have a very anti-nihilistic message. Dunkirk, Interstellar, Batman. Or is that optimism?” To which Christopher Nolan responded, using the example of Inception:
The ending of Inception is just that. There is a nihilistic view of this ending, isn’t there? But he also moved and is with his children. Uncertainty is not emotional, it is quite intellectual for society (…).
If his answer still seems a little vague, Michael Caine also talked about the end of the film at the festival Film4 summer screen in 2018 yearFrom a less technical point of view:
“When I got the Inception script, I was a little confused. I asked him, ‘When is it a dream and when is it reality?’ He said, ‘Well, when you’re on stage, it’s reality.’ . dream on.”
Which answer do you prefer? Do you prefer ambiguity or a clear answer? Your keyboards!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
