Summary -
Inception has a range of genres from being an action, science fiction and thriller to a heist movie, it is about a thief (also known as extractors) - Dom Cobb - who has the ability to enter peoples dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His ability to do this has made him an asset in the world of corporate espionage. Dom gets a chance at redemption when he is offered an impossible task to plant an idea in someone's mind.
The confusing elements of this film are the many narratives within it, this is shown by the different layers of dreams they are in, but also by the end of the film the spectators don't know whether Dom is still in one of the dreams because his totem (the spinning top) is still spinning and so there is no resolution.
The recruitment of Ariadne -
The purpose of this scene besides the recruitment is to explain the fundamentals of the dreams and what Dom job is.
We can tell from the performance of Ariadne that she slowly begins to realise she is in a dream by how shocked she looks when the shops surrounding her are exploding and when Dom questions her on how she got to the cafe, because she can not remember.
The audience placement in this sequence changes throughout as firstly it is Ariadne who questions Dom about the physics of the dreams and he has all the answers. But then the power switches when Ariadne shows what she can do as she starts manipulating the landscapes in Paris and then it is Dom who has all the question for Ariadne.
The end sequence -
The camerawork in this sequence used is tracking shots, close ups, slow motion and over the shoulder shots. This creates an active response the spectators can begin to feel like they are a part of it.
The end scene links into the conventions of a heist movie when they silently acknowledge each other and nod whilst they are all leaving the airport.
The ending of the film is uncertain because the spectators aren't aware whether Cobb is still in a dream or whether he is in reality because his totem is still spinning. This is a suitable ending for the film because the spectators are left to question if Cobb was still in a dream.
Emotional responses -
Pessimism - This response could be created by the capitalism views represented by Fischer's company and how he is trying to expand his wealth.
Optimism - This response could be created by the representation of the flawed male characters.
Empathy - This response could be created by the relationship between Cobb and his death wife, as she is a projection in his dream which the spectators could relate to if they have similar dreams.
Sympathy - This response would be created by Cobb's relationship between his wife and also his kids.
Visual and Sonic techniques -
frequent repetition of elements in the film Totems (spinning top, chess piece, loaded die) - Is used for the characters to check if they are still in a dream or in reality.
Water - Is used to represent refreshness which reflects what the dreams are in each stage.
Lifts - To represent the different layers of their dreams and so it appeals to gamers.
War/fighting - To show they are in the middle of a battle
Musical motifs (lietmotif) "Je Ne Regrette Rien" - Used to awaken the characters when they are in a dream and so they know when they are near to end of the certain
Tempo (of the music) - Reflects the level and depth of the dream they are in
Wider representations -
The implanting of an idea in Fischer's head represents capitalism and how this film is about trying to stop Fischer's energy company from gaining too much power, because of this Inception can be seen as an anti-capitalism film.
Also this film represents male trauma post 9/11, which can also reflect the crisis in masculinity and how the characters are flawed.
Gaming is shown which could represent the different layers of dream but also could reflect the gaming generation which is the intended audience for Inception.
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