I made this video 5 years ago and it digs into the multi-layered meaning of the film, but watching it recently I am reminded of how emotional the story is too. Well Done Nolan. For more in-depth analysis, check out my video on PRISONERS: ua-cam.com/video/pZ6j8plBDsg/v-deo.html
Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it, i just thought rather than serve my ego and pretend to know what the film is really about i thought id share a mix of different ideas since the film is so open and subjective. much more suiting for the kind of film this is.
Thanks glad you liked it, yeah inception has been out for a while so there was all sorts of theory's on it, i didn't want to miss the filmmaking metaphor incase it was new to someone.
Spot on review. I agree with all the points you raised. To me Inception was always about catharsis. It doesn't matter whether Cobb is dreaming or not, all that matters is that he is at peace. That theme is featured in all of Nolan's films.The main character creates his own 'reality' or 'truth' in order to survive in the world around him. That being said I can't wait for Intersteller to come out. Pretty stoked man. Pretty stoked.
Yeah i agree really excited about Intersteller, who knows what it will be about. And i totally agree with what you said about characters creating there own truth and world for themselves, Batman is a perfect example, great point.
I like what you said about how Nolan's protagonists refusing to give in to real life by escaping to their own fantasies. This applies strongly to the prestige where the two main protagonists escape reality to their art/ magic, in the following, Nolan's first film, the main character escapes his reality by following people in the hopes of using them for his writing. In the dark knight trilogy, batman escapes his own trauma by becoming a vigilante. I Memento, the main character unknowingly deals with the loss of his wife by continuously tracking down people to take false revenge on.
Wow thanks , glad this video is finding like minded people and awesome to hear your got the courage to follow your dream, I'm doing the same at the moment, but finding the courage to really leave my job is tricky, even though I'm working on a project just now!
foleyd87 Wow thank you for the response... I just want to thank you... I stumbled upon your P T Anderson film analyses few years back. I didnt go to a proper film school since I gave up chiropractic after 5 years when watching The Dark Knight... Nolan triggered something in me. I've been a batman fan since I was in the single digit ages. Always felt a connection to Batman and the beauty that his story, in my eyes, is a true real Superhero. Trapped between two realities. Seeing what the world allows you to see and Seeing the true nature of what the world has become... Joel Schumacher f*#ked up my perspective on Batman. Then the master Nolan ascended to his destiny. To me he will inevitably be a historic icon in the art of storytelling at its finest. While watching your analysis on Inception i was literally blown away. Your eye for detail makes me look like G W Bush, in my country he goes by Julius Malema. Thank you D. Foley Be proud that you just made a difference to an aspiring filmmaker from Durban, South Africa :)
Awesome to hear your story, i feel like I'm in a similar position, I'm working on a script just now thats i hope will one day get made. But this channel allows me to share with other people in similar situations. Iv also been a massive Batman fan, i created a BATMAN series of podcasts, the first talks alot about why i love his character, you might enjoy it: Batman Series: Introduction - MUST SEE FILMS PODCAST & as an aspiring filmmaker you might find some of these books useful. : Book Collection '50th Video Special' - MUST SEE FILMS PODCAST Hope some of these will be useful for you!
foleyd87 thank you for the wise words and the tips... really means a lot... i love your critical analyses of recent mind provoking movies... please continue as you have already succeeded in enlightening an aspiring filmmaker. many thanks
Great to hear, the plan is to keep making videos as i work on my own project and one day ill be able to share my own films with the channel as it grows.
The most interesting thing to me is Mal trashes in apartment Dom Cob comes through picks her totem up goes to the window and tells her not to jump. but she is sat at the window of the building opposite from the one he is in! in a different building!... he talks to her as if she/they are awake and that if she jumps she will die for ever. but that must be a dream or she would have her back to him. ;)
Yeah they were in a dream and Mal realized it. Cobb didn't. Mal was right all along. He was in his own dream at the end. He was never in the real world throughout the movie. That's why in the so called "real world" Michael Caine tells him to come back to reality. Makes perfect sense. On the other hand, him coming back to the real world makes no sense as there are multiple flaws to that end.
Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it, i thought the most interesting thing about inception was its many interpretation so a video that explored more than one would be essential.
Good selection of films there, i love eternal sunshine! also there a new spike jonze film coming out called 'her' worth checking out the trailer if you liked 'being john malkovich. Syndoche NY blew my mind, that film definitely needs some explaining.
Thats an interesting way to look at it. Its like Murphy is the star but we watch the journey from the Directors point of view, the way Nolan must experience the making of films.
yeah thats soo true, i could definitely work on a few films there without re-covering what others have done. Also Kubrick's film 'seafarers' has just been released on 'indieflix' to stream, not seen by many. worth checking out if your a Kubrick fan!!
another clue that the entire film is a dream/movie is the heavy brass sounds over the opening credits, which some have suggested is 'no regrets' slowed down. This is how you would hear the tune if you were a few dream levels down. Number 3 for me then, the film is a metaphor for film making. Interesting then that someone asks Cobb to, basically, rig a dream/movie to carry a hidden message. That becomes even more interesting when you consider the controversy and theories around the deaths in the Atlanta cinema during a showing of The Dark Knight Rises.
Yeah iv read the idea of the score being 'No regrets' slowed down, that would be very fitting. i like the idea of this film just causing audiences to question so much, even if its not always an answer, the film itself is a catalyst for conversation.
ill need to give that another watch, folk are raving about it just now, i saw it when i was younger but i don't think i really appreciated it at the time.
Thanks really appreciate that feedback, its great to be able to share these videos but im always hoping they'll make sense to people so they can take meaning from them. Next video posting tomorrow.
Yeah i love memento, such a great film, all the following is quite good as well, nowhere near as complex or head of its time but as Nolan's first film you can see the genius in his work. Memento may be one for the future, although if you watch it forwards it is surprisingly easy to understand.
Something to support the idea of this being about films rather than dreams. Leo's character tells ariadne about how if the film becomes more complex, the subconscious-which could be the audience, starts to become aware and aggressive. This could hint about the negative criticism Nolan receives from audiences not understanding or appreciating the architecture of his films and storytelling.
My interpretation: Cobb never woke up from the Limbo he shared with Mal. Killing themselves in the dream caused Mal to either wake up, or die from psycho-somatic death. Cobb himself slipped into a coma. All the other characters are projections of his own mind. Mal is of course a projection of his Id, the part of the human mind controlled by animal instinct and emotion. She is violent, seductive, and tortures him with guilt over his children. Sex drive, aggression, and parental instinct all come from the Id. Ariadne is a projection of his super-ego, the part of the mind responsible for socialisation and interaction with the outside world, hence the name "super-ego" or "greater than the self". The Super-ego is responsible of a person's understanding of their environment, their role in society, and anything else that's "beyond the self." Ariadne's defining character attributes are curiosity, creativity, and morality, all of which come from the super-ego. This also explains why Mal and Ariadne are in conflict, as in classical Freudian psychology, the Id and the Super-ego are always in conflict, because the Id is inherently selfish and introspective, refusing to acknowledge anything but the person's own biological needs, and the super-ego is inherently selfless and outrospective, acknowledging only the outside world and ignoring the self. This is reflected in the story by Mal, the Id's desire to stay in Limbo, where the illusion that all of Cob's needs will be met gives her the sense that her function is being met. Ariadne, the super-ego wants him to wake up so that her function of observing and interpreting the outside world can once more be fulfilled. Other character are projections of other parts of his mind. Fisher represents his grief, Fisher senior is the projection of his own dead father, Sato is a projection of his regret, and so forth.
It came to me when I was thinking "if Cobb never woke up, and everyone's a projection of his mind, then what parts of his mind would they be?" Mal was obviously the Id, and after looking at her character closely, I concluded that Ariadne must be the superego.
wikiporno2 Thats pretty cool, its just shows you how many ways there are of viewing this film, i wonder if Nolan intended this to be his Shining, a film that people would take a long time to crack and really see true meaning.
foleyd87 If you look at it from my interpretation, the elevator scene takes on a whole new meaning: Mal (the Id): "what are you doing here" Ariadne (the Super-ego): "I'm..." Mal (the Id) "I know who you are, what are you doing here?" Ariadne (the Super-ego): "I'm just trying to understand." (My function is to probe the environment for meaning) Mal (the Id): "How can you understand? Do you know what it is to be a lover? To be half of a whole?" (How could you possibly understand these emotions? They're my domain not yours) Mal (the Id): Let me ask you a riddle, you're waiting for a train... (this has emotional meaning that the Super-ego couldn't understand, and this explains the hostility Mal, the Id exhibits after it's clear that the super-ego doesn't understand) Cobb (the Ego): "Because you'd be together" Mal (the Id): "how could you bring her here?" (How could you bring the super-ego here? This is my domain, not her's.) (Cobb the Ego, and Ariadne the Super-ego leave, rejecting the Mal the Id) Mal (the Id): "You promised! You said we'd be together! You Said we'd grow old together! (How can you reject me like this? I'm a part of you, and I'll always be a part of you!) Ariadne (the super-ego): "Do you think you can just build a prison of memories for her? Do you really think that will contain her?" (the Id is powerful, and can't just be bottled up like that)
Thank you for providing these theories without saying which it "really is" - since there's no way for us to know which is the real one without Nolan telling us. I also learned a couple of new ones through your video :)
Also the fact that the songs in the film are mostly (if not all) based on the Edit Piaf song, just at different speeds. Perhaps hinting to the fact that we are in a dream.
Hi friend. My name is Dan. I really enjoy all of your film analyses as I like to think of myself as a fledgling movie buff and I actually hope to move into some part of the film industry one day. I actually look forward to watching all the movies you have on your channel but there's so many and I have such little free time! One day I'll be on the same level haha But anyway, I was just curious as to what your method is starting from the moment when you first decide to watch a movie to when one of these youtube videos is posted. You always seem to have such highly intellectual and extremely well thought out theories and observations that I find very informative and I am always left wanting to rewatch the film! I have to say, after watching one of your videos I find myself a little frustrated that I hadn't thought of the movie in all the ways you have. Even with a movie like Inception that I've seen about 5 or 6 times (not counting three times in theaters), it took me to watching this analysis here to grasp the full scope of what Nolan was trying to achieve. For instance, I had never even once pondered the idea that this whole movie could be a dream. I just am very curious how I could somehow get to the point where I wouldn't need to watch a video like this to fully understand and appreciate a work of art in the medium of film.
Yeah Nolan is a plot heavy and idea director, more interested about communicating big ideas and concepts than the building of tension and realistic dialogue. I don't mind it too much, there are other directors who can do that for me if Im in the mood. All his films have a similar tone and feel, not for everybody's taste.
Yeah i agree, because Cobb has created Mal through his guilt he could definitely still be in a world of his creating, even if he has accepted it is real by lying to himself so he can be happy. i think the film is open enough to have multiple perspectives on this point. I would agree that i think Cobb finishes the film somewhere in the middle of the levels.
Hey ryan, Yeh iv got a few another video prepared but im waiting for a few other things to be sorted before i release it, it will defo be out but fri! glad you liked the video.
Thinking about what you said about drowning in dreams, what about if every time, there's an edit, there's a layer in a dream? I haven't really backed up this theory, but the thought's come to mind, thinking out loud.
Absolutely love your analysis. I love your conclusion and how it all comes down to what the audience perceives the movie to be within a deeper connection. I just watched this movie for the third time with a more spiritual outlook to it and I began to tear up while the movie was reaching its epilogue. After watching your analysis and watching interviews with the director Nolan, and certain characters from the movie such as; Leo, Ellen and Tom; I was more aware that the movie is based on Nolan's life and how he views the world and how he views himself in it as well. He used his own feelings and thoughts through Leo. I realized I relate with Nolan through many ways and I believe what he is portraying in Inception is that nothing is real. We are all stuck in someone else's dream and if and when we are aware of it, we begin to wander for the truth. The only way to deal with this upon awareness is to either accept the thought that has been imagined for you and continue on with the adventure that was planned for you and see where "life" through someone else's journey will take you. Or realize it all isn't real and whether you choose to stay in it or not. It is very deep and I understand the universe through his thoughts much better after this analysis and his interview; that we are all just perceptions and ideas wandering through absolutely anything; whether it may be a human, animal, parasite or just a tiny element floating through black matter that we refer to as our universe and what we live in. A clearer and more brief explanation of what I'm trying to say is that we are all controlled by someone in these dreams or realities; when you begin to realize you're being controlled, you become stubborn and want to rebel and free your mind and free yourself from the person who continues to stay in your life that controls you. Most of the time it isn't easy freeing yourself from something so powerful and controlling and what we don't realize is that we as an individual are powerful more than anything or anyone once we have learned how to master our own conscious and live for ourselves.
Thats a great way to look at the film. Im glad the film got you looking with a more spiritual perspective. Iv certainly developed that alot in myself through my own discovery of trying to be myself as opposed to being controlled. I find meditation and exercise really helps me stay grounded and remain myself, rather than being responsive to the world around me. This film works on so many levels and I'm always impressed at how it affects people.
The amazingness about Inception was the allegorical meaning that man's determination to dominate every aspect of reality will ultimately be his downfall. What's awesome about that movie is that it alludes to how fragile our very perception of reality is, since after all "reality" as we know it only consists of the information that is gathered by our consciousness by means of touch, sight, sound, smell, and feel. We never stop to think about the fact that the real, objective reality consists of WAY more than that. In fact, just the simple discovery of different types of waves in the air is proof that, with our consciousness the way it is, we're only capable of experiencing an EXTREMELY small portion of the whole of reality. And the more we push those boundaries of our perceptions the more we risk overreaching, thus destroying how our minds currently experience things. I think it hearkens back to philosophers like Nietzsche, who ultimately died literally insane and alone after spending years trying to dissect the different aspects of life. And I think the most important parallel between those people and the movie Inception is that in both cases someone powerful figured out how to use that knowledge to control others. In fact, Hitler took much of Nietzsche's writing and used it to START the Nazi party. All-in-all, Inception was amazing because it really made you question what reality is, and how it can ultimately be used. What are your thoughts?
This analysis is one I've been looking for for Inception. The only others are the image about Mal and Cobb's totem as mentioned before, in addition to BH the Uncivilised's
The Power Rangers Professor Thanks glad it helped, i thought it would be best to cover the multiple version of interpretation since the film has been s widely discussed.
I have to say, that this is honestly the best analysis video about Inception. You brought up a lot of things about the film that I've never known about. So I have to say Great Job man. 👍
+shakey man I have considered covering the Nolan films a few times, not sure exactly what format id do it in, but it has been on my mind for a while. Also love memento!
I'd be interested in hearing your analysis on other Nolan films, like The Dark Knight Trilogy, Memento, The Prestige, Interstellar, etc. This is great.
Awesome video, as always. I would love to see Analysis's of Donnie Darko, Uncle Boonmee, Mulholland Dr, Black Swan, Paris Texas and A History of Violence :D thank you!
Have you considered covering some Charlie Kauffman films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich or even the really complex Syndoche, NY?
I recently added an article to my Facebook page that is about Black Swan, its quite interesting. Here it is: - cinematiccorner.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/48-hidden-images-in-black-swan.html and heres my Facebook if you want to keep in touch for other great content. facebook.com/mustseefilmspodcast Thanks!
Thanks im glad it was helpful, im not really sure myself which i really believe, the more i researched the film the more open and unsure it felt and it really can be seen from alot of different perspectives. feel free to make any suggestions of futures films to analyse.
What about the theory that the totem and ring are both red herrings He went down to limbo and when he was kicked he only truly went up one level where the others had to go up more levels So after he wakes on the plane he's only at the 4th level, or even lower since he and Mal only went up one level too Since he thinks he's in the real world the useless totem would just topple over but he would still be dreaming and not know it Like Memento he is lying to himself. Also check subtitles at the end.
Hey, I saw this video back when you first uploaded it and I really appreciated the points you made. I would love to see what you think of "Inception vs the matrix" on my channel
HOLY WOW I like the interpretation that Cobb is awake in the end. But I like the interpretation that his children are his totem. Then again, as I think of this man's final words when he says, "The meaning is more a reflection of the viewer, than the movie itself." And I like to think that it is my opinion and interpretation being made by me. Being reflected in the mirror. I especially wonder if Cobb's wife was right all along and it is she who is some how trying to save him throughout the movie. I also heard of one theory/ interpretation that contributes to the interpretation that the whole movie is a dream in which it is thought that the scene where they find the chemist is where the rest of the film is a dream or again, contributes to the theory because of the man who talks to Cobb and says something like "Their dreams have become their reality." And who knows, what if in the end when Miles walks away and lets Cobb be with his children, he is actually getting Mal, so the entire family can be together again. And it kinda accompanies Christopher Nolan's concept of him performing inception on us. Maybe we have to look outside of the box and figure out the rest off the stuff we haven;t thought about. And because this seems so simple, the entire purpose of the plot is off a bit because then couldn't anyone they perform inception on figure out their devious, deceitful and deceptive ways?
When he wakes up on the plane he doesnt unplug, ie he doesnt rip the velvcro strap from his wrist. Every other time he wakes into reality he does that. He's sleeping at the end. The phone call with his wife is exactly the way people who are sleeping incorporate what the senses are picking up, her Mother and his kids are talking to a sleeping or unconscious Cobb as is mind turns to 'scrambled egg' as Hardy puts it.
its in a book called 'Hitchcock -Truffaut' its basically a series of interviews with Hitchcock over the years, i have no idea what page number it is, sometimes i highlight stuff, i checked but couldn't find it, but its 100% from that book.
Please don't do 60fps.. in countries outside US and Europe it's not streamable and that dilutes your audience. Yes you could watch it at 480 but to be honest, I'm not going to do that... I'll just go elsewhere.
lol thanks, i recently did an interview with Rob, you can listen to how different yet similar our voices are together here: ua-cam.com/video/2px8NV6kNcA/v-deo.html
Okay there's a difference when you both talk side by side but it's subtle enough that if viewing your videos one at a time it sounds very similar. I'll have to listen to the entire podcast later today when I have time. You guys both have interesting thoughts.
Yeah I watched it, and it blow my mind! I didn't love it, I didn't totally understand what was happening and because of that got lost and a little detached from the emotion of the film. Still some killer action sequences though!
Why are you talking as if you want nobody to hear you?? Stop whispering! Vocalize! Enunciate! Speak to me! We already know this, elaborate this with enthusiasm. PLEASE. You're not bringing anything new to the table, so it's in your best interest to give it your own voice.
False, His Children are actually shown to have different ages (in the cast list there are 2 different sets of children, one older, one younger) They also change their clothes as well.
Most of Kubrick's pre-Strangelove stuff gets a bit neglected IMO. Lolita and Paths of Glory are fantastic and I'd love to hear what you think about them
Thanks really appreciate that feedback, its great to be able to share these videos but im always hoping they'll make sense to people so they can take meaning from them. Next video posting tomorrow.
I made this video 5 years ago and it digs into the multi-layered meaning of the film, but watching it recently I am reminded of how emotional the story is too. Well Done Nolan. For more in-depth analysis, check out my video on PRISONERS: ua-cam.com/video/pZ6j8plBDsg/v-deo.html
This is wonderful..thank U...can u make video on Memento?plz
Yeah I love Memento, maybe something Ill cover down the line, I know lessons from the screenplay has a great video on the film too.
This is the best explanation I have seen.The Children being Cobbs Totem is a mind blower. Great Job!
Thanks glad you enjoyed it, i really like the idea of his Totem being his children, through that was an interesting misdirection.
Excellent analysis of Inception. Actually the best I have seen so far.
Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it, i just thought rather than serve my ego and pretend to know what the film is really about i thought id share a mix of different ideas since the film is so open and subjective. much more suiting for the kind of film this is.
Thanks glad you liked it, yeah inception has been out for a while so there was all sorts of theory's on it, i didn't want to miss the filmmaking metaphor incase it was new to someone.
I hadn't thought about it but inception being a metaphor for filmaking sounds very plausible! Well done thanks for the video
Spot on review. I agree with all the points you raised. To me Inception was always about catharsis. It doesn't matter whether Cobb is dreaming or not, all that matters is that he is at peace. That theme is featured in all of Nolan's films.The main character creates his own 'reality' or 'truth' in order to survive in the world around him. That being said I can't wait for Intersteller to come out. Pretty stoked man. Pretty stoked.
Yeah i agree really excited about Intersteller, who knows what it will be about. And i totally agree with what you said about characters creating there own truth and world for themselves, Batman is a perfect example, great point.
I like what you said about how Nolan's protagonists refusing to give in to real life by escaping to their own fantasies. This applies strongly to the prestige where the two main protagonists escape reality to their art/ magic, in the following, Nolan's first film, the main character escapes his reality by following people in the hopes of using them for his writing. In the dark knight trilogy, batman escapes his own trauma by becoming a vigilante. I Memento, the main character unknowingly deals with the loss of his wife by continuously tracking down people to take false revenge on.
Yeah good points, its quite appropriate to Nolans films really, i love memento and the prestige.
Who is your top 3 favorite Filmmakers of all time Darren?
owww, thats tough, maybe Derek Cianfrance, Paul Thomas Anderson and Stanley Kubrick, maybe. hard to say.
This analysis just changed my whole life... Nolan is the reason I left being a doctor to become an aspiring filmmaker... Thank you Foley
Wow thanks , glad this video is finding like minded people and awesome to hear your got the courage to follow your dream, I'm doing the same at the moment, but finding the courage to really leave my job is tricky, even though I'm working on a project just now!
foleyd87 Wow thank you for the response... I just want to thank you... I stumbled upon your P T Anderson film analyses few years back. I didnt go to a proper film school since I gave up chiropractic after 5 years when watching The Dark Knight... Nolan triggered something in me. I've been a batman fan since I was in the single digit ages. Always felt a connection to Batman and the beauty that his story, in my eyes, is a true real Superhero. Trapped between two realities. Seeing what the world allows you to see and Seeing the true nature of what the world has become... Joel Schumacher f*#ked up my perspective on Batman. Then the master Nolan ascended to his destiny. To me he will inevitably be a historic icon in the art of storytelling at its finest.
While watching your analysis on Inception i was literally blown away. Your eye for detail makes me look like G W Bush, in my country he goes by Julius Malema.
Thank you D. Foley
Be proud that you just made a difference to an aspiring filmmaker from Durban, South Africa :)
Awesome to hear your story, i feel like I'm in a similar position, I'm working on a script just now thats i hope will one day get made. But this channel allows me to share with other people in similar situations.
Iv also been a massive Batman fan, i created a BATMAN series of podcasts, the first talks alot about why i love his character, you might enjoy it: Batman Series: Introduction - MUST SEE FILMS PODCAST
& as an aspiring filmmaker you might find some of these books useful. :
Book Collection '50th Video Special' - MUST SEE FILMS PODCAST
Hope some of these will be useful for you!
foleyd87 thank you for the wise words and the tips... really means a lot... i love your critical analyses of recent mind provoking movies... please continue as you have already succeeded in enlightening an aspiring filmmaker. many thanks
Great to hear, the plan is to keep making videos as i work on my own project and one day ill be able to share my own films with the channel as it grows.
The most interesting thing to me is Mal trashes in apartment Dom Cob comes through picks her totem up goes to the window and tells her not to jump. but she is sat at the window of the building opposite from the one he is in! in a different building!... he talks to her as if she/they are awake and that if she jumps she will die for ever. but that must be a dream or she would have her back to him. ;)
Yeah they were in a dream and Mal realized it. Cobb didn't. Mal was right all along. He was in his own dream at the end. He was never in the real world throughout the movie. That's why in the so called "real world" Michael Caine tells him to come back to reality. Makes perfect sense. On the other hand, him coming back to the real world makes no sense as there are multiple flaws to that end.
Very nice. I think this is the most concise and well done analysis of all the interpretations out there that I've yet seen. Thanks so much!
Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it, i thought the most interesting thing about inception was its many interpretation so a video that explored more than one would be essential.
That last analysis just blew my freaking mind O.O totally changes how I will watch the film...omg...
Awesome great to hear, always trying to help you see films differently.
Good selection of films there, i love eternal sunshine! also there a new spike jonze film coming out called 'her' worth checking out the trailer if you liked 'being john malkovich. Syndoche NY blew my mind, that film definitely needs some explaining.
Yeah i love all of Kubricks films, Rob Ager has covered most of his films so i kinda feel like they've been done, but i might try and do one one day!
Thats an interesting way to look at it. Its like Murphy is the star but we watch the journey from the Directors point of view, the way Nolan must experience the making of films.
yeah thats soo true, i could definitely work on a few films there without re-covering what others have done. Also Kubrick's film 'seafarers' has just been released on 'indieflix' to stream, not seen by many. worth checking out if your a Kubrick fan!!
yeah you'd be right about that, id quite like to watch it again and see try and understand it, i remember it being very random at points.
another clue that the entire film is a dream/movie is the heavy brass sounds over the opening credits, which some have suggested is 'no regrets' slowed down. This is how you would hear the tune if you were a few dream levels down. Number 3 for me then, the film is a metaphor for film making. Interesting then that someone asks Cobb to, basically, rig a dream/movie to carry a hidden message. That becomes even more interesting when you consider the controversy and theories around the deaths in the Atlanta cinema during a showing of The Dark Knight Rises.
Yeah iv read the idea of the score being 'No regrets' slowed down, that would be very fitting. i like the idea of this film just causing audiences to question so much, even if its not always an answer, the film itself is a catalyst for conversation.
Glad you enjoyed, David Lynch is next, blue velvet released shortly.
ill need to give that another watch, folk are raving about it just now, i saw it when i was younger but i don't think i really appreciated it at the time.
Thanks, have a few more videos coming soon and also starting a podcasts to talk about films more frequently.
Lynch is coming shortly, friday at the latest, glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks really appreciate that feedback, its great to be able to share these videos but im always hoping they'll make sense to people so they can take meaning from them. Next video posting tomorrow.
Yeah i love memento, such a great film, all the following is quite good as well, nowhere near as complex or head of its time but as Nolan's first film you can see the genius in his work. Memento may be one for the future, although if you watch it forwards it is surprisingly easy to understand.
Something to support the idea of this being about films rather than dreams. Leo's character tells ariadne about how if the film becomes more complex, the subconscious-which could be the audience, starts to become aware and aggressive. This could hint about the negative criticism Nolan receives from audiences not understanding or appreciating the architecture of his films and storytelling.
Nice observation!
My interpretation: Cobb never woke up from the Limbo he shared with Mal. Killing themselves in the dream caused Mal to either wake up, or die from psycho-somatic death. Cobb himself slipped into a coma. All the other characters are projections of his own mind. Mal is of course a projection of his Id, the part of the human mind controlled by animal instinct and emotion. She is violent, seductive, and tortures him with guilt over his children. Sex drive, aggression, and parental instinct all come from the Id. Ariadne is a projection of his super-ego, the part of the mind responsible for socialisation and interaction with the outside world, hence the name "super-ego" or "greater than the self". The Super-ego is responsible of a person's understanding of their environment, their role in society, and anything else that's "beyond the self." Ariadne's defining character attributes are curiosity, creativity, and morality, all of which come from the super-ego. This also explains why Mal and Ariadne are in conflict, as in classical Freudian psychology, the Id and the Super-ego are always in conflict, because the Id is inherently selfish and introspective, refusing to acknowledge anything but the person's own biological needs, and the super-ego is inherently selfless and outrospective, acknowledging only the outside world and ignoring the self. This is reflected in the story by Mal, the Id's desire to stay in Limbo, where the illusion that all of Cob's needs will be met gives her the sense that her function is being met. Ariadne, the super-ego wants him to wake up so that her function of observing and interpreting the outside world can once more be fulfilled. Other character are projections of other parts of his mind. Fisher represents his grief, Fisher senior is the projection of his own dead father, Sato is a projection of his regret, and so forth.
Thats interesting i like that idea. especially the reference to the id, ego and super-ego.
It came to me when I was thinking "if Cobb never woke up, and everyone's a projection of his mind, then what parts of his mind would they be?" Mal was obviously the Id, and after looking at her character closely, I concluded that Ariadne must be the superego.
wikiporno2 Thats pretty cool, its just shows you how many ways there are of viewing this film, i wonder if Nolan intended this to be his Shining, a film that people would take a long time to crack and really see true meaning.
foleyd87 If you look at it from my interpretation, the elevator scene takes on a whole new meaning:
Mal (the Id): "what are you doing here"
Ariadne (the Super-ego): "I'm..."
Mal (the Id) "I know who you are, what are you doing here?"
Ariadne (the Super-ego): "I'm just trying to understand." (My function is to probe the environment for meaning)
Mal (the Id): "How can you understand? Do you know what it is to be a lover? To be half of a whole?" (How could you possibly understand these emotions? They're my domain not yours)
Mal (the Id): Let me ask you a riddle, you're waiting for a train... (this has emotional meaning that the Super-ego couldn't understand, and this explains the hostility Mal, the Id exhibits after it's clear that the super-ego doesn't understand)
Cobb (the Ego): "Because you'd be together"
Mal (the Id): "how could you bring her here?" (How could you bring the super-ego here? This is my domain, not her's.)
(Cobb the Ego, and Ariadne the Super-ego leave, rejecting the Mal the Id)
Mal (the Id): "You promised! You said we'd be together! You Said we'd grow old together!
(How can you reject me like this? I'm a part of you, and I'll always be a part of you!)
Ariadne (the super-ego): "Do you think you can just build a prison of memories for her? Do you really think that will contain her?" (the Id is powerful, and can't just be bottled up like that)
Thank you for providing these theories without saying which it "really is" - since there's no way for us to know which is the real one without Nolan telling us. I also learned a couple of new ones through your video :)
Also the fact that the songs in the film are mostly (if not all) based on the Edit Piaf song, just at different speeds. Perhaps hinting to the fact that we are in a dream.
Hi friend. My name is Dan. I really enjoy all of your film analyses as I like to think of myself as a fledgling movie buff and I actually hope to move into some part of the film industry one day. I actually look forward to watching all the movies you have on your channel but there's so many and I have such little free time! One day I'll be on the same level haha
But anyway, I was just curious as to what your method is starting from the moment when you first decide to watch a movie to when one of these youtube videos is posted. You always seem to have such highly intellectual and extremely well thought out theories and observations that I find very informative and I am always left wanting to rewatch the film!
I have to say, after watching one of your videos I find myself a little frustrated that I hadn't thought of the movie in all the ways you have. Even with a movie like Inception that I've seen about 5 or 6 times (not counting three times in theaters), it took me to watching this analysis here to grasp the full scope of what Nolan was trying to achieve. For instance, I had never even once pondered the idea that this whole movie could be a dream. I just am very curious how I could somehow get to the point where I wouldn't need to watch a video like this to fully understand and appreciate a work of art in the medium of film.
Your videos have helped me with my filmmaking. Thank you!
Yeah Nolan is a plot heavy and idea director, more interested about communicating big ideas and concepts than the building of tension and realistic dialogue. I don't mind it too much, there are other directors who can do that for me if Im in the mood. All his films have a similar tone and feel, not for everybody's taste.
Thanks, i wonder what Nolan would think of this, i hope he'd smile : )
Yeah i agree, because Cobb has created Mal through his guilt he could definitely still be in a world of his creating, even if he has accepted it is real by lying to himself so he can be happy. i think the film is open enough to have multiple perspectives on this point. I would agree that i think Cobb finishes the film somewhere in the middle of the levels.
excellent as always. kubrick's films are equally as multilayered as inception... they would make an ideal thing to dissect in your next video.
Hey ryan, Yeh iv got a few another video prepared but im waiting for a few other things to be sorted before i release it, it will defo be out but fri! glad you liked the video.
Thinking about what you said about drowning in dreams, what about if every time, there's an edit, there's a layer in a dream? I haven't really backed up this theory, but the thought's come to mind, thinking out loud.
Absolutely love your analysis. I love your conclusion and how it all comes down to what the audience perceives the movie to be within a deeper connection. I just watched this movie for the third time with a more spiritual outlook to it and I began to tear up while the movie was reaching its epilogue. After watching your analysis and watching interviews with the director Nolan, and certain characters from the movie such as; Leo, Ellen and Tom; I was more aware that the movie is based on Nolan's life and how he views the world and how he views himself in it as well. He used his own feelings and thoughts through Leo. I realized I relate with Nolan through many ways and I believe what he is portraying in Inception is that nothing is real. We are all stuck in someone else's dream and if and when we are aware of it, we begin to wander for the truth. The only way to deal with this upon awareness is to either accept the thought that has been imagined for you and continue on with the adventure that was planned for you and see where "life" through someone else's journey will take you. Or realize it all isn't real and whether you choose to stay in it or not. It is very deep and I understand the universe through his thoughts much better after this analysis and his interview; that we are all just perceptions and ideas wandering through absolutely anything; whether it may be a human, animal, parasite or just a tiny element floating through black matter that we refer to as our universe and what we live in. A clearer and more brief explanation of what I'm trying to say is that we are all controlled by someone in these dreams or realities; when you begin to realize you're being controlled, you become stubborn and want to rebel and free your mind and free yourself from the person who continues to stay in your life that controls you. Most of the time it isn't easy freeing yourself from something so powerful and controlling and what we don't realize is that we as an individual are powerful more than anything or anyone once we have learned how to master our own conscious and live for ourselves.
Thats a great way to look at the film. Im glad the film got you looking with a more spiritual perspective. Iv certainly developed that alot in myself through my own discovery of trying to be myself as opposed to being controlled. I find meditation and exercise really helps me stay grounded and remain myself, rather than being responsive to the world around me. This film works on so many levels and I'm always impressed at how it affects people.
The amazingness about Inception was the allegorical meaning that man's determination to dominate every aspect of reality will ultimately be his downfall.
What's awesome about that movie is that it alludes to how fragile our very perception of reality is, since after all "reality" as we know it only consists of the information that is gathered by our consciousness by means of touch, sight, sound, smell, and feel. We never stop to think about the fact that the real, objective reality consists of WAY more than that. In fact, just the simple discovery of different types of waves in the air is proof that, with our consciousness the way it is, we're only capable of experiencing an EXTREMELY small portion of the whole of reality. And the more we push those boundaries of our perceptions the more we risk overreaching, thus destroying how our minds currently experience things.
I think it hearkens back to philosophers like Nietzsche, who ultimately died literally insane and alone after spending years trying to dissect the different aspects of life. And I think the most important parallel between those people and the movie Inception is that in both cases someone powerful figured out how to use that knowledge to control others. In fact, Hitler took much of Nietzsche's writing and used it to START the Nazi party.
All-in-all, Inception was amazing because it really made you question what reality is, and how it can ultimately be used. What are your thoughts?
This analysis is one I've been looking for for Inception. The only others are the image about Mal and Cobb's totem as mentioned before, in addition to BH the Uncivilised's
The Power Rangers Professor Thanks glad it helped, i thought it would be best to cover the multiple version of interpretation since the film has been s widely discussed.
I have to say, that this is honestly the best analysis video about Inception. You brought up a lot of things about the film that I've never known about. So I have to say Great Job man. 👍
Thanks, so awesome to hear it makes sense!
Your Welcome.
This is the best analysis video of one of my favorite movies of all time.
loving the analysing on the channel, any plans to do any of the Nolan batmans? or Momento?
+shakey man I have considered covering the Nolan films a few times, not sure exactly what format id do it in, but it has been on my mind for a while. Also love memento!
Inсеptiоn mоvie hеre => twitter.com/78de1719a08dde0aa/status/795841442123956224 Inсcccерtion Film Аnаlуsis
I'd be interested in hearing your analysis on other Nolan films, like The Dark Knight Trilogy, Memento, The Prestige, Interstellar, etc. This is great.
Black Swan is brilliant, i enjoyed the wrestler too, could be possible and i also like history of violence! good choices.
Awesome video, as always. I would love to see Analysis's of Donnie Darko, Uncle Boonmee, Mulholland Dr, Black Swan, Paris Texas and A History of Violence :D thank you!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, next one on friday!
Thanks!!
Awesome video as always. Please do more!
Total mind blown ...
Its certainly not for everyone, i enjoy it if im in the mood for some action.
Have you considered covering some Charlie Kauffman films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich or even the really complex Syndoche, NY?
Your videos are really interesting. Really glad I found this channel :)
thanks Jake, glad your liking them and found some menacing in them, I'm working on a new analysis just now, looking forward to sharing it soon.
Look forward to seeing it
It would be cool to see you analyse Black Swan actually :)
I recently added an article to my Facebook page that is about Black Swan, its quite interesting.
Here it is: -
cinematiccorner.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/48-hidden-images-in-black-swan.html
and heres my Facebook if you want to keep in touch for other great content.
facebook.com/mustseefilmspodcast
Thanks!
Great stuff! Wow, I never even thought about the casts' name significance. I'd love to see you have a crack at Memento :D
You've done it again. Great video.
Very interesting. Thanks.
Thanks im glad it was helpful, im not really sure myself which i really believe, the more i researched the film the more open and unsure it felt and it really can be seen from alot of different perspectives. feel free to make any suggestions of futures films to analyse.
Thanks, more coming soon!!
I saw an interview with Michael Caine who said that if he was in a scene, it was reality.
What about the theory that the totem and ring are both red herrings He went down to limbo and when he was kicked he only truly went up one level where the others had to go up more levels So after he wakes on the plane he's only at the 4th level, or even lower since he and Mal only went up one level too Since he thinks he's in the real world the useless totem would just topple over but he would still be dreaming and not know it Like Memento he is lying to himself. Also check subtitles at the end.
amazing video! good job!!
brilliant video
Great video. I know it's early, but are you working on another video?
Genius
thanks!! glad there was some meaning you could take from this video.
Hey, I saw this video back when you first uploaded it and I really appreciated the points you made. I would love to see what you think of "Inception vs the matrix" on my channel
+Bird's Eye View Media Nice, I'm aware of how similar the films are thematically so would be interesting to watch! thanks for the heads up!!
HOLY WOW
I like the interpretation that Cobb is awake in the end. But I like the interpretation that his children are his totem. Then again, as I think of this man's final words when he says, "The meaning is more a reflection of the viewer, than the movie itself." And I like to think that it is my opinion and interpretation being made by me. Being reflected in the mirror. I especially wonder if Cobb's wife was right all along and it is she who is some how trying to save him throughout the movie.
I also heard of one theory/ interpretation that contributes to the interpretation that the whole movie is a dream in which it is thought that the scene where they find the chemist is where the rest of the film is a dream or again, contributes to the theory because of the man who talks to Cobb and says something like "Their dreams have become their reality."
And who knows, what if in the end when Miles walks away and lets Cobb be with his children, he is actually getting Mal, so the entire family can be together again. And it kinda accompanies Christopher Nolan's concept of him performing inception on us. Maybe we have to look outside of the box and figure out the rest off the stuff we haven;t thought about. And because this seems so simple, the entire purpose of the plot is off a bit because then couldn't anyone they perform inception on figure out their devious, deceitful and deceptive ways?
I feel like 'Synecdoche' might take twenty or thirty videos to analyze.
When he wakes up on the plane he doesnt unplug, ie he doesnt rip the velvcro strap from his wrist. Every other time he wakes into reality he does that. He's sleeping at the end. The phone call with his wife is exactly the way people who are sleeping incorporate what the senses are picking up, her Mother and his kids are talking to a sleeping or unconscious Cobb as is mind turns to 'scrambled egg' as Hardy puts it.
Yes!
This is Great!👌
Thanks man! love the little OK sign lol!
Hi.. Where can I find Alfred Hitchcock saying 'disorientation leads to plausibility'??? (want to cite it in a paper) Thanks!
its in a book called 'Hitchcock -Truffaut' its basically a series of interviews with Hitchcock over the years, i have no idea what page number it is, sometimes i highlight stuff, i checked but couldn't find it, but its 100% from that book.
foleyd87 thanks!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!! THE TOTEM ALWAYS BOTHERED ME BECAUSE IT WANT HIS!!!
Yeah i thought the totem was a crucial part of understanding the story.
Nolan told wired magazine he thinks that Cobb got back to his kids.
I agree, the film is the journey of him getting bcd to his kids, whether its literal or just a metaphor for acceptance and ready to move on.
Please don't do 60fps.. in countries outside US and Europe it's not streamable and that dilutes your audience. Yes you could watch it at 480 but to be honest, I'm not going to do that... I'll just go elsewhere.
I do, I don't care about the quality of the video, it's more important that you can hear a speech.
You know your voice sounds a little like Rob Ager's.
lol thanks, i recently did an interview with Rob, you can listen to how different yet similar our voices are together here: ua-cam.com/video/2px8NV6kNcA/v-deo.html
Okay there's a difference when you both talk side by side but it's subtle enough that if viewing your videos one at a time it sounds very similar. I'll have to listen to the entire podcast later today when I have time. You guys both have interesting thoughts.
"how to make the audience think" wait till you watch tenet
Yeah I watched it, and it blow my mind! I didn't love it, I didn't totally understand what was happening and because of that got lost and a little detached from the emotion of the film. Still some killer action sequences though!
@@_MUSTSEEFILMS_ i watched the movie four times, i only fully got it by the third time, amazing movie.
"I'm the man in the box ...(.of space time duality.)....buried in my shit" -Alice in Chains
Nolan's awesome, but I just couldn't get into this one.
Kyle Johnson says most of the same things as this video.
donnie darko
4sure
Why are you talking as if you want nobody to hear you?? Stop whispering! Vocalize! Enunciate! Speak to me! We already know this, elaborate this with enthusiasm. PLEASE. You're not bringing anything new to the table, so it's in your best interest to give it your own voice.
I think he has a pleasant narrative voice. Very mesmerizing and his explanations are very well detailed.
Cobb's children never grow up, also his children and father always wear the same clothes
False, His Children are actually shown to have different ages (in the cast list there are 2 different sets of children, one older, one younger) They also change their clothes as well.
Data Elf Could you tell us the minute of the scene when one can see what you mention, I would really want to clear that out
Thank you Captain Obvious!
Inceeetion
Seeeeexual
Dude, you must open your mouth when you make a video!
Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check it out!
Most of Kubrick's pre-Strangelove stuff gets a bit neglected IMO. Lolita and Paths of Glory are fantastic and I'd love to hear what you think about them
I think Inception has some great ideas but there's a lot in that film that just doesn't work. I think dialogue and drama are Nolan's real weaknesses
Thanks really appreciate that feedback, its great to be able to share these videos but im always hoping they'll make sense to people so they can take meaning from them. Next video posting tomorrow.