Inception is completely mind bending, there’s no doubt about it. When it comes down to it there really is no way to figure out the film. No matter what explanation you come up with for the film there will always be evidence to contradict it.
Every theory and idea as to what went on in the film has at least a couple plot holes. That being said, there are a few things that have been made clear. A few concepts, burning questions and theories have recently had some light shed on them. After seeing the movie twice, I now feel that I have a pretty good grasp on what happened and I think I can explain a fair bit about what really went on. So without further ado, here it is, Dream A Little Bigger: A Guide To Understanding Inception. Be warned, there are spoilers in this article.
1. What was up with the train on the street?
The explanation for the freight train that came crashing through the street can be one of two things. Firstly, some people like to think it came from Fischer. Fischer, being the important person that he is, has had his mind trained to defend itself from people like Cobb. This is why the team has such a tough time to begin with. Fischer’s subconscious is trying to protect itself from the extractors, hence the fact that the team is constantly being chased. The train is simply just another safeguard that is trying to deter the team from their goal.
Another explanation that people tend to think is that it came from Cobb’s subconscious, aka Mal. The train was the same one that took Cobb and Mal out of their dream world so it could be that Cobb unintentionally brought the train into the dream.
2. How does one wake up from a dream?
The bottom line on waking up from dreams is as follows. There are only 4 ways one can escape from a dream. To wake up, you must either receive a kick, the timer on the machine must run out, you must die in the dream or the sedative must wear off. That is the only way to wake up from a dream when you are hooked up to one of those machines.
3. Why is Saito so much older than Cobb when Cobb visits him in limbo?
The reason that Saito appears to be so much older than Cobb when they are in limbo is because of the time. Saito entered limbo before Cobb and due to the fact that time moves differently in limbo, this means that although Saito only entered limbo a short time before Cobb did, he will still appear much older since time moves at a different rate depending on how far down you are.
Although it doesn’t look it, the script says that Cobb has also aged slightly when he goes to visit Saito. Cobb technically spent years looking for Saito in limbo. This is why he looks so dazed and confused when he finally finds Saito. He is only able to remember Saito’s name at first, but after talking with Saito, the two start to remember everything.
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