This theory calls into question the very very end. When Cobb returns home his kids are in the same spot and are wearing the same clothes. Another thing to point out is that the kids haven’t aged at all either, they look the exact same. This leads people to doubt this theory. The people who support it will argue that Nolan just did this to mess with us and to leave the ending open to interpretation. Another thing to point out is that Cobb is only seen wearing his wedding ring in dream scenes, never in reality. At the end of the movie he isn’t wearing the ring, maybe he is in the real world?
12f) The ending is just a dream and Cobb is still stuck in limbo
The theory I like to go with is that the Cobb is still dreaming at the end and doesn’t escape limbo. A few reasons give this theory validity. Firstly, the whole thing that was mentioned above about the children is a strong point for this theory. Another reason is because at the end, when Cobb spins the top, he just walks away. He doesn’t seem to care whether or not it stops spinning. Perhaps it’s because he knows he is in a dream but he doesn’t care because perhaps this is the only way he can see his kids.
Another reason I think this theory has some validity is because we see Saito pick up the gun at end. I think that when Saito shoots him, instead of going back up to the plane, Cobb enters an even deeper limbo. There is simply no way for Cobb or Saito to return to the plane since they both died while sedated. The very end is just a projection that Cobb created so he could be happy and at peace. By killing Cobb, Saito did complete his end of the deal, Cobb was able to return home to his kids, even if it was in a dream.
12g) The ending is really Cobb stuck in a loop state
Lastly, some people think Cobb is stuck in a loop state that is designed by Ariadne. This loop state is to relieve him of the unpleasant truth that he is trapped in limbo. Ariadne knows the trick of creating a loop and she knows it fools the subconscious of the sleeper into perceiving the dream as real for far longer than they normally would.
The concept of the loop comes up a few times in the movie and we do see Arthur teaching it to Ariadne. Perhaps, she creates a loop for Cobb and gets him to believe through inception, that he has made it back up into the plane and into reality. Maybe she has designed a closed loop for him and he will keep dreaming forever.
13. If Fischer was killed when he was shot, and they were able to resuscitate him, why couldn’t they save Saito the same way?
Saito was shot on the first level and died on the third. If they had brought him back to life he would only be brought back to the second level and he was still dying there. It wouldn’t have helped. Fischer was shot on the third level but his body on the previous levels was still fine. The defibrillator and the kicks were enough to bring him back.
14. How is Eames able to change his appearance?
A forger is trained to alter their appearance and take on the personality of someone else. Eames is able to do so by studying the target. Forging is his skill, just like extracting is Cobb’s skill and designing the dream is Ariadne’s skill.
15. Will we ever have a concrete answer that covers everything?
Absolutely not. There are just way too many contradictions in this film. No matter what you think, someone will poke holes through it. What I have stated above is what I beleive to be true.
This article could have been at least five pages longer, there is just so much that can be questioned in this film. Inception is a film that will be discussed for a long time. In the coming weeks I’m sure we will see more interesting theories and I’m sure more clues will be discovered. The best way to watch the film is just to formulate your own ideas and theories and not worry about what others say. Nothing will ever fill in all the holes so just go with what you think is best.
So there you have it, a pretty comprehensive guide to understanding undboutedly one of the most confusing films of the year. Hopefully after reading this you now have a better grasp on what happened in the film.
Check out our review here and our five favorite scenes here.
