Works Cited

"Christopher Nolan," Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/(January 24, 2006).

Inception. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010. DVD.

The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999. DVD.

Comparative Analysis

 

Inception toys with the idea of meddling with a persons subconscious while they are dreaming. This is an idea that is controversially used in The Matrix as well. In Inception we see that the process is used to attain or leave information while a target is sleeping. This means that while they have been subconsciously attacked it is only limited to that particular dream. However, in The Matrix we see that the mental subversion is ongoing or never-ending. Most of the dreamers in The Matrix are unaware that they are actually dreaming and that they are oppressed by a system of controls that do not allow them to object to what's happening to them. Inception dreamers, at times, are trained to recognize that they are in a dream in order to maintain vigilance whether asleep or awake. While Inception is not as ominous as The Matrix, I feel like they both make a good point.We are at our most vulnerable position when we are unaware of our consciousness.

Setting Analysis

Inception is set in various locations throughout the world as it seems that Dom is always on the move with his job and to get back home. These locations seem as normal as any other place would be in this world. While dreaming, the setting changes drastically depending on who's dreams that they are in and accessing. The dream setting is based on the dreamers personality and style. In Dom's partner Arthur's dream, at the beginning of the film, we see that the setting is an ornate Chinese structure with very elaborate decor and characters. This is similar to Arthur's real state personality and is mirrored inside his dreams. The setting seems to shift at every turn and in every dream. Dom's dream settings center on his relationship with his wife and kids. The hotel room where his wife killed herself, limbo where he and his wife grew old together, and the house he had to leave his kids at to flee prosecution are all part of his dream settings. They directly reflect Dom's character as we know that his energy an attention lay solely with his family.

Plot Summary

Inception focuses on the life and work of Dom Cobb. Dom is an "extrationist", which means that he has the ability to go into peoples dreams and extract sensitive information that they normally and consciously would not give away.  In the movie we realize that Dom is on a mission to get back to the United States to be with his children. The only thing keeping him away from them is the fact that he is wanted in the United States for suspicion of killing his wife. Dom is eventually approached by Saito, a man with the apparent capability of getting Dom into the United States in return for one last job. Instead of stealing information, it is Dom's responsibility to place information into the mind of his target. Dom and his team realize that getting their mark to take to this new idea means they must travel into several layers of dreams in order to place the idea far enough into the subconscious so that it would not be rejected by the target. The mission is plagued by trouble from the start and we can see that Dom is desperate to do what it takes to get the job done. Everything is not as it seems in the dream world and Dom is subconsciously sabotaging the mission with memories of his deceased wife. In the end, Dom and his team are successful in planting the thought and are all brought back into reality, or so we think. In the last scene we witness Dom spin his totem, which lets him know if he is dreaming or not, and we never see if it topples or keeps spinning. This leaves us wondering if Dom is still dreaming and has never woken up throughout the entire film.

Biography

Christopher Nolan was born in London, England in 1970. He began making his own films when he was seven with his father's 8mm camera. He eventually made the short film Tarantella which was aired on PBS. He attended the the University College in London to study English Literature and also was involved in the college film society where he began to shoot his movies more professionally with a 16mm camera. He made several short films, as well as, corporate training videos until he hit success with the film Following. After that, Christopher Nolan when on to write and direct Memento which was a huge success and made him known as a director that likes to make films with twisted and complex story lines that do not follow traditional storytelling guidelines. He is most notably known for revamping the dwindling Batman series.

Proposal

Inception, for me, is a very engaging and suspenseful film that leaves me wanting more every time that I watch it. From the opening scene of Dom "extracting" information, to the very last scene of his top spinning, Inception keeps me on the edge of my seat. Like an onion, it contains several layers of conscious and  unconscious realities that are peeled back throughout the entirety of the movie. Realistically, this movie seems quite improbable and can feel a bit hair-brained at times, but dissecting and understanding  the purpose of those layers to get a clear and cohesive image of what the film is trying to convey gives this movie endless replay value.