Inception = The Matrix Cubed

I watched Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece again on the weekend as I had had every intention of commenting on this movie on my blog, and wanted more inspiration. Yes, I said masterpiece. No, you don’t have to agree with me. I respect that everyone is different. I just ask you respect my right to love the movie ;D

This coming from the girl who had a, some would say, unhealthy obsession with The Matrix trilogy.

I believe the title of this blog post represents it the best. I honestly believe the best way to put it is that Inception is The Matrix cubed. In other words, it’s the same premise of the movie, but taken to the third power. Three levels further in/down. I loved it.

I found myself wanting to take notes. Seriously. As though I would be writing a paper on it. This is one of those movies I want to dissect at school. Yes, I am that geek. I only wish it had come out early enough for Dad to see. He would’ve loved it too. :D

I won’t go into detail about the plots etc. I’m happy to answer questions people have if they come up. I’d like to think after watching it 4 times that I’m pretty well versed on the ins and outs of the plot. It’s more about the theme that I’m interested in discussing. The concept that you can go deep into someone else’s mind. The fact that if you aren’t stable, that can show up by materializing into a locomotive crashing through the middle of an intersection. Cobb was so wrecked by guilt, he would sabotage himself over and over again. Yet, I don’t believe he was as responsible as he claimed to be. Yes he planted that idea in his late wife’s mind. But he was sort of forced to do something right? And he didn’t know what the result would be. He didn’t do it on purpose. It was no more his fault than getting into a car with his wife that then crashes and he survives.

But I think, really, the biggest question people have is about the ending. (Isn’t it always?). The top continues to spin, and the screen goes black before we know if it falls or not. It wobbles, so there is doubt. But we as the audience don’t know for sure whether Cobb has actually returned to reality, or if he is still dreaming.

What I took from that scene wasn’t whether the top fell or not. The point of that scene is that it doesn’t matter. There is that one scene near the beginning where Cobb is alone in his hotel, he spins the top and while watching, arms his gun, and brings it to his head. When the top falls, he breaths in relief and drops the gun. He is obsessed throughout the film as to what is reality and what isn’t. Whether he is sharing a dream or not. The point at the end is that he no longer cares either way. He has, by then, made peace with Mol, and is back to his children which is what really matters to him, and all that he ever wanted anyways. Is he still dreaming? Who cares?

I found this interesting. I remember thinking in The Matrix that wouldn’t it just be easier to not know? I mean, why fight these machines, and live in that dirty, scorched-sky existence when we could all just be as we are? The character Cypher follows this through, and actually devises a way to get back into the Matrix. Of course, he’s considered the bad guy. But really, why is that so wrong?

I know, I know, I’m really shaming myself now. Basically opening up to all of you and saying I’d rather have rosy coloured glasses than know the truth and be free. Maybe that makes me lazy. Let others fight the robots. I’m gonna go have an ice cream.

But I don’t think so. I think this could even be linked back to “Life of Pi”. What makes the better story? Cobb has faith there that he is with his children, and that he is where he is supposed to be. And why question that? And again, it’s not about believing in things that we know don’t exist just because it’s easier. It’s believing in them because we cannot disprove them. Cobb wanted to get back to his children. And he does. End of story.