Bumping this old topic because 1) the movie is now out on DVD/Blu-Ray and 2) this is my first time seeing the movie. This is a spoilerific post so if you are even further out of the loop than me and havent seen the movie, you should just move on.
Anyway, after seeing the movie I am pretty convinced that Cobb is stuck inside of his own dream. During the scene where Mal killed herself, the thought that she was right was implanted in the back of my head. As the movie went on, I became more convinced of this. The major thing is that while everyone else was in the lower levels of the dream, as they died they were transported to higher levels. If anyone can remember correctly, Araidne killed herself and Fischer exactly the same way Mal did, and she just rode up to a higher level of the dream world.
Cobb explained that him and Mal kept going further into the subconscious, the single kick that he did with him and Mal would've only shot him up one more level. Since they went all the way into limbo, one kick would not be enough.
Of course there is the whole thing about Mal trying to convince Cobb to stay down there with him. That doesn't make sense if she was trying to get Cobb back into reality. Then again one could argue that she could be a projection, or is trying to plant the idea into Cobb's head in a very subtle fashion. Another argument could be that it is just one massive plot hole that is easily covered up by the open ending.
I think the ending is somewhat of a cop out to easily cover up any plot holes but it is so elegant that I cannot hate it. If cobb was really dreaming this entire time, his brain is scrambled for sure and there is no way he would be sane if he was ever brought back to the real world.
MattAY said:
I watched it. It was OK. Just a lot of time limits, I didnt understand any of it really. Or there were some questions that I couldnt really figure out. But fun to watch the minivan fall every 5 minutes. And how none of those guys died in the minivan is beyond me? Also, everyone in that film needs shooting practise, apart from the British guy. Who isnt a soldier.
A pistol is hard as fuck to aim with. I am a military trained marksmanship coach and I really have to focus to hit exactly where I aim on my target from 25 yards out with a M9. Fuck, even if I fuck up my trigger squeeze I could miss the target all together. Add some running and gunning and I'll probably be lucky if I even hit my damn target 40% of the time. Why do you think so many rappers get shot and not die? Because it is hard as fuck to hit right on target if you dont have any real training.
But the dudes with the rifles had no reason to miss.
