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Inception - ideology - Coggle Diagram
Inception - ideology
Left wing
The bland faceless and interchangeable architecture of global capitalism is utilised by Cobb and his team to construct environments and costumes that Fischer will find 'real' and believable. The cities and locations in the dream could be anywhere: Hong Kong, London, Dubai etc. This could be seen as an aesthetic representation of the anonymising effect of globalisation
Mombasa sequence and the anonymity that alludes with the staircase and the glass roof factory where they enter the unconscious
Representations of family:
Cobb's family structure is unorthodox: Mal the traditional mother figure has taken her own life to escape her family, the father, Cobb is on the run and his father takes care of the family: unconventional / untraditional nucleus family roles
The elevator memory scene (the hotel room) - Ariadne arrives at the room, all warm tones and a sense of calmness (silence) but the room is absurdly messy (windows open, chairs over and the covers falling from the bed.
Opening - calm slow motion waves contrast the opening credits intense up beat typical action film music. the warm tones and orange tint highlights the nostalgic atmosphere as Cobb hopelessly watches his children play on the sound - reooccuring memory throughout the film to emphasis his frail state of mind.
Cobol industries who initially commissioned Cobb's team to break into Saito's mind, are a threatening, facelsss presence with sinister operatives
Representation of capitalism:
Saito's whole motivation for the mission is to prevent the Fischers from controlling almost all of the energy in the world. This is an anti-capitalist sentiment that implies corporate control can have a bad effect on the world.
Representation of Gender:
Both men and women are portrayed in a way that challenges stereotypes. Cobb is a 'flawed hero' who's guilt is personified by Mal. Despite being a very masculine hero, he is also vulnerable and in need of support.
Rober Fischer is also portrayed as a male character left with trauma due to the relationship with his father. The other male characters also play with the ideas of masculinity depending on which level of dream they're on
Ariadne isn't sexualised and in her entrance she is portrayed to have a heroic focus, blurring Cobb out of the focus with the light falling onto her - her name also alludes with mazes
Right wing
The mise-en-scene could be said to fetishise the style of corporate America: mirrored skyscrapers, men in sharp business suits, limos, company jets, swish minimalist cocktail bars and hotels. As one critic said 'who knew dreams would look so dull'.
Alluding to the staircase, the dreams they create
Cobb's family structure is portrayed as disruptive - and implied as unhealthy for all concerned. Cobb's father warns him that the children are forgetting him. Cobb himself is tormented by the fact he can't be there due to the action of his psychotic/ neurotic wife. This could be read as very conservative and patriarchal view of family: that what is needed is the establishing, loving father figure (which is what Robert Fischer also lacks in his life)
The dominant masculine father (Cobb) is needed and whenever we see Mal, she is sexualised, presented in revealing lingerie and luring Cobb to stay with her.
The wider economic effects of the team's mission are never really discussed. The only characters are CEOs of massive corporations - or the thrive s thy employ. The 'little people' are rarely seen.
The male characters all take traditional roles - businessmen, bodyguards, thieves and soldiers: sons and fathers' relationship are also foregrounded (the effect of Mal's suicidee on her children isn't really discussed but the absence of Cobb is). One could argue that many of these are part of Fischer's subconscious, so reflect his values in lifestyle; but in 'reality' the men mostly behave in stereotypically heroic and masculine ways: driving fast cards, shooting. This offers a very patriarchal view of the world.
Ariadne is a vital part of their team and the inclusion of a strong, heroic female character allows Nolan to subvert traditional gender roles whilst still confirming to the stereotypically masculine hero. Although, in a lot of Nolan's films, the male lead is always flawed/ fractured which in that case, subverts the stereotypical expectation of a man to be strong and the woman to be the damsel in distress
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