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Inception
Opening and Closing
(Family Values, Memory) - Coggle Diagram
Inception
Opening and Closing
(Family Values, Memory)
Memory
In a WIRED interview, Nolan states that there is no distance end, allowing the ending to be up for debate whether it is Cobb's memory or his reality
Nolan is initially establishing the idea of the memory, blurring the boundaries between reality and living within a memory. By opening with this, we are being set up to align with Cobb and his personal life, goals
By connecting the opening and closing, Nolan is highlighting that Cobb's goal is achieved and he has completed his mission successfully. However, during the film, we get glimpses of the same children in the same clothes, leaving the ending ambiguous, especially when Cobb's totem continues to spin until the film ends.
Opening scene
4) it then cuts to Cobb on the beach waking up to the sound of children talking and laughing.soft focus on Cobb the orange tint across the wide shot enhances this nostalgic feel, complimented by the wistful music as we experience reaction shots of Cobb in between. he is represented as frozen and dazed, almost as if it is surreal
3) The high-key lighting of the sun glowing on the waves, creates a dream-like, calming aesthetic optimistic despite the chaotic waves could represent his dream state and his idilic outcome of his reality - initially established and coupled with the slow motion of the waves
2) Zimmers non-diegetic sound dissolves into the sound of waves crashing aggressively. this could be symbolic of Cobb's frail state of mind, establishing him as a flawed, struggling man. this is typical with Nolan films having a flawed male lead.
1) Opening credits, silent but slow, quiet reverberation (trombone) creeps in, progresses and heightens to loud intense music. typical of action / heist films, creating tension and setting the scene
5) Suddenly the children scream, wistful music cont, and they run off in slow motion, reaction shot of Cobb falling back to sleep. It then cuts to a shot of Cobb's back (same position) with a gun being held towards him. ominous music creeps in and there are parallel shots of the same wide shot where the children was, to a man in the distance with another gun. we are now alarmed for the children well-being and almost confused with what's going on
6) The man on top of the rocks are at a higher level, emphasising his power and the vulnerability Cobb is revealing
Family Values
Cobbs family structure is portrayed as disruptive and implied as unhealthy for all concerned. Cobbs father wins him that the children are forgetting him. cob is tormented by the fact he can't be there due to the actions of his psychotic-neurotic wife. this could be read as very conservative and patriarchal views of family, the establishing loving father.
Cobbs family structure is unorthodox. mal the traditional mother figure has taken her own life to escape her own family which she believes aren't real - or which don't feel real enough for her). the father Cobb is on the run and his father takes care of the children
This is the beginning of the film, Nolan is purposely establishing Cobb's motives for the mission and his end desired goal, separating him from the rest of the group and strengthening the ideology of family
Closing scene
the viewer is being positioned in a place where we have recovered from being with multiple dream levels and because Nolan stated that he made the ending unresolved, we're left to wonder if he's now trapped iwthin his memories which also resonates with Nolan's distinct auteur style having a flawed man
when Ariadne joins Cobbs dream, its important she finds out this personal side of his life with Mal - the lift arrives at the beach with the children (same location) and Ariadne wants him 'these aren't dreams, they are memories' emphasises the blurred boundaries between memory and reality especially with the same house, same shot/camera angle and clothes. this then creates two narrations. when she warms him that they are memories, it is almost as if Nolan is warning us not to take his part of the narrative so realistically
the music is also optimistic wistful and triumpthant, the children are wearing the same clothes but the filter is different; in the opening its orange tinted, gritty and hair is distinct whereas in the closing, the colours are more realistic (blues and greens) but their hair is going (almost animated) which leaves the audience questioning how real it is
Business
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The difference between the family mission and the business mission, this is a business transaction where we question the morals; although Saito is wanting to take over a big universal business, he himself is creating a paradox by wanting to have a universal business himself
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we initially feel for Cobb by having the children there emotional plug. uses and gratification of who we identify with