The Inevitable Inception Re-Watch

If you watched Inception in the cinema then, perhaps like no film before it, you're probably either aching to see it again at home or have already grabbed it on DVD and sat down to partake of an inevitable re-watch. Maybe it's the twisty-turny narrative, or that final shot, or the theories that have cropped up since its days on release, or maybe you simply just wanted to enjoy it all over again. Whatever the reason, the likelihood is that, at some point, it'll be in your player. It was certainly in ours. Here's what we noticed on our Inception Blu-ray re-watch.

Slightly obvious warning: here be some spoilers. This article is intended for people who have already seen Inception.

The Script - If anyone wants to criticise Inception then the first thing they usually go for is the script, normally pointing out that it spends far too much time on exposition and not enough time on more skilled explanation. I gave that point some credence in our original review but on a repeat watch I'm willing to give it a little more. I still don't think it detracts from the film too much but on several occasions we do get the concept or the current happenings or some new rule explained to us in a very literal sense and on this watch, that fact did verge on distracting.


Inception's Origins - A reference that's all too easy to miss, at one point in the Paris-based garage, Cobb and Arthur mention that Inception's origins come from military testing and usage. Not that anybody really wants to see them but I suppose this small reference leaves all sorts of possibilities open for spin-offs and sequels.


The Children - During one of the dream moments where both Ariadne and Cobb are with Mal, Mal directs Cobb to look at his children in order to see what he is missing. This blurs the line further between fantasy and reality in the film - Cobb is missing his children both in the 'real' world and in the dream where Mal considers the children to be real. Arguably, this reflects certain things that happen at the end of the film: Cobb is happy to look at his children this time because he considers them to be 'real' whether they are or not - Mal and Cobb have both found a happy reality.

Ken Watanabe - In a true ensemble (which Inception absolutely is) it's all too easy to miss someone. On first watch, for me, that someone was Watanabe who I think is fantastic as Saito. His overstated style feels completely in place for his character - he's a rich businessman with flair and the daring to hire Cobb and Arthur - and his ultra pronounced lines have a habit of stealing scenes from anyone and everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed watching every minute of his performance.


Ariadne - 'Authors never do anything by accident', you learn in English 101. Why therefore is Ellen Page's character called Ariadne, an unusual name steeped in a huge amount of Greek myth? Perhaps just because Chris Nolan liked it? Perhaps for something more? The theories start here.


The Plane 'Wake-up' - The idea that the film is entirely a dream is given extra weight by the final scenes: from when Cobb and Saito wake up on the plane, till the end. Cobb meets Saito in his house, echoing the first scene, and the next we know, we're back on the plane. From there it's one long floaty, Hans Zimmer-orchestrated, ride back to Cobb's house. We never see a transition and we never see how anyone got anywhere - least of all from dream back to plane - exactly what Cobb tells Ariadne happens when you're in a dream during their conversation in the Paris cafe.

Mobassa and 'The Ring' - Someone, somewhere, suggested that there's something to be gained from noticing when Cobb has a wedding ring on and when he doesn't. I have no idea what that 'something' is or even who the 'someone' was but, during the Mobassa scenes (which are the focus of many theories about whether they're a dream or not) I don't think you see Cobb's left hand clearly once. Not even in the still above. Spooky? Perhaps.


The 'I Give Up' - In the end, I basically gave up trying to spot tropes and secret symbols and faces and rings and let myself enjoy the film again, something which I did immensely. If you want to interpret it as all a dream, I think you can. If you want to view it a little differently - as Cobb reconciling his subconscious - then I think you can. If you want to view it as simply a clever action film involving dreams, I think that's valid to. The main thing is that it's still magnificent, a wonderful film with a great ensemble cast and a genius director. Time for you to get it re-watched?

Notice anything more on your own Inception re-watch? Come across any interesting theories on what it's all about? Leave your observances in the comments!