After landing in the U.S. and making his way to Professor Miles' home, Cobb finds his children in more or less the exact same positions, hunched over the grass. The much debated ending of Inception revolves around the spinning top that Cobb uses as a "totem" (an object that dreamers use to … If Cobb is still dreaming at the end of Inception, and has finally given in to his latent desire to accept Limbo, it makes sense that Mal would still appear, but in a less aggressive fashion. Inception dares Cobb to go deeper, with Saito offering our protagonist a ticket back to his children if he can successfully use shared dreaming to implant an idea, rather than steal one. It might not have been satisfying in a narrative sense, but wouldn't Inception's ending be more realistic if one kid was at school, and the other was in the toilet when their dad arrived home? Christopher Nolan insists that the point of Inception isn't whether or not Cobb is dreaming, but that he doesn't care. The why of Inception is what makes it Nolan’s defining work. An elegant solution for keeping track of reality. Cobb didn't walk away from the top because "he didn't care anymore". because of the fact the spinning totem, began to wobble (an indication of being dropping the flexibility to maintain spinning) i think of he's interior the actual international. Arthur doesn’t know that tops can’t spin forever he never learned. And he certainly wouldn't tell Ariadne, a relative stanger about it. The key scene is Cobb's return to Limbo alongside Ariadne. Especially given he'd had such a stark demonstration of how fallible it is. Cobb ignores his totem, and the camera cuts to black before the truth is revealed. A new theory aims to make sense of it all. The simple explanation is that Cobb’s “totem” are his kids. Holding the dice in a dream and having it be the right weight wouldn't benefit him. the totem is a lie, that thing which grounds one in reality is a borrowed notion/idea from somebody else. Cobb said that the totem was Mol’s way of keeping track of reality – that she designed it to never stop spinning if she was in a dream but that it would obviously tumble if she was in reality. Unfortunately, this puts them at risk of falling into Limbo - a shared state of unconsciousness where the mind is no longer able to differentiate between the dream and reality. It doesn’t really make sense the more you think about it. This can all be tracked through who has Cobb’s totem, but the how is never as interesting as the why. By ignoring the spin of his totem, Cobb effectively proves Mal won the fight, and that he doesn't care about reality any longer. See only I know the balance and the weight of this particular loaded die. The way I see it Arthur's dice only ever exists in reality. Cobb's totem is a spinning top, which will continue turning forever in a dream, and only fall naturally in the real world. Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer. Cobb knew that the totem spinning was evidence of a dream for Mal, and so he made it spin which caused her to believe that they were in a dream. I can't let you touch it, that would defeat the purpose. He does … The same way I'm guessing architects don't have to design each and every dreamer's weight, dimensions, and physical appearance. This is also why she refuses to let Cobb touch her totem when he asks to see it. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. The numerous times Cobb sees his children while dreaming, they're crouched over, usually examining something outside on the ground. The totem is his wife's and not his. He doesn't wear it irl but wears it in his dream, because he's still married in his dreams ... friend is the exact post ive been waiting for. Nolan himself has refused to be drawn either way on his ambiguous ending, maintaining that the point of the story is Cobb not wanting to know. Furthermore, it's implied that Cobb and Mal also woke up straight away after violently ending their Limbo experience. “He was in his own subjective reality. Check out discussion on the forum thread - Cobb's totem in Inception Nor would having a wrong weight version. But while Inception may appear to end happily, there's more going on beneath the surface of this final scene. When Cobb and Mal initially climb out of limbo, we only see them wake up once (i.e., rather than ride the kicks all the way to the top as the rest of the team have to). Arthur holds his dice and he knows he's awake. He rushes to hug his kids, leaving the totem behind. Recall, Cobb is pleased when she refuses. But I really think that Limbo has to be a separate level than the level that Cobb found Mal in. It is an idea (No pun intended) that has been spread and makes PERFECT SENSE. This is his first visit since leaving with Mal, and it's only natural that walking through the streets made together by husband and wife might intensify his burning desire to return. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Cobb then does a complete heel-toe on that by outright claiming that his totem works differently, that it spins down in the real world but not in the dream-state. ... Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so … * Cobb doesn’t wear a WEDDING RING in reality, but he wears a wedding ring in dreams [in dreams he's still together with Mal]. When Cobb and Mal then have their final confrontation over Fischer's prone body, the troublesome projection drops some interesting lines such as "admit it, Dom, you don't believe in one reality anymore" and "you keep telling yourself what you know, but what do you believe?" Keeping in mind that Mal is part of Cobb here, these quotes highlight his internal conflict over whether to choose Limbo as reality. If the totem was Mal’s then it wouldn’t work with for Cobb because the purpose of a totem is that its unique to you and only you know the precise weight and function of your totem, so the top is completely useless. And they've developed that habit to the point where it too becomes instinct. A totem is unique to the individual, and should be impossible for others to replicate faithfully. Now, this doesn’t mean that the wedding ring was never his totem. After returning to Level 3, Fischer completes the inception, while the audience sees Ariadne wake up just in time to get kicked up to Level 2 (the hotel). butttt Mal and Cobb shared their totem? Inception brings us into the world of dreams, the subconscious, and the way traumas project into it.The movie was successful in the box office and had people all over the world arguing about the ending. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig's interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own. 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We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. From Arthur's explanation, a totem is a unique item that only you know the exact shape and weight. Cobb's Totem Is Not the Key. After Cobb wakes up on the plane, everything seems normal enough - an air hostess with hot towels, Fischer looking pensive, Saito making good on his promise. They can't manipulate the properties of totems because they're so bonded to the individual dreamer or something like that and dreamers are their own entities. The detail that turned Inception's ending into one of the most hotly discussed scenes in movie history. Saving Private Ryan: Are The Two Germans Actually The Same Character? In that sense, once again the top really doesn’t matter since the questions it raises for us to ponder are still there whether the movie ends with Cobb still dreaming or fully awake. Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS. From the moment Cobb wakes up aboard the plane, Inception begins feeling like a very different film, and it's not clear whether this is because Christopher Nolan is rapidly heading towards his happy ending, or because Cobb is dreaming his ideal scenario. Unless it is truly his totem 's character, Professor Miles, Mal. And trailers below to start this article in quick view that tops can t... To Limbo after Ariadne and Fischer exit first, kicking back up the... His relief is visible this can all be tracked through who has Cobb ’ s possible that it acts in. Flashbacks showing him changing his wife 's and not his appear in any feeds, drags. 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