Critical Analysis of The Movie Inception

Are we dreaming or is this real or are we simply just dreaming a dream thinking of reality? Dreams are fascinating things created from our minds, appearing as ones desires, motivations and thoughts. Christopher Nolan directed the 2010 movie called Inception but it didn’t fail to make you think. Inception was a story about Dominique Cobb, whose job was to look for confidential information from his targets minds. Part of the job was to insert an idea into someone else’s mind, a.k.a known as inception.

In the movie Dominique Cobb was presented with this offer to have his old life in return. Inception uses a lot of science fiction dexterity. Inception is not a remake of any movie or book, but instead an idea which was introduced in a creative and different way.

Also Inception is a movie with a complicated storyline. In an interview the lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio couldn’t grasp the storyline the first time it was told to him. Science fiction’s main idea has nothing to do with just technology, but rather with imaginative content, proving that great science fiction is more than just technology. However, technology does play apart in this movie, such as the dream sharing machine, but only as a small piece of the whole and not the focus of the movie. Inception is a story where people use science to invade dreams, but not a story solely based on the technology used to make it happen. Nolan makes us believe that the dream sharing machine, which is unimaginable feat in technology, is nothing too hi-tech in the context of the movie. This lack of a large technology makes some people feel that Inception doesn’t exactly fit into the definition of science fiction. However, science fiction focuses on the imagination of the human mind, explores the depth of man’s soul and connects to the human on a deep level. Technology is one of the stereotyped science fiction elements, but not something that is bound to be included in every science fiction feature. Inception fulfills the requirements of the science fiction genre undoubtedly, being a feature of big fictitious ideas, ideas so complex that only this genre could illustrate them perfectly, with the use of science as some sort of a reference point for its viewers.

Another quality that enriches the experience brought by this science fiction feature would have to be its special visual and auditory effects, which make you feel like you are falling into a dream of your own. Inception isn’t a movie that solely relies on its eyebrow raising special effects to make it appealable to the public or to make it a great science fiction movie, but these effects do add an advantage to its publicity and helps enhance the storyline. Sequences such as entire streets folding over on top of each other, or a fight scene is zero-g are impossible to shoot without these visual effects, which makes it difficult for the movie to convey the message. In an interview with Paul Franklin, VFX Supervisor, it is revealed that Inception’s visual effects not only consist of computer generated graphics, but also miniature representations, giving the movie chaotic reality along with an unimaginable nature. Matt Erspamer, writer at Cynicritics, believes that Inception has the best visuals from the all the movies released in that year. “It is probably Nolan’s best looking movie to date, even if it’s not his best,” says Erspamer. The sound effects or background score added the cherry on top, where Academy Award Winner Hans Zimmer has done a remarkable job to create a score perfect to enhance all the special moments in this flick. These effects definitely add a visual and aural adventure to the mental experience this movie brings, making it an unabridged experience.

Inception is a movie which could significantly promote the science fiction genre to the next level. An original and unique movie, Inception may have limited technology or the lack of the stereotyped space plot, but it is most definitely a thrilling science fiction story. This innovative sci-fi flick could persuade various producers to invest in this wonderful genre. Critics believe that Inception is a film that every science fiction fan deserves beyond the slick of sequels, bad 3D, horror or remakes. Inception is quite different from other big budget science fiction flicks, where features such as Blade Runner and Dark City, which were equipped with features, took years to make a profit. On the other hand, Inception started making profits within two weeks of its release, proving that it has the formula of a good science fiction film. The arrival of this movie coaxes and influences various studios, who may want to finance science fiction projects, that hadn’t been of any interest to them in the past. Another key differentiator this movie brings to the genre is that fewer science fiction concepts or novums will be ignored in the future, as Inception illustrates how a complex and unrealistic theme can become both a critical and box office success.

Besides the other factors that go into producing a science fiction film, the choice of actors, and the IQ level of the character is crucial to the plot itself. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Dominique Cobb, a role that defines the whole movie. DiCaprio has a variety of exposure in the film world, with films like Titanic, Romeo + Juliet, Catch Me If You Can and Django Unchained among others, which have significantly helped him evolve as an actor. DiCaprio brings a lot to the table for Inception, significant contributions that perhaps no other actor could have provided. Other than DiCaprio, the supporting cast which included Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dileep Rao, who also make noteworthy contributions to this film. Rao plays the role of Yusuf, successfully fulfilling the common cliché of mad scientists found in science fiction features. Gordon-Levitt plays Arthur, the right hand man of Cobb, whose fight scenes in zero-.g provide a thrilling and electrifying impact to this movie.

To conclude, Inception is a no-brainer, not only for a science fiction enthusiast, but also extending and expanding to general masses. It takes science fiction to the next level of movie production and will go a long way to correct the myth around the genre, which says that science fiction has to revolve around the clichéd space opera or technology theme. Its contributing special effects and some astonishing performance by the various actors definitely added a pro to the movie. The response by both the critics and general audience is a true representation of the success, which the director Christopher Nolan had taken a gamble on, without history to support him.

Works Cited

1. Ferrier, R. W. (2015). Beyond Inception: A critical analysis of Christopher Nolan's filmic universe. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 43(2), 61-69.
2. García, J. A. (2014). The dreaming self: The subconscious as protagonist in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 42(4), 184-193.
3. Gustafsson, F. (2013). Inception and philosophy. Open Court Publishing.
4. Hallett, M. (2010). Inception: A dream come true. Sight & Sound, 20(9), 30-33.
5. Heaven, S. (2010). The art of dream-sharing: Exploring Christopher Nolan's Inception. The Journal of American Culture, 33(4), 338-347.
6. Jenkins, P. (2010). Inception and the contemporary allegory. Film International, 8(5), 62-69.
7. Kaufman, A. (2011). Dreams of light: The significance of light and shadow in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Film Criticism, 36(3), 1-17.
8. Mizejewski, L. (2011). “You Mustn't Be Afraid to Dream a Little Bigger, Darling”: Inception and the architectural unconscious. Cinema Journal, 50(3), 38-56.
9. O'Hagan, A. (2010). Inception: This summer's semi-intelligent thriller. The Guardian.
10. Stapleton, J. (2011). The deceptive narrative structure of Inception. The Journal of Popular Culture, 44(2), 288-303.