PR – Inception

When this assignment was initially introduced, my immediate thought went to the 2010 Sci-fi movie Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan. To provide a brief synopsis, the movie demonstrates the manipulation of the subconsciousness. The protagonist, Cobb, constructs a team with the objection of implementing an idea into someone else’s mind while overcoming his personal subconscious issues.

Although the movie is undeniably impressive; with engaging scenarios, an unpredictable narrative, and depth and maturity in the acting, I never acquired the same passion and enthusiasm that I kept hearing about. It’s the type of movie where you won’t and can’t understand and capture all the meanings and details the first time you watch it. I arguably found the plot of Inception overly complicated and somewhat confusing. This response may simply be because of the complex concept the plot attempted to communicate; however, I could almost say that I was dissatisfied with the ending, feeling as though I was left yearning for answers. As if a primary aspect was left missing. I realized this response was derived from the continuous transition between the settings of limbo and reality.

I imagine that the universal word to describe the concept of a dream is otherworldly. A place where logic, normalcies, and motion are defied and your mind is consumed by unstructured perceptions. I felt this stereotype was almost opposed, with Nolan implementing an entirely altered approach. Their dream world, known as limbo, appeared quite constricted and systematic. Rather than exploring the numerous different ways their dream world could’ve been expressed, it represented a structured and almost identical setting to the real world, other than the defiance of physics and gravity. The concept of limbo wasn’t properly channeled and expanded, almost eliminating the purpose of manipulating this context. The result was almost disappointing, as if minimal imagination and phenomena were included to create a supernatural environment.

Although I felt the subconsciousness concept wasn’t capitalized, it did encourage me to explore an alternative theory. Everything in life begins with an idea. As expressed in the movie, Cobb explains that “once an idea is planted into a person’s mind, it’ll change the person’s reality – forever.” It’s incomprehensible to think that everything in the physical world emerged from an idea and was originally created mentally. Everything must start from ideas in our minds, from the creation of computers to simply a pair of scissors. This brings forth the inquiry: Should humanity pay more attention to mental reality rather than physical reality? Instead of creating boundaries on what we view as doable, we should be more concerned about what we want and their possibilities. The strongest motivation for creation is inspiration, suggesting that to be successful in your physical reality, you must listen and acknowledge your mental reality first.