2. Inception(2010)-
Characters(P1)
o Dominick Cobb(Leonardo Di Caprio):
Protagonist/hero(leader)/extractor
Cobb means dream(“khwaab” in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi)
Cobb could also be in reference to another Nolan character, thief named Cobb in his 1988 film, Following. This 1988 Cobb character states that
“everyone has a box”-everyone has a place to keep valuables. It sounds a lot like what Inception Cobb does, creates a safe space for people to
subconsciously fill with what they need to keep safe
o Ariadne (Ellen Page)
Greek mythology reference(Ariadne-daughter of King Minos of Crete-she helped Theseus find the way out of Minotaur’s labyrinth by giving him
a sword and a ball of red fleece thread that she was spinning)
Reality vs Non Reality(Myth/Legend)
The architect /helper/sidekick
o Mallorie Cobb-Mal(Marion Cotillard):
Mal means “bad”
“Mal” is a combining form that gives the meaning a shade of “badness” when added to another word
The shade/presented as the “villain”(femme fatale)
o Arthur(Joseph Gorden-Levitt)
Arthur means rock, contrasts with the character who is sensible and links at the same time, because he is down-to-earth
Cobb’s right arm/Helper/The Point Man
Shows what is real and unreal
Controls the layers of the dreams
Keep everyone in reality
Links with King Arthur, there is a folklore claim that says that King Arthur never died, but was instead to put an “enchanted sleep”, from which
he is expected to wake up any time
3. Inception(2010)-
Characters(P2)
o Saito(Ken Watanabe):
Saito means a purifying flower in Japanese
Purify/erase Cobb’s criminal record as a payment for the inception, letting him visit his family in United States
False villain/tourist
o Eames(Tom Hardy)
Contrasts with Arthur, he is not serious as him
Humour relief/forger
o Yusuf(Dileep Rao)
Joseph in Arab
Bible references: little dreamer
The chemist
o Robert Fischer(Cillian Murphy):
King Arthur reference: The Fischer King, whose kingdom physically changes to parallel his wounds and suffering; this is appropriate
given that much of the film takes place within his troubled mental landscape. Also, Robert “Bobby” Fischer is the name of one of the
most famous chess players in history.
Blocker/Reward/Mark
o Cobb’s family:
His kids are younger in his perspective/point of view(flashback)
Reward(Cobb’s main goal)
Dom Cobb-”Dom” means home in Polish
4. Inception(2010)-
Contexts:
Social:
Certainly the film taps into the way that video games construct narratives and with the use of different layers echoing levels, different things
happening at the same time at different speeds, playing with the idea of linearity and the links to interactivity. Of course one of the main
audiences for this film would be those who are most likely to play these games.
Political:
The power of the multi-national conglomerate is at the heart of the film’s narrative. The emphasis on changing the young Fischer’s mind can be
seen as a necessary consequence of the industrial espionage enacted on Satio’s orders.
Historical:
Nolan’s films, certainly post 9-11, do tap into ideas around trauma (nearly always male), grief and the dislocation of memory. Equally
important in this film is the crisis around masculinity afflicting Cobb’s character.
Technological:
The use of digital technology in terms of creating these separate dream-worlds is an important part of the film’s appeal. That said Nolan’s
insistence on this film being shot on 35/65mm film, his dismissal of 3D and his support for the IMAX counters the prevailing use of technology
in Hollywood.
Production:
Warner Brothers who produced the film put a great deal of money into its production and marketing and it made $825 million at the box
office. Nolan had signed on to make the Dark Knight trilogy and this film was made between the second and third film. In many respects it felt
like a return to Nolan’s more typical auteuristic concerns.
5. Inception(2010)-
Cinematography + Special Effects(SPFX)
o Inception won the Academy Awards for the Best Cinematography and Best Visual effects in 2010
o Christopher Nolan and his frequent crew, such as the cinematographer Wally Pfister(Nolan frequent collaborator that worked with him 4 times:
Insomnia(2002), Batman Begins(2005), The Prestige(2008) and The Dark Knight(2009)) and the visuals indented
o ‘We shot the film with a mixture of mostly the predominant bulk of the film is anamorphic 35mm, which is the best quality sort of practical format to
shoot on by far. We shot key sequences on 65mm, 5 perf not 15 perf, and we shot VistaVision on certain other sequences. So we’ve got a negative - a
set of negative - that’s of the highest possible quality except IMAX. We didn’t feel that we were going to be able to shoot in IMAX because of the size
of the cameras because this film given that it deals with a potentially surreal area, the nature of dreams and so forth, I wanted it to be as realistic as
possible. Not be bound by the scale of those IMAX cameras, even though I love the format dearly. So we went to the next best thing which was 65mm.
So we have the highest quality image of any film that’s being made and that allows us to reformat the film for any distribution form that we’d like to
put it in. We’re definitely going to do an IMAX release. We’re excited about doing that and using our original negative 65mm photography to
maximize the effect of that release. 3D I think is an interesting development in movies or the resurgence of 3D. It’s something we’re looking at and
watching. There are certain limitations of shooting in 3D. You have to shoot on video, which I’m not a fan of. I like shooting on film. And so then
you’re looking at post-conversion processes which are moving forward in very exciting ways. So really, for me, production of a large scale film is all
about recording the best, highest quality image possible so that you can then put it in any theatre in the best way possible. And 65mm film, IMAX
film, VistaVision, 35mm, that’s the way you do that.’ Christopher Nolan
o A spinning hallway set, capable of rotating 360 degrees was employed to capture a zero gravity action sequence(without CGI-computer-generated
imagery) Arthur & hotel
o Use of green screen(lets you drop in whatever background images you want behind the actors and/or foreground) and CGI-examples: van spinning:
many cameras + Cobb & Ariadne-Parisian café(dream)
o Model of a locomotive was built onto the chassis on 18-wheeler set in Los Angeles
7. Inception(2010)-
Spectatorship(P1):
o Passive spectatorship: Argues that the spectator is vulnerable to the manipulative qualities of the messages and
values of the film-when watching the film we go along with the ideas we see on screen and don’t think about or
question them. Sometimes the spectator is manipulated because films only present one model about the world (the
dominant hegemony)
o Active post-structuralism: Based on work of philosophers and cultural theorists such as Jacques Derrida, Roland Barthes &
Michel Foucault. Every spectator has their own response and interpretation of the film. Each spectator can think about the film for
themselves and appreciate a variety of interpretations, and can imagine different people’s point of view. Each response could be
based on a vast range of variables. Each of us comes to a film with our own personal life experience that will affect the way we react
to the film. These will create a bias in us for certain characters, certain attitudes towards themes and morals and emotional
responses to events. This therefore suggests that there are as many different interpretations or ‘readings’ of films as there are
spectators. However, even if there are as many different interpretations or ‘readings’ of films as there are spectators, they cannot be
all completely unique because we all share similar ideas, especially if we are part of a society with shared values and beliefs
o Limited pluralism: While there is a possibility of many different ‘readers’ and interpretations, reflecting their personal
experiences as unique individuals, within a given society people share a very similarly constructed sense of social reality
o Active spectatorship: Argues that the spectator is not vulnerable to the manipulative qualities of the messages and
values of the film-when watching the film we don’t go along with the ideas we see on screen and think about or
question them.
8. Inception(2010)-
Spectatorship(P2):
o Focalization:
It refers to the perspective through which a narrative is presented
It occurs in a narrative where all the information presented reflects the subjective perception of a certain character, which is called
internal focalization
Stories can have more than one narrator(mostly Homodiegetic narrator) and more than one focaliser
→In Inception, we experienced mostly Cobb’s perspective, he is the protagonist and focaliser. There are an internal focalization of his
dead wife and their children, presenting her as a vengeful and aggressive woman, while their kids are portrayed as untouchable in
his memory, being identical in his flashbacks(projections) and during the open ending.
o Recognition:
The first thing we do with a character is enter into an act of recognition
We have to recognise that fictional character that we are watching is representing(but is not actually) a real person. This is
something we do automatically most of the time.
Our ability to recognise a character will depend on our experience and knowledge of the world- we will more easily recognise a
character who is conventional(typical)
Sometimes, if an actor has a particularly strong star image/persona then that can affect how well we recognise the character
→In Inception, the recognition can be recognizable in the opening sequence of scenes with many tracking shots in distinctive settings
with Leonardo Di Caprio centralized in the frame, which the spectators could guess him as the protagonist of the film.
o Alignment:
We become aligned with a particular character or more than one. We see and feel parts of the story through this fictional person
We don’t necessary agree with them
Creates empathy and sympathy between the audience and the characters
→Ariadne: Her personality is similar, she is curious and determined, she also tries her best to helps and supports Cobb
9. Inception(2010)-
Spectatorship(P3)
Stuart Hall Reception Theory
o Preferred reading: Spectator agrees with the author’s intentions, finding it easy to
align with the messages and values, narrative strengths and characters in the
film(Passive)
o Negotiated reading: Is on which involves a bit of give-and-take between our own
views and those presented in the film(Active)
o Oppositional reading: Is one that rejects the intended meaning, where the spectator
and author have different interpretations.(Active)
o ‘Aberrant reading’ / ‘aberrant decoding’: Is one which is considered totally wrong
compared to the intended meaning
His theory
consists in
this ones
10. Inception(2010)-
Ideology(P1)*
o Nolan’s Inception is an implicit critique of ideology in a capitalist system. It exposes the ideological character of capitalism through
its evocation of dreams and memory
It does this through the use of dream structure:
The film tries to make it difficult for spectators to distinguish between dream and reality
The film dreams are often described as a Matryoshka doll(Russian doll)
Level: Who dreamed it? Who goes there? Why are they there? The kick:
Level 1: Reality No one? Cobb, Arthur, Ariadne,
Eames, Saito, Yusuf and
Robert Fischer Jr.
To drug Fischer Jr and
bring his subconscious
into a dream
There isn’t one
The timer counts down
and the machine shuts
off
Level 2: Van Chase Yusuf(The Chemist) Cobb, Arthur, Ariadne,
Eames, Saito, Yusuf and
Robert Fischer Jr.
Fischer Jr is kidnapped.
They force him to give
them random numbers
which are used later,
and begin planting the
idea in his head that his
father wants him to
break up the company
Yusuf drives the van off
a bridge. That fails. A
second kick occurs
when the van hits the
water
Level 3: The Hotel Arthur(The Point Man) Cobb, Arthur, Ariadne,
Eames, Saito and Robert
Fischer Jr.
Fischer Jr is tricked into
believing Browning is a
traitor. He joins the
team for their next
mission
Arthur blows up an
elevator simulating
freefall
* A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of
economic or political theory and policy
11. Inception(2010)-
Ideology(P2):
o Marxism: According to Marx, we can never be cured of the false ideas that society injects into our minds. These ideas distort our
mind and are thought to keep the proletariat(majority of people, the common person) under the control of the bourgeois(the
minority of people, wealthy and powerful)
This notion links with inception as the notion of inception is to plant an idea in someone’s mind that distorts their own mind:“The
most persistent parasite is… an idea” Cobb- Lexical choice and semantic field of Illness/Poorly
o Capitalism: The ideology behind capitalism would link to our desire to have and be up to date with the latest trends, it focuses on
the ideal of being wealthy, encouraging to consume. The more we consume, the greater the benefit to global corporations. Barthes
argues that capitalism rules by stealing our dreams and repackaging them with coded messages in our brains.
o Individualism: The individual is subordinate to the collective interest of society; self-interested profit-maximising individual
selves competing with one another via the free market, produces the best society, Collectivism can lead to rebellion and so
individuality keeps order
This is what Cobb and the team do to Fischer, the that he should destroy his father’s empire is a distortion. The real relationship
between the father and son, strained and antagonistic, because of Maurice Fischer’s disappointment in his son, is transformed by the
help of inception into an imaginary relationship of reconciliation and mutual love.He convinces himself that this all his own idea,
spurred on by an image in a dream. This falls in line with the capitalist idea of the Individual, he believes his decisions are his own
and that he is own person not a replica of his father
o Deception: Ideology to convince people that the natural view of reality is a distortion, and that there is a superior an greater
reality. Links to Jean Baudrillard’s Postmodern theory: Images and signs are now key feature of our society; postmodernism
challenges the established reader and calls into questions fixed ideas about reality; Hyperreality is the idea that representations are
now powerful and “real” than reality; Hyperreal representations don’t represent reality, instead they are representations of
representations
This clearly links to the narrative for the characters and the viewing experiences for the spectators.
12. Inception(2010)-
Ideology(P3):
o Ideology and Mal:
Mal lists all the concepts that could be argued to have been invented as vehicles of ideological oppression:
Science & Law
Heaven & Hell
God & Christ
These form the basis of what Althusser designates as ISAs(Ideological State Apparatuses), such as the family, religious
institutions, educational and legal systems, political parties, trade unions, the media, the arts, etc. People base their identity on one or
more of these, again contradicts of the idea of the individual as we anchor ourselves to something
o Ideology of Family Life:
Cobb did not want to live in the ideological world of a middle-class couple who create their own utopia in urban apartments in big
cities, believing in their own world(the dream life)
Cobb wanted to break the monotony of a successful urban life with something more real, and rich in experience(real life)
His conscience is guilty , and like Scottie in Vertigo, he is not fully in charge of his mental or physical power. He is not sufficient as a
leader.
Mal fits the stereotype of femme fatale in the corporate criminal fil noir. Her presence signifies weakness, and she appears every time
Cobb’s insufficiency is exposed
Mal functions as Cobb’s own antagonistic unconscious, which continues to pursue him in relentless violence and sentimentality to get
him to reunite in her world.
13. Inception(2010)-
Key sequence analysis 1
o Crime: Shots in the opening sequence of scenes: Mise-en-scene(guns/weapons: Action)
o Enigmas: Sets up in opening sequence: Dreams slayers + Cobb’s relationship with Mal + his background + Unanswered questions to
hook/engage the audience
o Achilles heel: First time that Mal appears in the film + Cobb’s kids + Mal’s suicide
o Micro elements to build suspense: Sound + intensity + tension + volume louder(crescendo) + editing(fast paced) and camera movements
o Protagonist(Cobb) in Peril:
o Mal’s suicide
o Her presence
o The ordinary mixed with extraordinary:
o Explosion of the Parisian café-Ariadne & Cobb
o A simple dream become a chaotic nightmare
o Themes of identity, doubles or mistaken identity:
o In the kidnapping scene, the use of mirrors(Mise-en-scene + Mirror shot-conventional of thrillers films) suggests false identity with Eames
+ Representation of Mal(It is not the reality, it is Cobb’s memory/projection of her. When he explains their story to Ariadne, it is shown a
flashback with her real version that seems very different from the one he is describes throughout the film. She had her mental health
damaged
o Open ending: Nolan’s motif + essay + article
14. Inception(2010)-
Key sequence analysis 2
o Mal power over Cobb. She tries to persuade him(in his memory/representation of her)
Saito: Financial and social power
o Cobb: most experience: issues he can’t control
Ariadne: top student-Cobb feedback after their first train
o Ariadne: She understands Cobb’s issues + helps him-stereotypically women(reinforces it)
Eames: Men doesn’t take seriously their jobs? Stereotypical?
o Mal: Femme Fatale
Ariadne: sidekick(secondary)
15. Inception(2010)-
Key sequence analysis 3:
Extraction of Saito(1min59s-11mins13s):
1) How are we encouraged to be active spectators throughout the scene?
2) If we were a passive spectator, how are we being manipulated by the director?(think about the micro and macro)
3) Which society traditional attitudes are being reinforced?
4) Are dominant attitudes being reject?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Director’s choice of the name of the characters and their connotations
Saito: Japanese-He follows the stereotype of being rich, serious and evil(false villain). He subverts the stereotype of Asians for being wise, when Cobb breaks his locker and stole
his original confidential info, replacing this by a false one
Cobb as a protagonist: many times on screen and central framed + his close relationship with Arthur and Mal love relationship(their kids)
Tense score
Close ups to the watch
Non-answered questions(enigmas): forces you to be active
Suits/Formal costumes: important people
Absence of the use of the pronoun: Conflict
Thriller: Audience is the detective
Leonardo Di Caprio: Good guy/hero
Mal seems stronger than later in the film + Power relationships
Predominant white-Saito is minority
16. Inception(2010)-
Key sequence analysis 4:
Recruiting Ariadne (21mins58s-33mins31s)
1)Which conventions are evident in this scene?
2)As an active spectator, how might these recurring patterns in the scene impact on our
experience of the rest of the film?(Genre characteristics)
3) Jacques Derrida discusses compromise in terms of terms of reading the film there can
only be so many? What do you think ‘limited pluralism’ could be within’ the scene?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active spectatorship- we put together bits of information to build the story
Flows Cobbs character(Achilles heel)
Stereotypes-Ariadne is ignorant at first, ignoring warnings and consequences
Enigmas-for revestions raised- we will have to remain active
2) Limited pluralism-Characters and readings
17. Inception(2010)-
Key sequence analysis 5:
Ariadne scene in Cobb’s memories(54 mins-61 mins)
1)What do you think Ariadne’s role in the narrative during the scene?
2) Can you think of any varying readings of this scene? (link back to passive and active
audiences)
• Analyse the themes presented in the clip and how the use of micro elements support
the audience
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)Ariadne-Exposition-she informs the audience on missing details. She acts as a
detective + answers some enigmas
She constantly asks questions-we go with her and are active
She could an enable of passiveness-she finds the answers
She is a catalyst, she forces Cobb to talk
She is the spectator-outsider looking at it(voyeurism)
18. Captain Fantastic(2016)-
Characters:
o Ben Cash(Viggo Mortensen): His last name Cash links with a
Capitalist ideology, mainly characterised by the consumerism and
materialism, contrasting totally with Ben’s beliefs and rebellious
attitudes/behaviour against this dominant system. This can seen
through his costume in one sequence of scenes, he uses a costume
that is written ‘Jesse Jackson 88’ (Jesse Jackson was a
candidate in the presidential election in 1988 in United
States), representing his democratic views. Also his long hair, that
could be seen as a reference to the hippie movement in the United
States in the 1960s, it was considered counterculture, which could
link to the character’s ideals. Later, when he shaves his hair,
represents a change of these.
o Leslie Abigail Cash(Trin Miller): The name Leslie has Scottish
origin and means "holly garden“. The plant holly exudes Christmas
tradition, it is often a symbol of aggression and combativeness. This
aggression could be link with the character through her mental illness
condition that makes her cut her wrists and then commit suicide.
o Jack Bertrang (Frank Langella):
Ben’s father-in-law, he works in opposition to the protagonist, which
makes him an antagonist, their ideals are very distinguish, but both want
the best to the kids. “I didn’t want to vilify anyone. No one in this film is
the villain”
Abigail Bertrang(Anna Dowd): Leslie’s mother- She is a stereotype
of a female character-vulnerable(Jack attempts to herd her away from
Ben and the children, regardless of her wishes to speak to them) and very
emotional(understandably). She has little dialogue and shows no signs of
strength. She is very maternal character as her only dialogue throughout
the film in relation to her daughter and her grandchildren.
o Bodevan Cash(George McKay)
o Klelyr Cash(Samantha Isler)
o Vespyr Cash(Annalise Basso)
o Rellian Cash(Nicholas Hamilton)
o Zaja Cash(Shree Crooks)
o Nai Cash(Charlie Shotwell)
o Harper Cash(Kathryn Hahn): Ben’s sister-she represents the
more socially acceptable way of parenting, can be almost traditional
with the kids going to school and not drinking alcohol
o Dave (Steve Zahn): Ben’s brother-in-law
o Justin(Elijah Stevenson): Ben’s older nephew
o Jackson(Teddy Van Ee): Ben’s younger nephew
o Claire McCune(Erin Moriarty): Bodevan’s crush
o Ellen McCune(Missi Pyle): Claire’s mother
When Bodevan is talking to Claire for the
first time, when they are introducing
themselves, he explains the origin of the
Cash’s kids name: “My parents made it
up. Our names is unique. There is only
one of us in the whole world”
Both represent typical
teenagers from the United
States, with videogame,
school and not alcohol. Also,
the consumerism, through
their brand costumes,
contrasting completely with
the Ben’s kids that are seen
as more cult and intellectual
Both characters contrast with Abigail, they live
independently in their caravan(Lower class?). Plus
their costume: jacket + shorts and Claire’s dark
makeup contrast with the female girly/maternal
stereotype that Abigail follows.
19. Captain Fantastic(2016)-
Contexts:
o Political Context:
Shortly after Donald Trump election
Left and Right wing politics fuses the politics
Ross wanted to reflect rather than villainise
Is Ben both? He has his own hierarchy
Debate on the cultural ideals-example: Merry Christmas
o Cultural Context:
Philosophy-Mental health on the rise “a product of repressive society”
Disconnecting-deleting social is more common
Critique of contemporary American society(“undereducated” and “over
medicated”
Rebellion
Self-improvement well rounded
o Social Context:
Individualism:
2 different approaches to life(Pro/Cons)
Group unit family
Medical care: Social issues health
o Intertextual References:
Rousseau-natural education- Rebellion? Alignment?
Noam Chomsky
Republic(Plato)
Lolita(Vladimir Nabokov)
Christian group singing
Sweet Child O’ Mine-Guns N’ Roses
o Industry/Production:
Independent film
Sundance Film Festival
Success due to word of mouth
Raised profile due to other success
Autobiographical(Matt Ross): Parenthood options: lack of technology
o Historical Context:
Cold War-Communism vs Capitalism
Marxist ideas
20. Captain Fantastic(2016)-
Ideology:
o Individualism: The individual is subordinate to the collective interest of society; self-interested profit-maximising individual
selves competing with one another via the free market, produces the best society, Collectivism can lead to rebellion and so
individuality keeps order
Ben’s actual ethical system is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the film. He believes strongly in living with nature, hunting one’s
own food and taking responsibility for one’s survival without being dependent on larger society, contrasting with the Individualism
ideology.
o Capitalism: The ideology behind capitalism would link to our desire to have and be up to date with the latest trends, it focuses on
the ideal of being wealthy, encouraging to consume. The more we consume, the greater the benefit to global corporations. Barthes
argues that capitalism rules by stealing our dreams and repackaging them with coded messages in our brains.
His last name Cash links with a Capitalist ideology, mainly characterised by the consumerism and materialism, contrasting totally
with Ben’s beliefs and rebellious attitudes/behaviour against this dominant system. This can seen through his costume in one
sequence of scenes, he uses a costume that is written ‘Jesse Jackson 88’ (Jesse Jackson was a candidate in the presidential election in
1988 in United States), representing his democratic views. Also his long hair, that could be seen as a reference to the hippie
movement in the United States in the 1960s, it was considered counterculture, which could link to the character’s ideals. Later, when
he shaves his hair, represents a change of these.
o Anti-authority messages: The scene where the children pretend to be a Christian cult to disconcert the police officer. Recurring
quotes in the film are, ‘power to the people, stick it to the man’.
o “The powerful control the lives of powerless” is another critique to the Capitalism system, mainly characterised by the
socioeconomic inequality
o Critique of contemporary American society: One of the film’s taglines is, ‘Americans are over medicated and under
educated’ and when the children enter mainstream society they comment on the obesity of those around them, “everyone is so fat”,
“are they sick?”
