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FILMREVIEW:INCEPTION(2010)dir.ChristopherNolan
fig1
CAST/CREW:
DirectedbyChristopherNolan
ProducedbyChristopherNolan,EmmaThomas
WrittenbyChristopherNolan
StarringLeonardoDiCaprio,KenWatanabe,JosephGordon-Levitt,MarionCotillard,EllenPage,TomHardy,DileepRao,CillianMurphy,TomBerenger,andMichaelCaine.
MusicbyHansZimmer
CinematographyWallyPfister
EditingbyLeeSmith
SYNOPSIS
Inceptionisa2010sciencefiction/actionheistfilmwritten,co-produced,anddirected
byChristopherNolan.ThefilmstarsalargeensemblecastthatincludesLeonardo
DiCaprioandMichaelCaine.DiCaprioplaysDomCobb,athiefwhocommitscorporateespionagebyinfiltratingthesubconsciousofhistargets.Heisofferedachanceto
regainhisoldlifeaspaymentforataskconsideredtobeimpossible:"inception",the
implantationofanotherperson'sideaintoatarget'ssubconscious.
Inceptionhasreceivedwidecriticalacclaimandnumerouscriticshavepraisedits
originality,cast,score,andvisualeffects.ItwonAcademyAwardsforBestVisual
Effects,BestSoundEditing,BestSoundMixing,andBestCinematographyandwasalso
nominatedforfourmore:BestPicture,BestOriginalScreenplay,BestOriginalScore,
andBestArtDirection.
[Wikipedia]
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fig2
"Complexandambiguousaretheperfectwaytodescribethestory"
DiCaprio(2010,LATimes).
AlteredstatesanduntrustedperceptionarerecurringthemesinNolan'sfilmsclaims
LATimeswriterGeoffBoucher(2010).Nolanhimselfacknowledgedthathewas
heavilyinfluencedbycontemporaryfilms:"thateraofmovieswhereyouhadThe
Matrix(1999),youhadDarkCity(1998),youhadTheThirteenthFloor(1999)and,toa
certainextent,youhadMemento(2000),too.Theywerebasedintheprinciplesthat
theworldaroundyoumightnotbereal(Nolan2010.)IttookNolanaroundtenyears
towrite;hedisclosesthefinalkeytocompletingthescriptwaswonderingwhat
wouldhappenifseveralpeoplesharedthesamedream.Onceyouremovetheprivacy,
you'vecreatedaninfinitenumberofalternativeuniversesinwhichpeoplecan
meaningfullyinteract,withvalidity,withweight,withdramaticconsequences(Nolan2010).
Nolanadmitsheheldthescriptbackforanotherreason:hewaswaitingforatime
whenhecouldcommandalargebudget.Assoonasyou'retalkingaboutdreams,the
potentialofthehumanmindisinfinite.Andsothescaleofthefilmhastofeelinfinite.
Ithastofeellikeyoucouldgoanywherebytheendofthefilm.Andithastoworkona
massivescale(Nolan2010).
Boucher(2010)contends,Nolanputapremiumonachievingtheunrealoncameraas
opposedtoincomputer,whichrunscountertoHollywood'sobsessionwiththepixel
possibilitiesofgreenscreenand3-D.Editingwascrucialtokeeptheviewerfeeling
dislocatedinthecomplexplot,andthefinaldreamusesheavycrosscuttingtokeepthe
pace.
fig3 fig4
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CinematographerWallyPfisterrecognisedthatthiscouldbetooconfusingtothe
movie-goer,anddevisedawayofgivingeachlocationanddreamleveladistinctive
look:themountainfortressappearssterileandcold,thehotelhaswarmhues,andthe
scenesinthevanaremoreneutral.CriticToddMcCarthy(2010)explainsThiswas
donetoaidtheaudience'srecognitionofthenarrative'slocationduringtheheavily
crosscutportionofthefilm.ActressEllenPage(2010)observesthathercharacters
roleasastudentisessentiallyaproxyas"she'sjustlearningabouttheseideasand,inessence,assiststheaudienceinlearningaboutdreamsharing".
Fig5
McCarthy(2010)goesontointerprettheediting:thefilm'ssharpcuttingbetween
scenesforcestheviewertocreatelargernarrativearcstostitchthepiecestogether
andthereforeviewingInceptioninthecinemaisitselfanexerciseinshareddreaming.
DespitethisMcCarthyfeltthefilmwasflatandwithoutemotion:Nolanisathinker,
allright,averybusyexplorerofmindfunctions,butcapablemerelyofdiagramswhen
itcomestotheheartandsoul.FellowcriticRogerEbert(2010)didnotsharethis
viewpoint,suggestingNolanhelpsuswithanemotionalthread.ThereasonCobbis
motivatedtoriskthedangersofinceptionisbecauseofgriefandguiltinvolvinghis
wifeshefunctionsasanemotionalmagnet,andthelovebetweenthetwoprovidesan
emotionalconstantinCobb'sworld,whichisotherwiseceaselesslyshifting.
GeoffBoucher(2010)sumsupInception:"There'satangiblerealismevenwhenitgets
crazy,andsomehowthatmakesthejeopardyfeelmorereal."
LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS
Fig1-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception[accessedon11/10/2012]Fig2-http://etheriel.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/the-inception-of-inception/
[accessedon11/10/2012]
Fig3-http://viewfromacouch.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/inception-perchance-to-
dream/[accessedon11/10/2012]
Fig4-http://www.examiner.com/article/u-k-american-and-worldwide-fans-will-love-
the-unique-brilliant-inception[accessedon11/10/2012]
Fig5-http://mithunonthe.net/2010/07/18/inception-film-review-christopher-
nolanbangalore-india/[accessedon11/10/2012]
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boucher,G(2010)InceptionbreaksintodreamsinLATimesonlineat
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/04/entertainment/la-ca-inception4-2010apr04
[accessedon11/10/2012]
Ebert,R(2010)InceptionReviewonlineathttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100714/REVIEWS/1007
19997[accessedon11/10/2012]
McCarthy,T(2010)InceptionReviewonlineat
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/inception/reviews/?type=top_critics
[accessedon11/10/2012]
Nolan,C(2010)citedbyWeintraub,S(2010)ChristopherNolanandEmmaThomas
Interviewonlineathttp://collider.com/director-christopher-nolan-and-producer-
emma-thomas-interview-inception-they-talk-3d-what-kind-of-cameras-they-used-pre-viz-wb-and-a-lot-more/20567/[accessedon11/10/2012]
Page,E(2010)citedinLennon,C(2010)"Inception:EllenPageinterview"Daily
TelegraphJuly2010onlineat
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/7868889/Inception-Ellen-Page-
interview.html[accessedon11/10/2012]
