Inception Forum

My Friend Thinks the End Isn't Open-Ended (SPOILERS!!!)

Topic started by cwdawg1224 on Aug. 1, 2010. Last post by dvaeg 1 year, 8 months ago.
Post by cwdawg1224 (53 posts) See mini bio
I don't know why, but my friend is hell-bent that the top at the end falls over. Even though it's still spinning, and even though it only makes the slight sound of a wobble, he's like "No dude, you're an idiot. It falls over!" He's seen the movie twice. Personally, while I have my own opinion on whether Cobb's in a dream or not, I still believe the ending is left to be ambiguous. Maybe I'll just have to wait till I find an interview with Christopher Nolan where he discusses the ending so that we can see whether he or the mass amounts of people who thought it was open-ended are right. 
 
Has anyone seen such an interview?
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by MetalGearSunny (643 posts) See mini bio
I have not seen such an interview, and I doubt there will ever be.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by cwdawg1224 (53 posts) See mini bio
Yeah, I doubt it too, which is unfortunate cause I'd really like to prove him wrong. He's kind of an asshole when it comes to his own opinion.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Funzzo (26 posts) See mini bio
In the dream the top did not wobble at all or slow down. I think the end was meant to be unclear but id like to think the top did tip over.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by TheFilmKiller (32 posts) See mini bio
I'm pretty sure, about 90% sure that Cobb came back to reality. 
 
Mainly because Cobb states that in a dream you don't see the events that lead up to that dream. Example you are instantly sitting down talking to Ellen Page. You see the events that lead up to him seeing his children, you see him get off the airport, meet Michael Cain, and enter the home his kids are at. 
 
That's my driving force behind why I think he's in reality.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by PirateNeal (28 posts) See mini bio
Having watched the film twice the top does not wobble as much as you think it does, its only because you are so focused on the top that the slight movement that is does make seems exaggerated when trying to remember it. Of course its suppose to be open to interpretation, your friend is an idiot if he think Christopher Nolan would want the answer to be simple.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Dylabaloo (790 posts) See mini bio
It doesn't matter whether it falls or not because if Cobb is in his limbo he would know the property of his totem so it would fall, the totem is only to detect if your in someone else's dream because they don't know the indivdual property of the item thus the falling spinning top proves nothing.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by apathy (45 posts) See mini bio
If it wasn't open ended and the top just fell then the screen wouldn't have cut to black, simple as that. The fact that it did cut to black before the top could fall is exactly what makes it open ended and open for debate whether or not the top fell down.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Chokobo (48 posts) See mini bio
I've heard the theory that because in the dream the top doesn't wobble at all and at the end it does wobble, Cobb is in reality.
 
They did a really good job of hiding the hand that Cobb's ring is on when he's dreaming though at the end.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Tbird13 (5 posts) See mini bio
OP:  I doubt that interview will ever exist. 
 
It's open ended.  
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Demyx (118 posts) See mini bio
For me, its not open ended. If only because I'm the type that needs closure :/
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by JokerSmilez (437 posts) See mini bio
@Dylabaloo said:
" It doesn't matter whether it falls or not because if Cobb is in his limbo he would know the property of his totem so it would fall, the totem is only to detect if your in someone else's dream because they don't know the indivdual property of the item thus the falling spinning top proves nothing. "
Exactly. It's open-ended because it doesn't matter if the top falls or not. That doesn't answer the question about whether or not he's dreaming.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Mistress_Redhead (2,848 posts) See mini bio
It pretty much did fall over, they did not cut away fast enough for me to stop and think that it could be a dream stil..
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by StormtrooprDave (581 posts) See mini bio
My thoughts on the end were that he was still in a dream, but by his own choice.  He span the top, then went out to see the kids.  At some point he would come back in and see the top still spinning and realise he was still in limbo.  He could not just kill himself however as he missed the kick and he was still under sedation so death would mean he would go down another level of limbo where he would experience even more time and eventually become a vegetable when he awoke.  So he chose to have a lifetime with his kids in the limbo of his choosing.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by TheThirdMan (107 posts) See mini bio
@StormtrooprDave:
Word
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by HandsomeDead (1,691 posts) See mini bio
@StormtrooprDave: Yeah, to me, it wobbled then went back up as if to imply it was a dream but he didn't care anymore.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by ThePickle (2,751 posts) See mini bio
It definitely looked like it was going to fall, at least to me.  
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Masonvrocks (18 posts) See mini bio
@Demyx: This is why I also think it fell over and why, despite how awesome 99% of it was, The Prestige left a bad taste in my mouth. Think about it though, any top that wobbles in the slightest will eventually fall down unless it's magnetic or something but that's besides the point. If the screen didn't cut to black it would've slowly wobbled more and more until it fell over. 
 
Not to mention I feel that if it didn't fall over that that would be a much sadder ending. If that is the true ending then it means Cobb didn't resolve anything, he just gave up, fell for Mal's tricks and....uggh, that ending is just to depressing.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by Hinamotto (7 posts) See mini bio
Once it starts wobbling, it will definitely fall over. I also believe it's not open-ended.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago
Post by nywt (27 posts) See mini bio
The whole point of an ending like Inceptions is to leave it up to the viewer. While that may leave it open ended, if there is no doubt in your mind that the top falls, it's not open ended. The film has a finite ending. I choose to be like the masses and believe it could be either of the two possibilities but that doesn't make your friend wrong in his assumption.
Edited 1 year, 9 months ago

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General Information Edit
Name Inception
US Release July 16, 2010
UK Release July 16, 2010
AUS Release July 22, 2010
Runtime 148
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