Christopher Nolan's Inception is a mind-bending story following a man who wants nothing more than to reunite with his children. Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb is seemingly left with everything he's ever wanted by the end of the movie. That being said, the film leaves viewers with an ambiguous conclusion that has had fans pondering the question, "was Cobb still dreaming?"

Inception follows Cobb, a man haunted by the death of his wife, which has left him unable to see his children. To one day see them again, he takes up the profession of a thief who can travel into a person's subconscious and steal their deepest secrets. However, crossing into a person's dreams leaves a person susceptible to questioning their own reality. In fact, this is what led to the death of Cobb's wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), who committed suicide believing she was still dreaming. To help differentiate dreams and reality, Cobb and his crew create specific totems with unique qualities only they can identify. For example, Cobb uses a spinning top, and if it keeps spinning, he's dreaming.

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Leo Dicaprio holding a gun in Inception

After one final mission, Cobb can finally return to his children. Before greeting them, he spins his totem to ensure he isn't dreaming. However, he becomes distracted by his children, and as he reunites with them, the camera pans to the top that spins for a suspiciously long amount of time; however, before cutting to black, the totem wobbles for just a moment. While logic would dictate this means he's not dreaming, there is evidence for both possibilities that leave its conclusion in a perpetual state of ambiguity.

In exploring the argument that the top is still spinning, there are a few elements that audiences should watch out for. The more obvious is that Cobb can't see his children's faces when he dreams about them. This is because he refuses to connect with what isn't real and possibly lose himself. However, the moment he sees them, in reality, he isn't afraid and can finally connect with his children.

Another interesting piece to notice is the presence of Cobb's mentor, Professor Stephen Miles (played by Michael Caine). According to the actor in a 2010 BBC Radio interview, he stated, "If I’m there, it’s real, because I’m never in the dream. I’m the guy who invented the dream." It's an interesting factor to consider because Cobb would never willingly trick himself into believing the dream is real. Cobb's mentor would also consistently caution him to never dig too deeply into the fantasy he's created. Therefore, his presence acts more as a reassurance he's awake.

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Inception Spinning Top

In contrast, should Cobb actually be dreaming at the conclusion, director Christopher Nolan has his own insights that uncover the mystery. In a 2015 Princeton University speech, Nolan spoke with the graduating class and explained that there isn't meant to be a definitive answer in the film. When Cobb finally sees his children, he's in his own reality. He elaborated by adding, "...He didn’t really care anymore, and that makes a statement: perhaps, all levels of reality are valid."

Even though he's loosely saying Cobb is dreaming, he's more so interested in the idea that a dream has just as much value as reality. It's all about perception from the perspective of the screenplay. That being said, in a 2011 interview with WIRED, Nolan stated, "I choose to believe that Cobb gets back to his kids because I have young kids." While his explanations seem contradictory, they may prove his point to the statement he made in 2015.

Nolan's connection with the main character proves that a parent will do anything to be with their children. However, if certain circumstances make that reality harder to achieve, it's easier to slip into a false reality to cope. With solid evidence to support both schools of thought, it proves that no answer could be the best answer. For Cobb, whether he is dreaming or not, he gets to be a father to his children, and the reality he faces is real to him.

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