Little moments in the background that are easy to miss?

**chee** February 17, 2011, 12:13 pm

bruce_angier wrote:Coincidence.
How about Nolan's secret message?

Browning
Eames

Miles
Yusuf

Mal
Arthur
Dom

Fischer
Ariadne
Nash
Saito

Nice find.

**Darkception** February 18, 2011, 4:07 pm

Little bit of a blood splatter from a projection, it's quite easy to see but in case you didn't:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QajCBBwFJPQ

Look at 00:42

**Jones** February 18, 2011, 4:23 pm

Cilogy wrote:
George wrote:
http://cdn.nolanfans.com/images/galleri ... 3-full.jpg

Oh wow, I just realized something, why is Leo wearing sunglasses from like 2003?

Even more, why is the newspaper one of the other cafe people is reading named LEO :lol:

**Mason** February 18, 2011, 4:26 pm

Jonas Agersø wrote:
Cilogy wrote:
Oh wow, I just realized something, why is Leo wearing sunglasses from like 2003?

Even more, why is the newspaper one of the other cafe people is reading named LEO

Nice spot. :twothumbsup:

**Jones** February 18, 2011, 4:44 pm

Looks like there is a Matryoshka doll on the table in the end scene with the spinning top - also one on the shelf in Mals child home.
a Matryoshka doll is known to be a doll within a doll, within a doll, within a doll, ring any bells?

Original pictures:
http://cdn.nolanfans.com/images/galleri ... 1-full.jpg
http://cdn.nolanfans.com/images/galleri ... 7-full.jpg

**ThePointMan528491** February 19, 2011, 9:22 am

There is also a rubix cube to the right of the doll in Mal's room. I like the rich history found in the characters' homes and other locations, like the warehouse in Paris or the art and architecture in reality and in dreams. There is a mix of creativity and architecture everywhere.

**Dream Thief** February 25, 2011, 7:45 am

Mason01 wrote:
Jonas Agersø wrote:Even more, why is the newspaper one of the other cafe people is reading named LEO

Nice spot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taifa_Leo

Sorry, nice try though

**Pratham** February 25, 2011, 9:06 am

Dream Thief wrote:
Mason01 wrote:
Nice spot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taifa_Leo

Sorry, nice try though

""Hey Chris, look, newspaper named Leo."
"Cool, give it to that guy over there."

**Kartel** February 26, 2011, 4:46 am

When Arinade and Cobb are preparing to go to Limbo, you can see Eames in the background leaving through the secret passage Fischer used to get in.

**trevelyan** February 27, 2011, 6:05 am

Re: "a house on a cliff"....

Nolan has already said in an interview that this was just the kid improvising and they shot the scene several times with him saying different things. Since there was an architecture theme throughout the film, he thought the "I've been building a house on a cliff", seemed most appropriate.

Read more: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4529&start=60#ixzz1F9g4ajcT

bcbags --> do you have a link to the actual interview? My reading of the film is as Christian allegory centered on Matthew 7.24, the parable about the folly of building one's faith on the sands of the mortal world rather than the rock of God. All the references of the wife and children building castles gave an underlying meaning to Mal's final temptation of Cobb, and worked within the film's emphasis on architecture and creation. So I'd assumed the final reference to the children building "on a cliff" seemed intentional because it created a bookend for the film that paralleled the opening shot and created a symbolic contrast between the opening (limbo/hell on the beach) and ending (home/heaven on the cliff).

There's a lot to support the interpretation, including small touches like the way it gives significance to the names of the children (James and Phillip were among the 12 apostles). The "leap of faith" reading also resolves the ambiguity of the ending (is it a dream / is it reality) by encouraging us to read it as a heaven sequence with the forgiveness of sins at immigration, return to the garden, and reunion of the family. So I'd be interested in reading anything Nolan had to say about this particular point.

Also... in the spirit of contributing to the thread, my two favorite subtle points are Eames' passing reference to a "goddamn beach" along with it being a glass of water that sends Fischer to sleep. Water is a symbol of the subconscious (one reason we presumably see Mal in the mirror when Cobb is washing his face). The "goddamn beach" gains extra significance under the leap of faith interpretation above since limbo is an allegorical representation of the mortal world ("you could spend a lifetime there", etc.).