What problems/issues you had with Inception?

This 2010 contemporary sci-fi actioner follows a subconscious security team around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.
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Seeing that train rumble through the first dream sequence was surely something an average person does not see everyday. :lol:

After another viewing, I realize now that the train was only used as a spectacle and did nothing to intensify or contribute to a sequence of events.

In the second dream level, when the bartender shatters a glass, Dom immediately notices his two children.

So I figure it would have been cool to have that train tumble down the mountain side in the snow level when Dom sees Mal through his sniper scope. Seeing Eames dance between the guards and the train would have given that rather bland action sequence some jazz!

That, or at least have the train be a part of the action in the rain level.

Agree? Disagree?

I've got a few other aspects that were underused in my opinion, but I will wait on some comments first.
Last edited by the_red_ninja on January 14th, 2013, 6:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: merging topics

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Yeah, it was underused, maybe it could've been used a little more. But I disagree with how it should've also featured in the second dream level. That would've ruined the task especially since the place was in an indoors and very silent area. Although, the freight train does serve a purpose, if you've read my other thread on dream symbolism, the freight train refers to burdens n problems that you are hauling around (i.e. Mal).

:wave:

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I don't know, if the audience kept seeing the train everyone would have realized that it was potentially important instead of being actually random. By the time the train appears in the rainy dream level most people had forgotten it had appeared before (until they see the film a second time). Same goes for Mal's dollhouse (you see it when Ariadne's first in the elevator, long before Cobb tells her she locked her totem away in it).

So yeah, the tradeoff is that the train seemed dangerously random until it's explained in the end. I think it works.

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I don't know, if the audience kept seeing the train everyone would have realized that it was potentially important instead of being actually random.
Yea, good point.

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DreamArchitect wrote:Yeah, it was underused, maybe it could've been used a little more. But I disagree with how it should've also featured in the second dream level. That would've ruined the task especially since the place was in an indoors and very silent area. Although, the freight train does serve a purpose, if you've read my other thread on dream symbolism, the freight train refers to burdens n problems that you are hauling around (i.e. Mal).

:wave:
I’m glad that we agreed it was underused, Mr. Architect. But you seem confused as I stated that the train should have made an appearance in the snow level (third dream sequence), not the hotel level (second dream sequence).

I will take a look at your thread :) but I’m glad that you brought up the idea that the train represents a burden in which you are hauling around, even more reason for the train to make its appearance tumbling down the side of a snowy mountain!

Kartel wrote:I don't know, if the audience kept seeing the train everyone would have realized that it was potentially important instead of being actually random. By the time the train appears in the rainy dream level most people had forgotten it had appeared before (until they see the film a second time). Same goes for Mal's dollhouse (you see it when Ariadne's first in the elevator, long before Cobb tells her she locked her totem away in it).

So yeah, the tradeoff is that the train seemed dangerously random until it's explained in the end. I think it works.
Alright, good point. But even if the audience clued in that it was “important”, I don’t think an easy connection would have been made nor would it have a significance influence. Besides, I do believe that in the warehouse the Architect makes a comment about Dom bringing in potentially dangerous/projections. In my opinion, I don’t think the train was supposed to serve as a dangerously random object to begin with.

Furthermore, my main point was just to emphasize on the lack of usage. Again, they could have easily incorporated the train in the rain action sequence to some degree, or at least have it make an appearance tumbling down the side of the mountain in the third level to cause a ruckus with Eames.

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Perhaps, in the snow level, instead of simply having Mal drop down behind Fischer and shoot him, we could have had a freight train smash into the building with Mal at the helm shouting 'Woo Woo!'
Come to think of it, why not in the hotel level. An opportunity was surely missed for an Indiana Jones moment with Arthur being pursued down a long corridor by that freight train.
:D :D
I'm not sure the freight train is there because it (is supposed to) typically represent something in the encyclopaedia of dream imagery, but rather because later on in the film we discover that a train is something important to Cobb and was the instrument of deliverance from Limbo for him and Mal.
Perhaps the director decided to use a train in preference to another method of suicide for the reason that it would have this symbolism, or perhaps it was so he could use it in the city level as an apparently random event which would come to make sense later on...

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Armandhammer wrote:Seeing that train rumble through the first dream sequence was surely something an average person does not see everyday. :lol:

After another viewing, I realize now that the train was only used as a spectacle and did nothing to intensify or contribute to a sequence of events.

In the second dream level, when the bartender shatters a glass, Dom immediately notices his two children.

So I figure it would have been cool to have that train tumble down the mountain side in the snow level when Dom sees Mal through his sniper scope. Seeing Eames dance between the guards and the train would have given that rather bland action sequence some jazz!

That, or at least have the train be a part of the action in the rain level.

Agree? Disagree?


I've got a few other aspects that were underused in my opinion, but I will wait on some comments first.
Nah, the train running down the street was used sparingly and in a more subtle manner than you have suggested and I think that this was a superior way to use it. A good comparison (but of a different scene) was the corridor fight. This massive set and the undertaking that was required for it was not really reflected in the time that it was rotating onscreen, but honestly, if it had been used any longer it would have been overkill.

Look at the second Matrix film and the scene where Neo fights dozens and dozens of Agent Smiths. If this scene had been relatively brief it would have been effective, but instead the filmmakers decided to have the fight go on and on and on......etc until the viewer was sick of it and the impact had been lost.

If the spinning corridor scene had gone for ages it's impact would have been lost, and the same goes for the train running down the street scene.

Sometimes, less is more.

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taksraven wrote:
Nah, the train running down the street was used sparingly and in a more subtle manner than you have suggested and I think that this was a superior way to use it. A good comparison (but of a different scene) was the corridor fight. This massive set and the undertaking that was required for it was not really reflected in the time that it was rotating onscreen, but honestly, if it had been used any longer it would have been overkill.

Look at the second Matrix film and the scene where Neo fights dozens and dozens of Agent Smiths. If this scene had been relatively brief it would have been effective, but instead the filmmakers decided to have the fight go on and on and on......etc until the viewer was sick of it and the impact had been lost.

If the spinning corridor scene had gone for ages it's impact would have been lost, and the same goes for the train running down the street scene.

Sometimes, less is more.

I agree that all is well with the train being used just once, since I too think it shouldn't have been repeated in the movie and I won't even discuss it, because it would be ridiculous for Cobb to be chased not only by Mal, but by a train too.

What I don't agree with is the thing about the burly-brawl multiple-agent sequence you mentioned from the Matrix. There's a difference you see. The Matrix is a martial arts sci fi movie about a virtual world and the main point of this movie is very existential and the questions it raises are very human. However, the analogy between the usage of the train and the length of that scene is improper since the length of that scene isn't in conflict with the main point and style and direction of the movie, while using the train once again in Inception would contradict the main purpose of the film and damage its structure and rhythm. Or at least it would be in conflict with Nolan's vision about what he had to put in the film and how much of it.

The moment the viewer gets shocked by the train that slams into the traffic a certain emotional effect that echoes within him, that wouldn't be achieved if the train shows up another time. All that would achieve would be a 'Oh Come On!'. On the other hand The Matrix proved to go very well with the long fight sequences (in the first one) so in the 2nd one they had to push themselves to the limits again and that's another reason why long fight sequences were pretty much in favor of the movie itself.

So to the OP, no, another train scene wouldn't be ok because it would've been funny instead of shocking, it would've made Cobb look ridiculous and it would make it harder for me to take it seriously.

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taksraven wrote:Look at the second Matrix film and the scene where Neo fights dozens and dozens of Agent Smiths. If this scene had been relatively brief it would have been effective, but instead the filmmakers decided to have the fight go on and on and on......etc until the viewer was sick of it and the impact had been lost.

If the spinning corridor scene had gone for ages it's impact would have been lost, and the same goes for the train running down the street scene.

Sometimes, less is more.
I think the fully rotating hallway was underused.
That Matrix fight scene is nearly 6 minutes in length. Although the hallway/bedroom fight scene in Inception is 2 minutes in length (starting from the hallway beginning to tilt and including cuts to the van action), we only get 18 seconds of fully rotating hallway action.

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Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, I suppose.

It would've been cool for the hallway fight scene to be longer, but there's a line to draw. When does it serve the story and when does it become Nolan just pleasing the fanboys (and you know he never does that)?

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