Inception

Truth vs Fantasy On face value, the philosophical conflict (the theme) in Inception is about whether you should live in a comfortable illusion (Fantasy), or whether you should keep a grip on the real world, even if it is unpleasant (Reality). This conflict can also be phrased as Truth vs Fantasy. I think Inception has one of the greatest concepts to support its philosophical conflict, out of any movie ever. What better way to externalize living a fantasy, than characters actually being able to live in a dream. The character Mal Cobb believes that you should embrace fantasy. That dreams can feel just as meaningful as waking life. The protagonist Dom Cobb struggles with what he should believe. But in the climax, he chooses to live in reality. That truth matters, even if it hurts. But this is only part of the philosophical conflict. To fully explore the meaning, let’s look at the character Robert Fischer. Fischer falsely believes: “I must live according to my father’s expectations.” This false belief mirrors Cobb’s conflict. Cobb’s falsely believes: “I am responsible for Mal’s death and must remain trapped in guilt.” Both men are imprisoned by ideas. Both need a new idea planted. Both need to let go. This is represented by the sci-fi concept of Inception. So the deeper meaning of the movie is: Don’t let your life be dictated by a faulty idea. In the movie Cobb compares ideas to parasites. Years earlier, he planted an idea in Mal: “Your world isn’t real.” That idea eventually destroyed her. So in the climax, when Cobb chooses reality (Truth) over a dream world (Fantasy), he also chooses to let go of his guilt for Mal’s death, to not let his life be dictated by a faulty belief. The movie invites you to ask yourself: What assumptions about yourself have you never examined? My biggest critique of the movie, is its final scene. Cobb leaves the top spinning, he stops caring about the truth of his world. It’s a cool shot but it undermines the message that truth should be strived towards. However, you can also read it as him having let go of his guilt for Mal’s death.