Analysis of Inception Movie - Essay Example

? The movie Inception was fictional yet philosophical. There were lines here and there delivered by the characters in the movie that make one think about its parallel in real life. First and foremost, the whole theme of the movie revolves on the mind and how the characters work to manipulate it. This has raised questions on free will already because before this movie there is a different debate on this issue. With the idea of planting an idea in a dream goes beyond the concept of pre-determination. Second, the character of Mr. Cobb is always doubting every situation on whether this was a dream or reality – although this is bordering on issues in psychology, this can also be an argument on philosophy – on questions of truth. In a prevalent information source – the Internet, where everybody everywhere can upload information – how do we know if these information are true or otherwise? These are just some of the highlights of the movie – philosophically. In the following sections, I will discuss several others that have struck a chord in me. On Utilitarianism In short and simple language the principle of utility as a consequentialist theory would say that the action is right when its consequences are right or when it brings about the greater good or pleasure to the greater number. In the movie, the principle of utility was presented but the phrase of “the greater number” can be argued since the goal was for Mr. Cobb to be with his children again. He was doing something illegal and yet he thinks it is worth it because the people who he is doing the job for can ‘erase his charges’ – the ultimate goal for Mr. Cobb. In another sense this can also be attributed to Machiavelli’s “the end justifies the means” – that although he was doing something illegal, this was all going to be worth it once he goes home. The movie ends by showing that he was able to go home and be with his kids. The happiness that he projected is enough to show that what he went through was worth it. Many of us go through with these dilemmas with or without being consciously aware of it. What is good if we are aware of the dilemma is that we are able to make the options and weigh the best options there is for us. But if we are not aware, we might just go right in – as what is shown in the movie. How do you know what is real and what is a dream? This is one question in the movie that presented how one searches for the truth. One of the lines in the movie that may be related to this is “The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can define you or destroy you”. Our search for truth can be hard sometimes. The truth about the best diet tips or best dating tips are all over – from the Internet, to the movies, to friends and even maybe one’s own experience. We can claim that this works for us but it may not work for the others. The usual reaction would be to look for another truth or another claim that can be true to us. On the other hand, we can modify some parts of the claim and make it true to us. The ultimate question is “how do you know it is the truth?” – Mal was plagued with this question and she was entombed in her own reality. Many of us may be trapped in our own realities like the close chance of winning the lottery jackpot, when in fact there is always that statistical chance of 1 to N; or the reality we embrace are perfect and indispensable, but in fact we are vulnerable to diseases; or the reality that we are creative and artistic, when in fact there are others who are more creative than us. We realize the reality of the matter when we fail or when we get sick – just like the “kick” that they get in the movie or when they sense the discrepancies from the reality and the dream state (which is usually painful because really, waking up to the truth can be painful as well). On Existentialism When Ariadne was introduced to the inception, she disliked it but Mr. Cobb commented that “Reality won’t be enough for her now” – and I was taken aback because it seemed like it can become an addiction. There are many things in life that can be addicting and eventually can mould what we “exist to be”. We can be addicted to gadgets like android phones or extreme sports or money. Being addicted to gadgets for example can define us as technology savvy or whatever they may call us. It defines us and it shapes how we interact with the world. It was depressing to see the people who go to the lair of the “chemist” in Mombasa where they go to dream. The old man said “they come here to be woken up” and that their reality already is their dream – existing for the dream. Existence and the meaning of it varies from one person to another. Questions on what makes us “become” is difficult to answer – is it the riches? love? death? or in the case of the movie – the dream state? Mr. Cobb’s recourse to his totem is a revelation of the meaning of his existence because every time he checks whether he is in the dream or in reality would show that he wants to be in the real world even with its imperfections. The totem brass top was also symbolic of the imperfections of the real world but Mr. Cobb valued his kids more than his wife who said “you know where to find me” – and that is in the dream state or in his subconscious. Like many movies, Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code, Twilight and more, Inception is highly fictional yet it brought about many questions and truths in life that we all too often take for granted unless it is pointed to us in class or in a discussion with friends. It is nice to watch a movie and be entertained but at the end we can always ask “What was it all about again?” Read More