Fans are still talking about the ending of Inception 13 years after the film was released. Director Christopher Nolan finally sheds light on the bizarre conclusion that had many viewers scratching their heads.
At the end of Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character finally completes his dream heist and returns home to his children. Cobb spins Mal’s “totem” to test if he is still inside a dream or in the real world. The top spins indefinitely while inside a dream or falls if Cobb is awake. The sequence lingers on the spinning top as it begins to wobble but cuts to black, leaving audiences guessing if Cobb is still stuck in a dream or not.
Audiences have been debating Cobb’s fate at the conclusion of the movie. In a recent interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Nolan finally settles the discussion on how the film ends. The director reveals that DiCaprio’s character does not care about his fate.
“I went through a phase where I was asked that a lot,” Nolan shared about the ending of Inception. “I think it was [producer] Emma Thomas who pointed out the correct answer, which is Leo’s character…the point of the shot is the character doesn’t care at that point. It’s not a question I comfortably answer.”
In a separate interview with Wired, Nolan adds, “There is a nihilistic view of that ending, right? But also, he’s moved on and is with his kids. The ambiguity is not an emotional ambiguity. It’s an intellectual one for the audience.”
Cobb does not actually care if he is still in a dream or the real world. What is important to him is that he is reunited with his kids. Cobb’s journey is complete and whether it is real or not does not affect the outcome.
Nolan also recalls sneaking into theaters to watch the film with moviegoers. In an interview with Insider, the director shared that watching the ending of Inception in theaters with viewers is a memory that stayed with him.
“In terms of sitting with a crowd and experiencing the end of the film, ‘Inception’ was a very unique type of ending,” Nolan said. “If I would sneak into the back of the theater when it was playing, and we would get to the end, there would be a tremendous sort of gasp, groans, frustrations — it was an incredible mixture and I would feel very much like I need to get out of here before anybody notices I’m there.”
He adds, “So that was a pretty remarkable ending to sit through with audiences over the years.”
Nolan’s latest project, Oppenheimer, is currently in theaters.
