10 Debated Movie Cliffhangers That Have Actual Answers

3. Is Cobb Still Dreaming? - Inception

inceptionThe Cliffhanger: Inception ends on a real kicker of a cliffhanger, as Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) seemingly returns home to his children, spinning the totem one last time before leaving to play with them. He doesn't see whether the totem falls or not, and the movie ends with the totem wavering, but not falling, implying that Dom could still be in a dream. The Answer: Director Christopher Nolan doesn't care to talk about the physical, binary truth of the ending, but more so the philosophical truth of it, that if you're left dying to know if Dom made it back to reality or not, you've sort of missed the point of the movie. Nolan himself said, "The real point of the scene €” and this is what I tell people €” is that Cobb isn't looking at the top. He's looking at his kids. He's left it behind. That's the emotional significance of the thing." That's precisely it; Cobb has chosen to accept whatever reality he is being presented with, which in essence is far more important than where he actually is. For better and possibly for worse, he has allowed himself to let go.
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.