Inception is an Scifi/action thriller co produced and directed by Christopher Nolan in 2010, including a high calibre cast including; Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Michael Caine. DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, a specialized spy and thief, specialised in extracting valuable information from corporations through dreams.
The Plot it's self is very typical of a "Thriller" film, by incorporating a very complex and deep plot centring around one key character being 'Le Caps' role. The plot is unrealistic, however in some scence is very believable, using clever dream state ideas many people believed to have experienced, such as the fear of falling and die in ones sleep. Typically of a thriller film, Inception shares the idea of the main character trying to survive or in this case clear his innocent name which is an idea shared with other thrillers such as the Bourne trilogy.
In Inception's case however it's centred around Le Caps trying to return home to his children after his wife set him up and committed suicide after believing to be in a dream state where in fact she is in reality. Due to alegidly murdering his wife, he flees from the country in search of a way to clear his name, he comes eventually accross an opportunity to work for a powerful Asian man who owns an electricity company who wants to get rid of his competition, completing the risky task of implanting an idea into someone's mind through a dream however would be the way back "home". (of making his rival's successor folding the business). Due to the deep plot created the film takes many twists allowing it's self to confuse the audience in a subtle way making it entertaining and not frustrating. It also takes simple mind tricks well known to many of the audience to enhance the mind bending experience, such as the use of the idea of paradoxes and an infinite state of limbo where someone is lost in their own subconsciousness. On trick used and rectified was the Penrose stairs, a set of never ending stairs if viewed from a certain angle.
Water also appears to be a very large part of the narrative. The water within the film which is almost in every dream state builds the sense that they aren't in reality. There is no "kick" used to come back to reality, however most of the kicks of the dreams within dreams are subdued by water. (apart from the first one in the Chinese building), most of the states which return to reality are influenced by death. Here are some examples of when water is used.
- Used in the first scene where Cobb is woken in a cold bath (into the 1st dream state)
- To wake them all up within the van (the whole dream state is in a monsoon type weather)
- The "odd" rain Cobb pointed out to Robbert in the Hotel
- When at the climax of the film where Cobb lets his wife go is raining
- Cobb wakes up at the start and end in the sea
- Cobb and Ellen Pages character wake up in the sea before the final dream state.
Much of the Mise-en-scene within the film is also very typical of the genre incorporating many typical items such as;
- Guns
- Sharp suites and high end items
- Everyday cars and other transport (Taxis).
- Typical fitting mise en scene to keep the feel of the film realistic, for example the family home with toys on the floor expressing the place should be built around family or love. Which in essence it is.
Its quite interesting how each dream state used within inspetion originates from an upper-class origin. De caprio's character appears to be quite wealthy, being able to stay in high end hotels, own high end technology and sharp suites, however lacks the connection with his family. Like all Thriller films, his character is very complex. His pursuit all the way through the film is to gain entrance back into America and return how to his children as a free man, however this reason i feel gets slightly lost within the plot of him implanting a idea in someone's mind and in some cases find the processes a kind of "high". I think this is the case due to being able to dream a situation of what ever you want allows you to get away from reality which ultimately he wants to sort out, however also wants to get away from. His character is also very different from all his other accomploses, the others are in the job for wealth, apart from Ellen Page'c character who wants the ability the create worlds which are not possible in reality (being an architectural student).
The music though out Inception is built on long drones and suspense building. When in the dream states the music has a slightly different feel to those in reality, there is a slight low tonned drone and sense of nothingness within the dream states even though there are the "projections".
The suspense built by the music is very obvious in the seen where the van reverses into the river in the first dream state, as the van gets closer and closer the the water the suspense builds and builds until there a sudden digetic rush of water and the people wake up.
Following are some stills with explanations of why they show that inception is part of the "thriller" genre:
This picture is when Cobb is contemplating if he is in reality or a dream, just this scene makes you suspect its a thriller due to the suspense building music, the idea of killing ones self and the gun within his right hand. Ultimately he discovers he's in reality.
Ted suffers from a headache early on within the film which allows him to have dreams whilst sleeping of both shooting a group of captured surrendered Nazi's and of a women with young children who we soon discover to be his decised wife, he at this point however does not understand that they used to be both his wife, daughters and son. This is when the plot twist begins due to the head doctor starting to make him understand that his life ins't all that it seems.
The whole investigation was made as a test by the doctor to see if they could find a cure for his reccuring insanity due to every-time finding out the truth which he forgets again and goes on the same investigation. The character is interesting as he is portrayed as being both strong by being in the army, however mentally weak and desitefull by killing his wife. He both shows to have 3 separate sorts of life's, one being in the army, one being the family man and bread winner and the other being this mental patient. 
