And then there is Inception.
Nolan pushed himself to a new level as he immersed his audience in a world where it was possible to enter the mind via the world of dreams in order to steal the secrets held within. Not content with that, Nolan went further: how about dreams within dreams, all linked together through cause and effect. The film revolved around the notion of inception, the planting of an idea in someone else’s mind. Addition rather than subtraction, creation rather than theft. It was an idea that propelled the film into unimaginably successful territory.
To ensure that such a complex idea was made explicable on screen, Nolan blended together an impressive ensemble cast comprising some of the biggest and best acts in the business. Leonardo diCaprio was already a force to be reckoned with as one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors; he became Dom Cobb, a man troubled by his perceptions of reality and constantly dogged by appearances of his dead wife (played by Marion Cotillard). Joining DiCaprrio were the likes of Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine and Ken Watanabe. Some were already disciples of the director’s former works and others were new to the auteur. With Hardy on top form providing improvised comedy and the likes of Page and Levitt blossoming with natural chemistry, the cast was outstanding and few films can better the firepower offered by this collection of heavyweights.
Another element contributing to the success of the film is the wonderful score from Hans Zimmer. Evolving with the events, the score ramps up the tension and tugs at the heart strings. From the passionate and emotive ‘Time’ to the emphatic ‘Dream Is Collapsing’, Zimmer’s ability to gradually amp up each track to a overpowering finale is a joy.
Aiming to capture a sense of realism within his dream worlds (so to speak), Nolan takes all considerations into account when creating these environments of endless possibility. Ensuring that all actions in one dream world meant a reaction in another, he maintains an ‘anything could happen’ scenario, one that helps Inception continue its fresh appeal. Along with this, he deploys full creative freedom in the worlds his characters have built, from collapsing buildings to trains crashing through traffic out of nowhere. Each shift is a consequence of a character’s thoughts, adding extra depth like no film before it.
A master of storytelling, Nolan puts the viewer in the shoes of his characters and instantly forges connections. Many directors would focus purely on the lead, but Nolan carves each and every character into something unique. They are people we can relate to and, most importantly, people we can connect with. Whether it’s Dom, experiencing a existential crisis, or Ellen Page’s Ariadne thrust into a world she is still trying to understand, there is an individual you that everyone connect with.
It is a pure film, with unmatched visual artistry. Creating dream worlds from scratch is an astonishing achievement in the visual arts. As we walk through Ariadne’s dream as she is tutored by Dom, we are instantly introduced to the ever-changing world of the mind, a remarkable and beautiful vision of the sub-conscious. In the scene in which we witness Arthur floating through halls and fending off enemy agents, the visual splendour offers nothing less than the prospect of total amazement.
Inception is a masterpiece of modern cinema; a beauty to behold with a twisting storyline that keeps bums firmly on the edges of seats, Nolan reinforces his position as one of the world's most established and esteemed directors, and even provides one of the most talked about and debated endings in recent memory.
Utter genius.
The reinterpretations of the posters for these classic films are by Mr Shabba. They can be purchased here and we are giving away an exclusive set soon.
