SFMZ's Inception
Enhanced Synopsis Presentation

An extensively detailed synopsis of Inception accompanied by screenshots placed in sync with the story line.

Ariadne's Inception Q&A

Ariadne, portrayed by Ellen Page, is practically a Q&A character in Inception, quizzing other characters frequently about the dream concepts and other topics regarding the story line. This SFMZ feature offers a highlight of Ariadne's inventory of questions and answers provided by various characters.

Inception: The Shooting Script

Inception, writer-director Christopher Nolan�s seventh feature film, joins the epic scope of The Dark Knight with the narrative sophistication of Memento.

The story of a group of thieves who specialize in invading the mind through one�s dreams, Inception explores the Nolan�s signature psychological themes of memory, paranoia, and self-doubt.

The protagonist, Dom Cobb, is pitted against a hostile subconscious spurred on by personal demons and regrets from the past.

In a conversational preface, Nolan discusses with brother and frequent collaborator, Jonah, the genesis of the idea for the film and the decade-long process it took to write it.

Detailing the results of Nolan�s efforts, Inception: The Shooting Script includes key storyboard sequences, full-color concept art, and an appendix on the workings of the mysterious Pasiv Device that Cobb and his fellow extractors use to initiate the dream-share.

Inception Soundtrack
By Hans Zimmer

Warner Bros. presents the new film by The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan, this one taking on a sci-fi psychological spin for the serious-minded action auteur, with Leonardo DiCaprio spearheading the cast.

Emma Thomas serves as producer, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, and Ellen Page rounding out the supporting roles.

Hans Zimmer: If you have been to the cinema or watched a DVD in the last 20 years, it's likely you have heard a Hans Zimmer track.

Born in Germany in 1957, the keyboard player and writer began his career in the early 1980's electronic bands Ultravox and The Buggles, and with an Italian new wave band Krisma, playing on their third album Cathode Mama.

His real fame came from his film scores; his first big success was in 1988 with the music for the film Rain Man, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

Since then the multi award-winning producer has an extensive list of credits that include The Lion King, Gladiator and The Da Vinci Code.

INCEPTION
Director / Writer: Christopher Nolan

Imdb.com: Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.

Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one.

If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

IO9 Analyzes the Inception Shooting Script

Many of us have watched Christopher Nolan's Inception a few times by now, trying to follow the dizzying multi-layered storyline. But there's no substitute for reading the actual shooting script, with Nolan's hand-written notes. Here's what we've learned from it.

Inception: The Shooting Script came out a little while ago from Insight Editions. Most big movie tie-in books are more focused on cool images and fun observations about the challenge of bringing the special effects and key action sequences to life. But Inception gets the art movie treatment, with a really nice paperback edition of the screenplay.

There are eight pages of color concept art, and a ton of storyboards � plus a few of Nolan's own handwritten notes and diagrams. And there's an ultra-revealing introduction, in which Nolan gets interviewed by his brother Jonathan. For anybody interested in the creative process behind this film, this book is pretty much a must-have. . . . . read complete article

The Hidden Meanings of Inception
Secrets, Puzzles and Clues to What the Film Really Means

"Inception," Christopher Nolan's twisty thrill ride through the realm of dreams. If you've been wondering about some of the hidden meanings of the film, why the characters are named the way they are, or what the film's music really means, then read on.

Be aware, however, that this article contains spoilers, so if you don't want to know important plot points, you may want to stop reading now. It's really best to see the movie before you read this.

I wondered, after seeing the movie, if there was a hidden meaning behind the French language song that is the signal for the dream team members to progress to another dream level. There are some interesting features to the song, which is Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" (No, I Regret Nothing).

The secret to this choice of song is that French actress Marion Cotillard, who plays Mal in the movie, portrayed Piaf in the 2007 film "La Vie en Rose" and won an Oscar for her role, so it's a bit of a nod to Cotillard and her considerable talents. I also made note of the fact that Mal's name has a very obvious meaning - "bad" or "evil" in Latin and related languages.

IMDB has other fascinating insights into other characters' names, among them the fact that the name of the main character, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), is the phonetic word for "dream" in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi. And the name of the chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao) is a Arabic version of Joseph, who in the Bible was the interpreter of dreams.

Also, the meaning of the name Ariadne (Ellen Page) is significant. In Greek mythology, Ariadne helps hero Theseus escape from the Minotaur's labyrinth, just as Ariadne in "Inception" helps Cobb escape from limbo.

As for the overall meaning of the movie, there are any number of theories floating around on the Internet. One is that the entire movie is Cobb's dream, including the conclusion. Another is that most of the movie is a dream that Cobb has while sleeping on the airplane, and he has incorporated his fellow passengers into it, but he does wake up and go home. . . . . Yahoo.com [article link no longer available]