Inception: An Analysis of the Stylistic Aspects
The stylistic analysis of this paper will be focusing on the techniques used to indicate the dream realities and the actual reality in the movie Inception by Christopher Nolan. The analysis will be based on the mise-en-scene of the movie, especially camera movement, lighting, as well as sound and editing. When analysing these techniques into detail of three different scenes, differences and similarities should be spotted between the realities. By analysing these techniques, a conclusion will be made on whether or not the ending of the movie is the actual reality, or if it is a dream.
The first scene to be analysed is the first dream the audience experiences lasting from 0:02:48 and until 0:04:26.
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At 2:17:18 the audience sees an extreme close-up of Dom's face, the focus mostly on his eyes. His facial expression is one of disbelief, which is also shown in the following shot, a close-up of his face, the camera moving slightly backwards. The nondiegetic sound of the film's score is sentimental, evoking emotions. In the following shot Dom's eyes move to look at the members of his team, the camera following in an eye-line match. Jumping forward to the very end of this scene, at 2:19:51, we see Dom coming home. Seven seconds later he is in the centre of the shot, the camera panning slowly from right to left. As Dom takes his totem, the spinning top, out of his pocket and spins it on the table, the camera follows his movement, but before Dom gets to see the spinning top fall, a signifier of reality, he sees his children and the following shot shows the audience the two children, who are out in the garden and playing. This shot is very close compared to the fact that Dom is inside the house, and would not be able to see them so closely. The sentimental music is high in volume before becoming more slow as Dom's children look up and see their father. The lighting in this shot seems to be natural, but is a tad too high-key for it to be completely realistic. In contrast to the lighting on the children, the lighting inside the house is rather low-key, with a golden glow, much like the lighting in the first analysed scene. Before the scene and movie end, the camera pans from right to left, removing the focus from Dom and his children and onto the spinning top, which is still spinning when the final cut is
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