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Inception

We’re together in dreams

INCEPTION
Cert. 12A
Director Christopher Nolan
Running time: 150 minutes

I could not decide whether this film was worthwhile or just complete tosh. It’s a sci-fi story which proceeds on the sound, biblical principle that whatever controls the mind controls the person.

The plot concerns an attempt to plant in the mind of a business tycoon an idea which will benefit others. However, this is to be done in such a way that he believes the idea is his own thought. The means to accomplish this is through medically-induced dreams in which others can share. Watching the film with an experienced nurse, she was most sceptical.

The dreams involved become a series of inter-linked action adventures, rather reminiscent of films like Oceans 11, but with the goal of breaking into the vault of a person’s innermost thoughts and beliefs. I was reminded that the devil has planted a lie in the heart of lost men and women, but the Holy Spirit breaks into hearts with the gospel.

There were four levels of dream each with its own action adventure. One was a city scape, one a hotel, one an alpine military action and lastly a derelict city. As the film hops from one to the other, you have to pay really close attention.

What is real?

Of course the scenario raises the question ‘What is real?’ — a very good question for a postmodern world which does not believe in objective truth. How do we know the difference between dream and reality? For the Christian, it is so good that we have the Word of God to guide us.

In the film, interestingly, the existence of the ‘real world’ is indicated by the guilt of the central character (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) over the death of his wife. It seems that it indicates that written deep into the human psyche is a sense of morality from which we cannot escape with respect to the real world. Much more could be said. There is a lot of food for thought in the story and possibilities for helpful conversations with non-Christian friends. But, with so many car chases and ridiculous special effects, I was still left feeling it was quite a lot of tosh.

John Benton