incipio, incipere, incepi, inceptus

Dreams and Plato’s Allegory

Ariadne

Totem

Labyrinth

Mal (malo mala mala)

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Domonic (domus/ dominus) Cobb, the Extractor (extraho)

Aeneid InceptionBegins “in medias res” with a storm by sea and the protagonist being washed up on shore what at first seems a hostile territory – but the protagonist is eventually invited to an audience with Dido, the ruler of the territory.

Begins “in medias res” with the protagonist being washed up on shore in what at first seems a hostile territory – but the protagonist is invited to an audience with Saito, the “ruler” of the territory.

Aeneas is an exile from the place of his birth on account of traumatic events that only later are revealed and is on a quest to find his way to his ancient homeland, Italy.

Cobb has been exiled from the United States on account of traumatic events that only later are revealed and is on a quest to find his way back home, to America.

Aeneas is unwillingly responsible for the suicide of his lover, whose “shade” he will visit in his quest to the Underworld.

Cobb is unwillingly responsible for the suicide of his wife, whose “shade” is a frequent visitor in his quests into the Dreamworld.

Aeneas chooses not to stay with Dido and continue build a new civilization together in Carthage because of his desire not to do “injury to his dear son’s head” – rather, to raise his son Ascanius to be a ruler in their destined homeland, Italy.

Cobb chooses not to stay with Mal and build and continue to build a whole world together in the Dreamworld because of his desire to return to his children and not make them orphans, and to raise them himself back home in America.

Aeneas accepts guidance from his father Anchises, who assists Aeneas in finding his way “home” and in his journey to the Underworld.

Cobb accepts guidance from his father Miles (Caine) who assists him in finding his way “home” and in his journey into the Dreamworld.

One of the main themes of The Aeneid is the relationship between fathers and sons, not just between Aeneas and Anchises (or Aeneas and his own son Ascanius), but also concerning Aeneas’ enemies, Pyrrhus and his father Achilles, or Lausus and his father Mezentius.

One of the main themes of Inception is the relationship between fathers and sons, not just between Dom Cobb and his own father Miles (or Cobb and his own children Phillipa and James), but prevalently, concerning Cobb’s “mark”/ target, Robert Fischer and his father Maurice Fischer.

In the Underworld, the shades of the dead crowd around Aeneas as they recognize him as still being alive, and a stranger in the Underworld, and are even threatening so that Aeneas draws his sword.

In the Dreamworld, the shades of the subconscious focus their attention on Cobb’s team as strangers in another person’s dream – militarized shades even threaten the team and gun battles erupt.

As Aeneas’ journey into the Underworld progresses, he goes deeper and deeper into the deepest levels of Tartarus and finally Elysium, where souls await incarnation, and creation begins.

As Cobb’s journey into the Dreamworld progresses, he does deeper and deeper into the deepest levels of a dream within a dream, all the way to Limbo, or unconstructed dream space, where dream creation is unlimited, and where the story begins.

Cogito Ergo Sum - Descartes

The Gate of Horn vs. The Gate of Ivory