Dreams and the Cinema
David Carter
Inception April 30, 2019 DOI: 10.3828/liverpool/9781911325055.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Inception's depiction of dream states assumes an unconscious mind accessible to skilled operators, consistent with Freud's concept of repression, in which disturbing thoughts are distorted in dreams rather than reaching consciousness; extraction is framed as accessing such repressed ideas, and the film adds the sci-fi notion that the subconscious can be trained to resist extraction. |
Abstract
This chapter examines the oneiric film theory which claims that the experience of cinema is akin to that of dreaming, before considering what methods are used in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010) to depict the dream states. It details how Inception uses dream theory. It is clear that the film assumes the existence of an unconscious area of the mind, which can be influenced through access by skilled operators. This is very much in accordance with Sigmund Freud's concept of repression: disturbing thoughts are repressed from consciousness, but, if such thoughts, or ideas, are too disturbing they start to force their way back into consciousness, and the sleeping mind distorts them, changes them in some way, so that they can be contemplated in dreams but will not break through into consciousness. Extraction is a process of gaining access to such a repressed idea. A sci-fi element is thus introduced in the film, with the notion that it is possible to train the subconscious to defend itself against extraction. The chapter then looks at the dream states depicted in the film and considers the presuppositions about the nature of dreams and the subconscious mind.