was inception really hard too understand?

[Kermi]

I found it easy to understand. At first I was like "I don't get it" because I didn't know what was so complicated and assumed I missed something. When I read up on it a bit, I realised what I didn't get was people saying they didn't get it, because it was all pretty straightforward.

 

[Waffle_Man]

The problem is that the movie is straightforward in its primary conflict but has ambiguity external to it. A lot of people assume that any ambiguity at all makes the entire thing complicated. However, the segmented ambiguity actually make the movie make more sense as it allows the viewer's imagination to fill in the gaps that would be too complicated for the movie to concisely explain away, while still being able to resolve the driving conflict of the narrative explicitly.

Segmented ambiguity is probably one of the Nolan's strong suits, come to think of it. It's good that at least one person in the world actually understands the proper use of it.

 

[Namewithheld]

Not really. Basically, Hollywood thought it would be too much for "mainstream" audiences to understand. And I'm assuming quite a few critics did as well.

Haven't heard of anyone getting too confused by it though.

My mom got confused. But my mom is easily confused by movies because she always FALLS ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE.

Oh Mom. You are so sleepy.

 

[Fbuh]

While it was a deep movie, I thought it was pretty clear what was going on.

 

[hazabaza1]

Been watching it in R.E., it doesn't seem to be confusing. Still good though.

 

[Wintermoot]

had no trouble understanding it the ending was a bit vague though (although the ending is open).

 

[Arsen]

My first thoughts after the thirty minute mark: WHY DIDN'T THEY EXPLAIN THIS TOWARDS THE BEGINNING. It would have saved me quite the confusion.

But here are the basics:

- CIA Tacticians use dream machine that plugs into arm (shrugs. Suspension of disbelief. I get it) of another person.
- They insert scenarios, settings, and events into the dreams of the target for the sake of one of two things. Either retrieving information/secrets or inserting an idea into the mind/subconcious of the individual.
- Everytime they attempt this, the mind tries to defend itself by sending literal manifestations of bodyguards to fight the CIA tacticians in Matrix duels.
- Doing this is dangerous. You can possibly get trapped in the Ma...er, dream world forever.
- Leonardo DiCaprio loves beaches.
- The top was getting ready to fall. It wobbled before the camera cut out.

 

[Da Orky Man]

People found it difficult? What was complex about it? It had multiple reality levels, each having time-dilation effect to a certain magnitude to the next, with physical effects bleeding through to a certain degree. That was all.

According to those I know who didn't follow the movie, the hardest part to decipher was which dream level they were looking at. I don't get that claim myself, as I found it simple as hell to tell the difference (primarily "van", "office", "fortress"), but that's what I've been told.

Given that each dream level was in a completely different environment, it wasn't hard.
Try watching Primer. It does a similar thing with timelines, except it never tells you which one you're watching, they interact and change each other meaning that timeline 1 could be different 20 mins into the film. Timmeline 2 changed it so timeline 3 goes back and stop 2 from doing so, at the point when timeline 1 has caught up, and stop 2 from doing anything, when 3 misses the cue and...
My brain hurts.

 

[Schnookums]

It wasn't too hard to understand, but it was too complicated. I always felt like adding so many tiers of dreams didn't further the plot or add to the characters, it was just done because they wanted it to be "smart".

 

[Agayek]

Given that each dream level was in a completely different environment, it wasn't hard.
Try watching Primer. It does a similar thing with timelines, except it never tells you which one you're watching, they interact and change each other meaning that timeline 1 could be different 20 mins into the film. Timmeline 2 changed it so timeline 3 goes back and stop 2 from doing so, at the point when timeline 1 has caught up, and stop 2 from doing anything, when 3 misses the cue and...
My brain hurts.

Oh I don't doubt it. I actually agree with you, Inception was fairly easy for me to follow. I know several people who simply couldn't follow it properly though, and that was their primary reason.

 

[floppylobster]

I felt it was too simplified. Largely due to the fact that 80% of the dialogue was exposition to let the audience know exactly what was happening. In fact, that's the reason I didn't like the film. Watch Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972) (not Soderbergh's remake) to see a similar idea treated with real intelligence (and faith in an audience to grasp the concept without over-explaining it every five minutes).

 

[Buffoon]

Nah, it wasn't hard to understand. It was pretty hard to stay interested though. So much wasted potential.

 

[DoctorObviously]

No it wasn't. Many people didn't understood it because they really need another truckload of romantic comedy and Tranformers movies now do they?

 

[Joshica Huracane]

It was not complicated. Go watch Memento and try and figure that out.

Even that wasn't so complicated by the end.... er.... Middle. Hmmm. You may be onto something.

OT: Not really, no; I didn't find it hard to understand.

 

[Vykrel]

i understood it, although there were a couple of things that i missed on the first watch. after watching again, i understand the movie completely. its not THAT complicated.

my dad didnt get any of it, though

 

[Artina89]

I have only seen Inception a couple of times (once with my friends and again with my family) and noone I know had any real problems understanding it. So no, Inception wasn't difficult to understand.

 

[CommanderKirov]

No it was not. I believe the whole "Inception is soooo cerebral and hard to understand" is the biggest trolling attempt ever.

 

[Nouw]

Well what you're getting is a bunch of 'no' answers and this doesn't automatically make it simple. There's a reason why it was so highly praised for 'blowing people's minds' and the reason is:because it was confusing for people and somehow made sense at the end. It blew their minds!

People are just stupid. Inception was very simple.

I guess I'm an idiot then.

No it was not. I believe the whole "Inception is soooo cerebral and hard to understand" is the biggest trolling attempt ever.

Not everyone is as smart as you. Sure there are some trolling but some people genuinely don't get it.

 

[MainstreamPhippster]

It was slightly confusing to me, but then again I was distracted by how much they screwed over basic psychology in that movie. I noticed almost everything they did wrong with that movie. Sure, you give Hollywood some allowances, but when it's the main point of the movie that just doesn't cut it.

All in all, it was pretty easy to follow, if quite... round-a-bout.