Instead of treading the same path asInceptionand repeating its controversial storytelling approach,Christopher Nolan’s $681 million movie etched its own unique identity in the sci-fi genre. Written anddirected by Christopher Nolan,Inceptionremains one of the most imaginative and mind-bending sci-fi movies of all time. Although it has been over a decade since its release,Inceptionis still a cultural touchstone and one of the finest displays of Nolan’s ability to paint complex ideas onto the box office canvas.
Inceptionis highly acclaimed and boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 87%. The film also always earns its rightful place among Nolan’s best works. However, despite this, the film’s ambiguous ending was the topic of controversy for quite some time. While some viewers agreed that it gave Cobb a fitting ending, others could not help but question whether leaving things to a viewer’s imagination was necessary. Nolan’s next sci-fi movie afterInceptioncould have repeated the ending approach, but instead, it keeps things relatively simpler.
Interstellar’s Ending Was As Straightforward As Possible
Interstellar’s Final Arc Does Not Leave Much To A Viewer’s Imagination
Interstellar’s climactic endingis not entirely bereft of ambiguities. LikeInception, the space opera leaves viewers with many questions to ponder while its credits start rolling. For instance, the movie only shows Cooper setting out to reunite with Brand without revealing whether they meet again. However, compared toInception,Interstellar’s ending seems far more conclusive and simple. In the film’s final arc, Brand saves the day and ends up reuniting with his daughter at Cooper Station.
Before the movie ends, it also reveals that Brand’s intuition about Edmunds' planet being habitable was right. With so many conclusive story elements in its final moments,Interstellarestablishes that all ends well for its main characters, even though they endure many trials and tribulations throughout their journeys.Interstellarintroduces its own set of twists and turns along with many high-concept sci-fi elements. However, unlikeInception, it does not intentionally leave any major plot points lingering.
Many Went Into Interstellar Waiting For Plot Twists (Because Of Inception)
Inception Set Some Expectations, But Interstellar Defied Them
Inceptionproved Nolan’s ability to deliver one compelling plot twist after another, which made many believe he would pull off something similar withInterstellar. The director did not disappoint asInterstellar, too, is jampacked with many unforeseeable plot points, including the one that reveals Matt Damon’s Mann as the villain. Like most Christopher Nolan movies,Interstellaralso has a high rewatch value where the viewer would likely learn something new about the film’s story every time they end up seeing it again.
Although audiences initially expectedInterstellarto pull off something similar, the movie defies the expectations set byInceptionand delivers a more well-rounded and less inconclusive ending.
However, whileInceptionleaves viewers with a massive mystery surrounding Cobb’s fate,Interstellarends with no major cliffhangers surrounding its main characters.Inceptionleaves an air of ambiguity surrounding whether Cobb is still dreaming or has actually reunited with his children. Although audiences initially expectedInterstellarto pull off something similar, the movie defies the expectations set byInceptionand delivers a more well-rounded and less inconclusive ending.
Why An Open Ending Would Not Have Worked For Interstellar
The Movie Was Originally Meant To Be Much Darker & Open-Ended
Interstellar’s co-writer, Jonathan Nolan, revealed (viaNerdist) thatin the movie’s original ending, the Einstien-Rosen bridge (the wormhole) was supposed to collapse when Cooper tried sending data back to his daughter. This ending would have left Cooper’s fate ambiguous because, after the wormhole’s collapse, Cooper would never be able to return and see his daughter again. Not to mention, his potential failure to send data back to his daughter would also doom humanity.
Did You Know: Christopher Nolan’s production experience fromMan of Steelencouraged him to grow five hundred acres of corn for the cornfield chase scene inInterstellar.
Even if Cooper’s data had somehow reached Murph in the original script’s narrative, the movie would have ended on a bittersweet note where Cooper would have perished in his pursuit to save humanity. Thankfully, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan eventually did not go with this ending, and, instead, delivered something far more optimistic and certain. In hindsight, it is hard not to see howInterstellar’s original endingwould likely have ruined the film by making it a little too dark.
By explicitly portraying how Cooper, Murph, and Brand “rage against the dying of the light” to eventually save the day,the movie maintains a consistency of themes and leaves one with a strong sense of hope. Its well-rounded and positive ending also perfectly establishes how “love is the one thing we’re capable of perceiving that transcends time and space.” If the film had risked being likeInceptionin its final moments, it probably would not have been considered one of the most emotionally resonant sci-fi flicks of modern times.
Christopher Nolan Has Thankfully Never Tried To Imitate Inception’s Ending
The Director Has Always Kept Things Refreshing & Non-Redundant
Inception’s baffling endingmight have been a little divisive, but it worked wonders for the film. One common interpretation of the closing scene in the film is that it does not even matter whether Leonardo DiCaprio’s Cobb is dreaming or awake because he is finally where he wants to be: with his children. The Schrödinger’s cat of an ending perfectly establishes that,by choosing to walk away from his totem and refusing to learn whether he is still dreaming, he finds peace in where he is and wishes to embrace the moment instead of questioning the nature of his reality.
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The same ending, however, would not have worked for any other Christopher Nolan films. For instance,The Dark Knight Risesalmost pulled off a similar closing trick by leaving Bruce Wayne’s fate ambiguous. Fortunately, before its credits rolled, the superhero movie confirmed that Christian Bale’s character was alive and well. Even in his future projects, it seems unlikely thatChristopher Nolanwill rely on familiar narrative devices that have been adopted byInceptionand avoid leaving audiences with uncertain conclusions unless it is absolutely necessary.
Inception
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
