Eff Christopher Nolan.

Awww. I still love Inception, though I'm coming to the conclusion that he's the William Gibson of action movies.

he's the William Gibson of action movies

Having never read any William Gibson, what does this mean?

It's funny, I am completely satisfied with my interpretation of Inception and lurve it to bits, problematic as it is.

Also, hi juliana!!

Gibson (I'm really speaking of early Gibson, Neuromancer Gibson) builds these super-intricate worlds that are completely amazing, but the level of technological brilliance is offset by the fact that you don't really connect with the characters on a deep level. You like them, you root for them, but you don't really see inside them so much. (Partially because the characters are often mysteries to themselves.)

I love almost everything Gibson's written to be honest. It's just something I've noticed about his writing. (And the Gibson influences are why I love The Matrix so much. Such a cool movie.)

Ah, I see.

you don't really see inside them so much. (Partially because the characters are often mysteries to themselves.)

That is a good explanation for the fic explosion around the film. So much room to play...

Yup. Except that, in Inception, the only character who's a mystery to himself is Dom - everyone else just chooses not to reveal much of anything.

(Also, I wish fandom wrote more Saito. I love Eames and would very much like to be him, but I want more Saito.)

smishes smnoster

Calls in the maid who takes it from him, throws it in the dustbin....

I don't know if there is a difference in the English and German versions - I show the German one in my class - but here the maid throws the dead bird into the fire. Which always elicits a nice gasp from my students.

I show the beginning of "Blue Angel" when discussing the transition to sound, along with the end of "All Quiet on the Western Front" and various bits of "M". Now there's another classic. After I show them the scenes around the first "on-screen" murder, you could hear a pin drop.

Except that, in Inception, the only character who's a mystery to himself is Dom - everyone else just chooses not to reveal much of anything.

Yeah, but isn't that because, like The Game, a main point of Inception is that it functioned as an intervention for the main character. He had to be pushed to change.

the level of technological brilliance is offset by the fact that you don't really connect with the characters on a deep level

Interesting. I don't disagree, but I think that's actually what I like about Nolan (and the Coens & Kubrick, for that matter). I mean, I agree that he's not concerned with getting the audience to really identify with the characters, but historically I don't do that anyway, so. I guess... to me there's usually a deliberate exploration of "What sort of person would do this, and why?" Whether or not we should support those choices is left open. (And I do understand that this is why many people don't like those directors. But: I'm right and everyone else is wrong! Ptbtbtb.)

I don't know if there is a difference in the English and German versions - I show the German one in my class - but here the maid throws the dead bird into the fire.

Just thought it was a funny shaped dustbin. But you are right, it was a fire, which would have had even more impact if I realized it. Yes it was the German version with English subtitles. Did not know there was an English version.

I show the beginning of "Blue Angel" when discussing the transition to sound, along with the end of "All Quiet on the Western Front" and various bits of "M". Now there's another classic. After I show them the scenes around the first "on-screen" murder, you could hear a pin drop.

I love "M"! That's one of my all-time favorite films. It's a great movie to demonstrate how silent directors adapted to sound, since so much of it could have been done as a silent film (I'm thinking of all those long scans of the streets, with only silence on the soundtrack), but so much more works only because of the sound and voices (the killer's impassioned defense of his actions ["Ich musse, ich MUSSE!"]). Such an amazing movie.