Inception

Narrative Features
Inception

Intro of Characters
Cobb is shown as a serious character, he dresses in a black suit and is shown with a gun in his possession. Later in the film we are told that he is in someone’s dream and that they are also in some other persons dream, a dream within a dream. He is the lead of the situation and has his friend Arthur to help him. Cobb seems to be able to deal with intense and dangerous situations well, it seems has though he has been doing this job for a long time. Cobb has to deal with his emotions of his children and his wife. His wife is no longer with him but still appears in the dreams, as does his children. His wife is used to wake him up from a dream that he needs to be awakened from, by killing him in the dream. Also by waking up someone up they can for example from the film, Cobb is shaken and slapped in the face outside the dream which he reacts to inside the dream by being pushed around, this seems not to work, so he is shoved into a bath full of water and he wakes up and gets out and the scene continues. Killing people in the dream wake them up but causing them pain is only in the mind. 

He is a determined person and will go to extreme lengths to get what he needs. Arthur is also a serious character, with both these characters being serious it seems what they are doing is highly important. Arthur seems to be close to Cobb has they both end up again with each other after the last complicated scenario of the dream inside another dream after Cobb says "every man for himself" and walks away. Cobb goes looking for someone else to help him when going into people’s minds, he needs someone to create architecture, mazes etc. He finds a student called Ariadne who seems to grasp the dream and its possibilities well, she isn't freaked out and nor does she not believe it. Dressed in normal clothes, red jacket, black pants, white loose shirt and scarf she seems a normal girl but her doesn't match to her intelligence. She's confident in and outside the dream and seems fearless. Cobb and Arthur use a brief case containing technical equipment that link up to those entering someone’s dream and combining their sub conscious.

Locations
U.S.A - Los Angeles, California, Warner Bros Studios
U.K - Bedfordshire, Hampshire, London
Canada - Alberta
France - Paris
Japan - Shizuoka
Morocco

Iconography
Leonardo DiCaprio - Famous American Actor (Well known for - Titanic, The Department, Catch Me If You Can and Romeo + Juliet)

Ellen Page - Well known Canadian/American Actress (Well known for - Juno, Hard Candy and X-Men: The Last Stand)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Well known American Actor (Well known for - 500 Days of Summer, 3rd Rock from the Sun and 10 things I hate about you)

Tom Hardy - Well known British Actor (Well known for - Layer Cake, RocknRolla and Bronson)


Record Placement and Feature of Credits
Only Distributor (Warner Bros) and Legendary Pictures intro segment was played, but in black and white. No other credits are played.

How effective was this
I like the Distributors intro segment in black and white, gives it a uniqueness to the film and shows experimental feel that adds to the style of the film. No actors names where placed it just went straight to it, shows getting straight to the point and is not like other films. I personally loved this and held my attention throughout the film.

(Picture Source - http://incontention.com/2009/12/15/inception-poster/)