[shadowbender]

For some, the idea of The Matrix being a significant inspiration to Inception is merely an old theory by now. But for people like me, I want to discuss more of it.

People who know me well are aware that The Matrix films are some of my all-time favorite movies ever, and a lot of people know that Inception was a film are very much enjoyed and adored. But after watching the Matrix movies yet again, recently, I'm finding some pretty huge similarities between the two films, and while I still do love Inception, I wonder if I'm the only one finally realizing that the concepts introduced in Christopher Nolan's film are not entirely fresh out of the oven. In other words, some of the interesting ideas in Inception were already born from The Matrix.

A few examples:

1. This is the most obvious, and many avid reviews readers will already be aware of this by now. To step inside the world of the Matrix, humans wold recline back in chairs and would get "hooked-up" to plugs, wires, and anything connecting to the computers. So what I guess I'm trying to say, this isn't an idea that Inception was reintroducing the film, but more of a scenario, a scenario setting up an idea.

2. "Projections", a word and concept frequently used in many scenes of Inception. I doubt many people know this, but I'll say right now: The Matrix made the idea first. In fact, if you remember in the first third of the film, when Neo is taken into the loading program by Morpheus (where he learns about the Matrix itself, the post-apocalyptic world, etc.), Morpheus actually uses the word "projection". He uses the word to describe the fact that when Neo is jacked in to the Matrix or any kind of program, he uses his own perception of himself in order to make his appearance (his hair, clothes, etc.). He's projecting an image of himself to create an image for the virtual world. This will sound familiar to people who saw Inception, and it is practically the same concept: Using a idea of someone, The Matrix: Yourself, Inception: Your loved ones.

When I have time to write more I'll talk more about the similarities.

In the mean time, I want to hear you thoughts.

[Rohan]

You have a good point and Matrix films being your favorite films I am sure you know more about the films than I do, yet I cannot compare them when it comes to the writing.

Writing a screenplay is the inception of a project and it isn't a easy task. A writer goes deep in his/her thoughts and comes out probably 100 times as there are plots, ideas that may sound reasonable or unreasonable during the process of writing.

Now the reason I brought up the "writing" it's because writing gets tricky. Writing gets scary as well. It messes up with your mind. Many writers don't admit this, but I will. I have been writing my first screenplay since 5 years. It's finaly completed now, yet it took me 5 years to complete it and it's just a drama/thriller.

Now back to INCEPTION. It took Christopher Nolan ten years to write it. I am not going to claim that he totally copied some of the plots from Matrix or Blade Runner, but I don't know if you are aware or read his interview when he stated that Matrix, Blade Runner are his favorite films and he admires the directors. As a fan or I should say as a student he may took some small ideas and attached it to INCEPTION without disrespecting the makers of Matrix and Blade Runner. 


I stated above that writing gets scary and tricky. I said that because when a idea comes to your mind and you feel that's your movie idea then as a writer you sit and write it down. During the process which can take a month or 10 years there is a possibility of that another writer somewhere in the world is writing the same thing as you are. Or the same ideas that you are working on  is may be in the mind of the other writer whom you don't even know.

This happened about few months ago with XMEN writer. I don't have his name on top of my head, but he was upset because of the INCEPTION hallway fight sequence. He stated that there is a scene he wrote for the upcoming XMEN film that characters are fighting in a hallway in zero gravity. And, he had to erase 12 pages of his script and rewrite his scene. It becomes scary sometimes. I hope you get my point.

[Namaste]

speaking of the loading program, the whole Adri/Cob first time in the dream state is extremely similar to the neo/morpheus matrix training program. First, suprising the student that he/she is in fact in the matrix/dreamstate, then showing them what can and cannot be done and allowing them to attempt it. @ first it goes well, then the student does something dumb and they "die".

a few more similarities are:
Agents: sub-concious security
Saito's mind: The Matrix
Nash, the traitor architect thrown to the wolves by Saito: Cypher, the traitor decoder of the matrix architecture who failed and is killed.
On a side note, Cypher preferred a dream world of ignorance. one in which he had never questioned whether the reality in which he lived were actually a dream. Cobb had a similar experience with his retreats into his own personal dream world, and later faced his own question of what was real, and if the "reality" he knew were actually all just part of his own dream.
Also, if you remember Total Recall there were "dream vacations" taken from a sort of doctors office-looking room where you would be able to have the memories of having gone on some exotic vacation without ever having to experience it. Interestingly, at one point in the movie, the doctor who gave Swartzeneggar's character his "dream vacation" to Mars offers him a red pill later on in the movie saying he is still dreaming and can wake up by taking the pill.

[Rohan]

Good points.

Where is the RED PILL now?

[Namaste]

well, the red pill is now almost an iconic symbol of any piece of truth or wisdom that helps to free you from a mass illusion, or delusion as the case may be. For example, a "third party" candidate in a U.S. presidential election frees you from the illusion that there are only two options: bad or worse.

[Rohan]

well, the red pill is now almost an iconic symbol of any piece of truth or wisdom that helps to free you from a mass illusion, or delusion as the case may be. For example, a "third party" candidate in a U.S. presidential election frees you from the illusion that there are only two options: bad or worse.

  - You are one funny man. One funny man. I will definatly vote for you.

[shadowbender]

speaking of the loading program, the whole Adri/Cob first time in the dream state is extremely similar to the neo/morpheus matrix training program. First, suprising the student that he/she is in fact in the matrix/dreamstate, then showing them what can and cannot be done and allowing them to attempt it. @ first it goes well, then the student does something dumb and they "die".

a few more similarities are:
Agents: sub-concious security
Saito's mind: The Matrix
Nash, the traitor architect thrown to the wolves by Saito: Cypher, the traitor decoder of the matrix architecture who failed and is killed.
On a side note, Cypher preferred a dream world of ignorance. one in which he had never questioned whether the reality in which he lived were actually a dream. Cobb had a similar experience with his retreats into his own personal dream world, and later faced his own question of what was real, and if the "reality" he knew were actually all just part of his own dream.
Also, if you remember Total Recall there were "dream vacations" taken from a sort of doctors office-looking room where you would be able to have the memories of having gone on some exotic vacation without ever having to experience it. Interestingly, at one point in the movie, the doctor who gave Swartzeneggar's character his "dream vacation" to Mars offers him a red pill later on in the movie saying he is still dreaming and can wake up by taking the pill.

Nice. These are some great similarities.

And it's funny you mention "Total Recall". I have that on hold at my library, because I was so amused by this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVjmFxCyv0E

But in all seriousness, the points you bring up are some I hadn't even thought of. But I think a large contributer to these similarities are the ways certain ideas are handled. Ex: While not as flawless as Morpheus, Cobb acts as a sort of mentor to Ariadne, which is already well-known. But when that relationship is used in such a similar concept as The Matrix, it almost drives us to believe some of the ideas were in fact, copied. I know this isn't the case. Rohan brings up a terrific point. But what many movies are founded upon is when a producer or screenwriter adores a concept or idea, and then expands upon that with a change of tone, change of relationships with the characters, etc. With Inception, the relationship between Leo and Ellen's characters are all so similar to that of Neo's and Morpheus's, especially when the characters are based within this similar concept.

It's interesting...

[Specter]

As the webmaster of http://www.MatrixFans.net, I'm kind of an authority on The Matrix.  :-)  When it comes to the story of the Matrix inspiring a lot of the concepts behind Inception, I also noticed similarities.

However, The Matrix took a lot of inspiration from many outside sources.  Not the least of which include: Akira, Ghost in the Shell and William Gibson's Necromancer.

[Namaste]

As the webmaster of http://www.MatrixFans.net, I'm kind of an authority on The Matrix.  :-)  When it comes to the story of the Matrix inspiring a lot of the concepts behind Inception, I also noticed similarities.

However, The Matrix took a lot of inspiration from many outside sources.  Not the least of which include: Akira, Ghost in the Shell and William Gibson's Necromancer.

So what's your opinion on the matter?

[stelalouis]

even your comparison between these two movies here  is too good , but  both movies having their own grace and they are worth watching with their time .