What does willing something to continue spinning have to do with the concept of a totem? I mean, if you can change things in the dream by willing it so, why not just try to move something telekinetically, or something? I was under the impression that they couldn't change things if they were in someone else's dream, or else what was the point of the zero g fight? Just will the guy to fly through the wall or something. Regardless, whether you can or can't will things to happen isn't the point. The point is, I thought the concept of a totem had to do with someone else not being able to accurately recreate your own totem. I don't see how that has anything to do with willing something to happen.



See, this would sort of make sense. Someone sees he carries a die, re-creates a normal die. . .but Arthur's isn't a normal die, and therefore the new one behaves differently, thus alerting him. No one would create a top that never stops spinning though. That's an obvious indicator of a dream.



I was under the impression that the song was to alert them that the kick was coming. You're saying that it's not a kick if they don't hear the song though, which would account for why the van rolling over didn't count as a kick. Fair enough. How are they able to choose whether they get kicked though? I don't remember that ever being explained, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. In real life, if someone slaps you, you either wake up or you don't. You don't have a choice in the matter.



Sure, I understand. The environment going crazy was indicative of what was happening above, and Ariadne had to choose whether to go along with it or not. Still don't understand how they can choose that, though.



All that explains is why they were able to complete their mission faster, it doesn't explain the time differential. As to how I know they didn't spend ten years down there, well, I guess it's theoretically possible, but it doesn't make sense. I can't remember enough specifics to make an airtight argument, but there were no clues that they spent a long time down there. Everything they said and did made it seem like they were just arriving.




The first part makes sense. It might even explain the time differential. Perhaps everyone else woke up on the plane just a few minutes after they went under, and Cobb/Saito woke up at the end of the flight. It didn't seem that way to me, but again, I'd have to see it again to be sure of my facts. Still, what's the deal about Cobb knowing he was a construct? How would he know that any more than Saito would? And why can dream constructs maintain youth?



Some. Thanks for the reply. I don't know as if I really argued very well because I'm having a hard time remembering all the relevant parts. Maybe I'll watch it again and then come back to this.