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Christopher Nolan Says That Everyone Is Missing The Point Of The Ending Of "Inception"

"It's not a question I comfortably answer."

This post contains spoilers for Inception.

If you're still thinking about the ending of Inception 13 years after its release, you're not alone.

The Inception cast at the premiere

The final moments of the movie have left viewers with one major question: Is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Cobb, awake or dreaming?

A close-up of Leonardo in the movie

In the last scenes, Cobb completes his final task and is reunited with his children, but his totem top can still be seen spinning. If the top continues to spin, he's dreaming — but if it topples, he's awake.

A close-up of Leonardo in the movie

As the top wobbles, the film cuts to black, leaving many viewers wondering if Cobb was still stuck in a dream.

The top spinning on a kitchen table with kids toys in the background

But according to director Christopher Nolan, everyone is kind of missing the point of the scene.

A close-up of Christopher

"I went through a phase where I was asked that a lot," he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "It’s not a question I comfortably answer."

He continued, "I think it was [producer] Emma Thomas who pointed out the correct answer, which is Leo’s character … the point of the shot is the character doesn’t care at that point."

A close-up of Christopher and Leonardo

This isn't the first time Christopher has spoken out about the ending recently. In June, he talked to Wired about how the ending affects audiences.

A close-up of Christopher in suit and tie at a media event

"There is a nihilistic view of that ending, right? But also, he's moved on and is with his kids," Christopher said.

A close-up of Christopher and Leonardo in suits and ties

He added, "The ambiguity is not an emotional ambiguity. It's an intellectual one for the audience."

A close-up of Christopher sitting in front of the Inception movie poster

So while it doesn't sound as if we'll ever get a firm answer on where Leonardo's character is...at least it gives us something to "intellectually" ponder.

You can hear all that Christopher had to say below:

View this video on YouTube

Josh Horowitz / Via youtube.com