"Your mind is the scene of the crime."
Inception - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious.
— Dom Cobb
Context:
Cobb says this to Saito near the beginning of the film, explaining the concept of extraction and setting up the far more dangerous possibility of inception.
Meaning:
This quote establishes the film's central premise. It explains the power and danger of an idea, suggesting that once an idea takes root in the mind, it is nearly impossible to remove. It foreshadows both the team's mission to plant an idea and the destructive idea that has taken hold of Cobb's own mind regarding Mal.
Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.
— Dom Cobb
Context:
Cobb explains this to Ariadne during her introduction to the concept of dream-sharing, as she learns to build and navigate dreamscapes for the first time.
Meaning:
This line encapsulates the film's exploration of the subjective nature of reality. It highlights how immersive and convincing the dream state can be, making it difficult for the characters (and the audience) to distinguish it from the real world without a reference point like a totem.
You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter - because we'll be together.
— Mal Cobb
Context:
Mal says a version of this to Cobb in his memories and her projections repeat it to him in the dream world, trying to convince him to stay with her and abandon reality.
Meaning:
This recurring line represents the seductive and dangerous allure of the dream world and Cobb's shared past with Mal. The train symbolizes their method of suicide to escape limbo, but for Mal's projection, it becomes a metaphor for a leap of faith into a shared, permanent dream reality she desperately wants Cobb to choose.
You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.
— Eames
Context:
During the first dream level, Arthur is engaged in a gunfight with projections. Eames, seeing Arthur is using a relatively small gun, says this line before revealing a much more powerful grenade launcher to easily dispatch the enemies.
Meaning:
This quote reflects Eames's imaginative and audacious personality, contrasting with Arthur's more cautious and pragmatic approach. It speaks to the limitless possibilities within the dream world, where the only constraints are one's own creativity.
An idea can grow to define or destroy you.
— Dom Cobb
Context:
Cobb elaborates on the power of an idea to Saito, explaining the gravity and the personal stakes involved in their mission of inception.
Meaning:
A crucial extension of the 'idea as a parasite' concept, this quote underscores the profound and transformative power of a single thought. It applies directly to Robert Fischer, whose entire identity is about to be reshaped by inception, and to Cobb himself, who has been nearly destroyed by the guilt stemming from the idea he planted in Mal's mind.