Christopher Nolan - Inception - The Shooting Script

YUSUF

Yup. Sorry.

COBB

Suppress them. We don’t bring our own projections into the dream — we let Fischer’s subconscious supply the people.

EAMES

Saito, when do I get to see Browning?

SAITO

You fly out to Sydney on Tuesday. We’ve arranged for you to spend several days…

INT. ANTEROOM, MAURICE FISCHER’S OFFICE — DAY

Eames sits in the crowded room. Boxes and files are piled high. Browning stands by a pair of double doors.

SAITO (V.O.)

…as part of a consulting litigation team working for Browning.

BROWNING

I’m not smelling settlement here — we take them down.

LAWYER

Mr. Browning, Maurice Fischer’s policy is always one of avoiding litigation—

Browning turns to the lawyer. Calm, but POWERFUL.

BROWNING

Shall we relay your concerns directly to Maurice?

Browning opens the doors to Maurice Fischer’s inner office.

Eames leans in to watch as Browning beckons the Lawyer into—

INT. MAURICE FISCHER’S INNER OFFICE — CONTINUOUS

The office is a MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL ROOM: a BED where the desk should be. Browning addresses a figure at the window. ROBERT FISCHER, 30’s, abstracted.

BROWNING

How is he?

Fischer turns to Browning. Motions silence, as he glances at his FATHER in the bed. Wheezing gently.

BROWNING

I don’t want to bother him unnecessarily but I know he—

FATHER

Robert! I’ve told you to keep out the damn!—

MAURICE LASHES OUT, KNOCKING things from his bedside table. A NURSE calms Maurice as Fischer crouches to retrieve a FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH. He looks at the photo through the broken glass — a YOUNG BOY holds a PINWHEEL CLEARLY MADE BY A CHILD (each of the points is numbered in pen), his FATHER blows on it.

BROWNING

Must be a cherished memory of his—

FISCHER

I put it by his bed. He hasn’t even noticed.

BROWNING

Robert, we have to talk about a power of attorney. I know this is hard for you, but it’s important that we start to think about the future—

FISCHER

Not now, Uncle Peter.

Browning looks at Fischer, considering. Biding his time.

EAMES (V.O.)

The vultures are circling. The sicker Maurice Fischer becomes, the stronger Peter Browning becomes…

Eames WATCHES Browning, STUDYING his every move.

INT. BATHROOM — DAY

Eames gestures at a mirror, as if offering to shake hands…

EAMES (V.O.)

I’ve had time to learn Browning’s physical presence and mannerisms…

In the mirror: BROWNING GESTURES BACK.

INT. WORKSHOP — CONTINUOUS

EAMES

Now, in the dream, I can impersonate Browning and suggest the concepts to Fischer’s conscious mind…

(draws a diagram)

Then we take Fischer down another level and his own subconscious feeds it right back to him.

ARTHUR

(impressed)

So he gives himself the idea.

EAMES

Precisely. That’s the only way to make it stick. It has to seem self-generated.

ARTHUR

Eames, I’m impressed.

EAMES

Your condescension, as always, is much appreciated, Arthur.

CUT TO:

INT. DESERTED HOTEL LOBBY — DAY

The team sit on the steps of the large marble lobby, debating. Ariadne is showing Arthur the lobby.

EAMES

He’s not scheduled for surgery, no dental, nothing.

COBB

I thought he had some knee thing?

EAMES

Nothing they’d put him under for. Besides, we need a good ten hours.

SAITO

Sydney to Los Angeles.

They turn to Saito.

SAITO

Twelve hours and forty-five minutes — one of the longest flights in the world. He makes it every two weeks…

EXT. AIRFIELD — DAY

Fischer steps out of a black town car and walks across the tarmac towards a GULF STREAM JET, accompanied by two aides.

COBB (V.O.)

Surely he flies private?

SAITO (V.O.)

Not if there were unexpected maintenance with his plane.

Fischer is met at the steps by a DISTRAUGHT FLIGHT OFFICER.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY — DAY

Cobb chews this over. Arthur comes over.

ARTHUR

It’d have to be a 747.

COBB

Why?

ARTHUR

On a 747 the pilots are up above, first class is in the nose so nobody walks through the cabin. We’d have to buyout the whole cabin, and the first class flight attendant—

SAITO

We bought the airline.

Everyone turns to Saito.

SAITO

It seemed… neater.

COBB

Neater, huh?

(gets to his feet)

Well, now we have ten uninterrupted hours.

(MORE)

COBB (CONT’D)

(to Ariadne)

Nice lobby, by the way. And we—

CUT TO:

INT. WORKSHOP — DAY

The group is back in the workshop, deep in discussion.

ARTHUR

My question is how we go down three layers with enough stability. Three layers down a little turbulence is gonna translate into an earthquake . The dreams are gonna collapse with the slightest disturbance.

Yusuf clears his throat.

YUSUF

Sedation. For sleep stable enough to create three layers of dreaming…

INT. MAKESHIFT LAB — DAY

Yusuf depresses a plunger. Arthur is SLEEPING in a chair.

YUSUF (V.O.)

We will have to combine it with an extremely powerful sedative….

Eames SLAPS Arthur, HARD. Arthur does not stir.

INT. WORKSHOP — DAY

Arthur unconsciously rubs his cheek.

YUSUF

The compound we’ll be using to share the dream is an advanced Somnacin derivative. It creates a very clear connection between dreamers, whilst actually accelerating brain function.

CUT TO:

COBB

Buying us more time in each level.

YUSUF

Brain function in the dream will be about twenty times normal.

(MORE)

64.

YUSUF (CONT’D)

And when you go into a dream within that dream the effect is compounded.

ARIADNE

How much time?

YUSUF

Three dreams… that’s ten hours, times twenty, times twenty, times twenty…

EAMES

Math was never my strong suit.

COBB

It’s basically a week one layer down, six months two layers down—

ARIADNE

And ten years in the third level. Who wants to spend ten years in a dream?

YUSUF

Depends on the dream.

EAMES

It’s not going to take us long to crack Fischer open once we get going. We’ll be out in a couple days, max.

ARTHUR

How do we get out once we’ve made the plant?

(to Cobb)

I hope you’ve got something a little more elegant in mind than shooting me in the head like last time.

Arthur tilts back in his chair. Yusuf turns to Cobb.

COBB

A kick.

ARIADNE

What’s a kick?

Eames slips his foot under Arthur’s chair leg. TIPS it — Arthur’s legs SHOOT UP INSTINCTIVELY for balance—

EAMES

That, Ariadne, would be a kick.

COBB

That feeling of falling which snaps you awake. We use that to jolt ourselves awake once we’re done.

ARTHUR

But how are we going to feel that through the sedation?

YUSUF

That’s the clever part. I customize the sedative…

INT. MAKESHIFT LAB — DAY

Cobb, Eames and Yusuf watch Arthur, ASLEEP, in a chair.

YUSUF (O.S.)

To leave inner ear function unimpaired…

Yusuf, with a wicked grin, slowly TIPS Arthur’s chair backwards… as he falls, Arthur’s body JERKS, EYES OPENING just before he HITS the floor.

INT. WORKSHOP — DAY

Arthur thinks, nodding slowly.

YUSUF

That way, however deep the sleep, the sleeper will still feel falling…

INT. MAKESHIFT LAB — DAY

Yusuf gleefully LEANS a SLEEPING ARTHUR to one side…

YUSUF (V.O.)

Or tipping…

Arthur goes down with a CRASH, JERKING AWAKE—