Christopher Nolan - Inception - The Shooting Script

COBB

Fine—

Cobb looks back: a second S.U.V. pulls out, tailing them.

COBB (CONT’D)

(to Yusuf)

I know you’ve got to stay ahead of them, but drive with kid gloves, okay? The world down there is going to be very unstable—

ARTHUR

And don’t make the jump too soon — that kick is our only way back, we have to be ready to catch it—

YUSUF

I’ll use the music to let you know when it’s coming, but the rest is up to you.

Arthur puts the mechanism onto the front seat.

YUSUF (CONT’D)

Everyone ready?

Nods all round.

YUSUF (CONT’D)

Sweet dreams—

Yusuf hits a button and we—

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — SUNSET

Fischer nurses a drink. Staring at the ice cracking.

BLONDE (O.S.)

Am I boring you?

Fischer looks up. A beautiful BLONDE is next to him.

BLONDE (CONT’D)

I was telling you my story. I guess it wasn’t to your liking.

FISCHER

I have a lot on my mind.

Fischer looks around the bar. There are several STERN-LOOKING CHARACTERS paying him too much attention.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY — CONTINUOUS

Arthur and Ariadne sit at a table across the lobby. They spot Cobb moving across the lobby towards Fischer.

ARTHUR

And there goes Mr. Charles.

ARIADNE

Who or what, exactly, is Mr. Charles?

ARTHUR

It’s a gambit designed to turn Fischer against his own subconscious.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — CONTINUOUS

Cobb approaches the bar, watched closely by Fischer’s Sub-security.

COBB

Mr. Fishcer! Good to see you again. Rod Green, Marketing.

(to Blonde)

And you must be…

BLONDE

Leaving.

She presses against Fischer as she slides off her stool and deposits a cocktail napkin in front of him.

BLONDE (CONT’D)

In case you get bored.

Cobb watches her walk away. The Sub-security FOLLOWS her.

COBB

I think you just got blown off… unless her phone number really does have only six digits.

Fischer glances at the napkin: “528-491.”

INT. HOTEL LOBBY — CONTINUOUS

Arthur watches the Sub-security follow the Blonde.

ARIADNE

And why don’t you approve?

ARTHUR

Because it involves telling the mark that he’s dreaming. Which involves attracting a lot of attention to us.

ARIADNE

Didn’t Cobb say never to do that?

ARTHUR

You must’ve noticed by now how much time Cobb spends doing things he says never to do.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — CONTINUOUS

Cobb turns to Fischer.

COBB

Strange way to make friends.

(off look)

Lifting your wallet, I mean.

Fischer pats his pocket. Empty. He looks to the lobby where he sees the Sub-security trailing the Blonde.

FISCHER

Goddamn it. The wallet alone’s worth—

COBB

Five hundred bucks. I know. Don’t worry, my guys are on it.

FISCHER

Who did you say you were?

Fischer looks at him, curious. Cobb plows on, confident—

COBB

I said I was Rod Green from Marketing — but I’m not. My name is Mr. Charles. I might seem familiar to you. I’m in charge of your security here.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY — CONTINUOUS

The Blonde hurries up to Saito, emerging from the elevator—

BLONDE

Mr. Saito, can I have a minute?

She pushes him back into the elevator, closing the door as the Sub-security approaches…

INT. ELEVATOR — CONTINUOUS

The Blonde fondles Saito’s lapels, getting close.

SAITO

I’m sorry, but…

Saito glances over her shoulder to see, in the tunnel of infinite reflections created by the elevator’s opposing mirrors, three reflections in, THE BLONDE IS EAMES. He winks.

SAITO (CONT’D)

(pushing him away)

Very amusing, Mr. Eames.

EAMES

You look a bit perkier.

A SHUDDER ripples through the elevator.

SAITO

Turbulence on the plane.

EAMES

Feels closer. That’s Yusuf’s driving.

And we—

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. VAN ON RAINY DOWNTOWN STREETS — DAY

Yusuf FIGHTS the wheel as the van CUTS DOWN AN ALLEY, BUMPING OVER POTHOLES and SMASHING TRASH CANS aside- THREE S.U.V.s IN FURIOUS PURSUIT. Yusuf looks in the rear view mirror, FRUSTRATED. He checks his WATCH, then checks the back: the SLEEPERS SHAKE with the impact and we-

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — NIGHT

As a TREMOR echoes through the bar Fischer looks at Cobb trying to place him.

FISCHER

Security? You work for the hotel?

COBB

No. My specialty is subconscious security.

FISCHER

You’re talking about dreams. You’re talking about extraction.

COBB

Exactly. My job is to protect you…

Behind Fischer a WAITER puts down a tray — tipping a champagne glass over — SMASH — Cobb NOTICES. Pauses, looks across the bar — HIS TWO CHILDREN ARE CROUCHED, BACKS TOWARDS US…

Cobb looks around the bar, the patrons start to STARE at Cobb, suspicious— Cobb shifts back to Fischer—

COBB (CONT’D)

My job is to protect you from any attempt to access your mind through your dreams.

Cobb regains his patter — the patrons lose interest…

INT. ELEVATOR — CONTINUOUS

Eames pulls out Fischer’s wallet, moves to hand it to Saito, then PAUSES, opens it, leafs past the cast to find… The SNAPSHOT: young Robert holding his HOMEMADE PINWHEEL, his father blowing on it. The elevator doors open and Eames steps off. HANDS Saito the wallet.

EAMES

Get off at a different floor and keep moving. Dump the wallet, then meet me in the lobby. The security will try to track it down. We need to buy Cobb a little more time.

The doors close. Saito puts the wallet in his pocket. He COUGHS — a deep, nasty cough.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — CONTINUOUS

Cobb looks over Fischer’s shoulder to see a SUITED MAN watching him. Another MAN is walking in from the lobby.

COBB

You’re not safe here.

Cobb steps away from the bar. Fischer does not move.

COBB (CONT’D)

Trust me. They’re coming for you.

Fischer sizes him up, A CLAP OF THUNDER ECHOES, and we—

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. VAN ON RAINY DOWNTOWN STREETS — DAY

GUNSHOTS BLAST out the rear and side windows of the van — a Security Man is leaning out of the lead S.U.V. With a SHOTGUN — WIND AND RAIN RIP THROUGH THE VAN — in the back, ARTHUR’S SLEEPING FACE IS WHIPPED BY THE SPRAY, AND WE—

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — SUNSET

Fischer looks out the windows at sudden, HURRICANE-LIKE RAIN—

COBB

Strange weather, huh?

A TREMOR runs through the bar — Cobb looks around—

COBB (CONT’D)

You feel that?

INT. HOTEL LOBBY — CONTINUOUS

Ariadne and Arthur watch the GUSTS OF WIND RATTLE the windows. Arthur sees HOTEL GUESTS staring out at the weather, PUZZLED. Several of them TURN TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT ARTHUR.

ARIADNE

What’s happening?

ARTHUR

Cobb’s drawing Fischer’s attention to the strangeness of the dream. That’s making his subconscious look for the dreamer. For me.

And we—

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. VAN ON RAINY STREETS — DAY

At the end of the alley — Yusuf THROWS the van into a HARD RIGHT TURN — we move into EXTREME SLOW MOTION… THE SLEEPERS IN THE BACK ARE DRAWN TO ONE SIDE OF THE VAN BY THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE… and we—

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL LOBBY BAR — CONTINUOUS

The liquid in Fischer’s drink RISES UP AGAINST ONE SIDE OF THE GLASS — Fischer notices, confused.

COBB

Very odd — the weather, the gravity…

Fischer looks around the bar — it’s as if THE ENTIRE ROOM IS SET AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE — glasses SLIDING off tables…

COBB (CONT’D)

But I can explain all this. You’ve actually been trained for this.