Christopher Nolan - Inception - The Shooting Script

COBB

You saw them torture him?

Fischer shakes his head. Looks at Browning. Thinking.

FISCHER

The kidnappers are working for you.

BROWNING

No, Robert—

FISCHER

You’re trying to get that safe open. To get the alternate will.

Browning looks up at Fischer.

BROWNING

Fischer Morrow’s been my entire life. I can’t let you destroy it.

FISCHER

I’m not going to throw away my inheritance. Why would I?

BROWNING

I couldn’t take the chance of you rising to your father’s final taunt.

FISCHER

What taunt?

BROWNING

That will. I’m sorry, Robert, but it’s his final insult. A challenge to build something for yourself. He’s telling you that you aren’t worthy of his achievements.

Fischer takes this in. Devastated.

FISCHER

That he was “disappointed?”

BROWNING

I’m so sorry. But he was wrong. You’ll make his company even greater than he ever could.

COBB

Your godfather’s lying, Robert.

Fischer turns to Cobb.

FISCHER

How do you know?

COBB

It’s what I do. He’s hiding something.

Cobb looks at Browning.

COBB

Let’s find out what.

Cobb nods at Arthur, who starts unpacking the mechanism.

Browning watches. Silent.

COBB

Let’s do to him what he was going to do to you.

Cobb rolls up his sleeve. Nods at Fischer to do the same.

COBB

We’ll penetrate his subconscious and find out what he doesn’t want you to know.

Fischer looks Cobb in the eye. Decides — rolls up his sleeve, offering his bare arm. The team run tubes to each other — Arthur injects Fischer, whose head slumps.

ARTHUR

He’s out.

ARIADNE

Wait, Cobb — I’m lost. Whose subconscious are we going into?

COBB

Fischer’s. I told him it was Browning’s so he’d come with us as part of our team.

ARTHUR

(impressed)

He’s going to help us break into his own subconscious.

COBB

That’s the idea. He’ll think that his security is Browning’s and fight them to learn the truth about his father.

Arthur hits buttons on the mechanism. The team goes out one by one. Cobb is last.

COBB

Fischer’s subconscious is going to run you down hard.

ARTHUR

I’ll lead them on a merry chase.

COBB

Be back in time for the kick.

ARTHUR

I’m on it.

Cobb is no longer listening — he stares at the net curtains, BILLOWING like those in Mal’s suite — a GLIMPSE of someone (Mal?). As the screen goes WHITE, and we are—

EXT. SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINS — DAY

CLOSE ON Cobb’s face, staring. Fixed.

ARIADNE (O.S.)

Cobb? Cobb?

Ariadne is beside him. They stand on a cliff, dressed in white snowsuits, carrying white-painted weapons like WWII commandos. Cobb checks his SNIPER RIFLE, examines their objective: a massive FORTIFIED MEDICAL FACILITY a mile below.

ARIADNE

What’s down there?

COBB

Hopefully, the truth we want Fischer to learn.

ARIADNE

I meant what’s down there for you?

Cobb turns to her. Eames, Saito and Fischer arrive, SKIING down from the hill above. Cobb pulls Eames out of Fischer’s earshot.

COBB

You’re the dreamer. I need you to draw the security away from the complex.

EAMES

Then who guides Fischer in? You?

COBB

If I know the route… we could be compromised.

Eames looks as Cobb, uneasy. Ariadne comes over.

ARIADNE

I designed the place.

COBB

No. You’re with me.

SAITO (O.S.)

I could do it.

They turn to Saito. Saito shrugs at Eames. Eames smiles.

COBB

Eames, brief Saito on the route into the complex. What we’re looking for is going to be in the most heavily fortified section. That north tower.

Cobb moves to Fischer. Saito COUGHS. SPITS. Eames sees BLOOD on the snow. Looks at Saito.

COBB

Mr. Fischer, you’re going in with Mr. Saito.

FISCHER

You’re not coming in?

COBB

You have to do this on your own. You have to get in there, break into your godfather’s mind and find out the truth about your father.

Cobb taps Fischer’s radio mike.

COBB

Keep this live at all times. I’ll be listening in, covering you.

(holds up the sniper rifle)

The windows on the upper floors are big enough that I can cover you from that south tower.

Cobb slips into his skis, shoulders his rifle.

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM 528 — NIGHT

Arthur checks the mechanism. He hears LOW BOOMS like thunder.

He checks his watch — THE SECOND HAND CRAWLS FORWARDS. With a last look at the sleepers, he heads out into the corridor…

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

A GUNSHOT slams into the van as Yusuf DRIVES — he glances back to see a MOTORCYCLE pulling up behind him, the REAR PASSENGER FIRING A SHOTGUN — the bike pulls alongside Yusuf’s window as the passenger RELOADS — Yusuf YANKS the wheel TOWARDS the bike, bringing the shotgun barrel into the cab so he can GRAB it, spin the wheel back — PULLING the passenger from the back of the bike… Yusuf turns a corner, heading into a disused MARKET—

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR — CONTINUOUS

Arthur walks towards the elevator. It OPENS — a SECURITY MAN emerges, heading right for him. Arthur takes a TURN, speeding up. The BOOMS are louder, and we—

CUT TO:

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

The bike crosses behind the van, catching up again as the driver pulls a handgun and starts BLASTING. Up ahead, an S.U.V. sits in a side road, lining up to head off the van—the SECURITY MAN driving the S.U.V. guns it, as the bike creeps up on the other side of the van- Yusuf HITS THE BRAKES, forcing the bike out into the path of the S.U.V., tossing the rider like a rag doll—

Heading out of the market, the van races onto a FREEWAY ON RAMP, approaching the BRIDGE. An S.U.V. SMASHES into the van’s side, FORCING it up against a CRASH BARRIER… the van starts to SLOWLY TILT OVER THE BARRIER as the S.U.V. PUSHES—

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR — NIGHT

As Arthur hurries down the corridor, the corridor starts to TILT, and Arthur is forced to run UP ONTO THE WALL — he rounds a corner — STRAIGHT INTO another Security Man— Arthur HEAD BUTTS him and they STRUGGLE — as they struggle, the corridor SPINS around, THROWING THEM UP ONTO THE WALLS, THE CEILING — as wall becomes floor they DROP through a door into—

INT. HOTEL ROOM — CONTINUOUS

The fight continues all over the spinning room — and we—

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. VAN ON RAINY OFF RAMP NEAR BRIDGE — DAY

SLEEPING ARTHUR BOUNCES around as the van TILTS, SCRAPING along the barrier — the van CLEARS THE END OF THE BARRIER AND ROLLS DOWN THE EMBANKMENT, and we—

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL ROOM — NIGHT

Arthur and the Security Man DROP to the floor, Arthur on top. Arthur gets up — heads to the stairwell.

INT./EXT. VAN ON RAINY STREETS NEAR BRIDGE — DAY

The van SETTLES with a thump. Yusuf BREATHES hard. Then SMILES as he realizes he is in one piece. A RINGING BELL up ahead makes him look up to the bridge, where the barriers are starting to come down. Yusuf checks his watch—

YUSUF

Bugger.

Yusuf hits the gas, heading for the bridge. An S.U.V. lines up behind him, trying to catch up before the van crosses the barrier onto the bridge-The van JUST MAKES IT- the S.U.V. behind RIPS its read axle off, SCRAPING to a halt on the rising section. The Security Man inside starts FIRING on the van…

INT. HOTEL STAIRWELL — CONTINUOUS

Arthur RACES down the steps — OPENS the door to the fourth floor — spots SECURITY MEN outside room 491.

ARTHUR