Christopher Nolan - Inception - The Shooting Script

Mal sips champagne as she studies a painting by Francis Bacon.

MAL

Looks like Arthur’s taste.

Cobb is looking down through the window at the GUARDS patrolling the castle at ground level.

COBB

Actually, Mr. Saito is partial to postwar British painters.

He turns to Mal, donning a pair of black leather gloves.

COBB

Would you sit down?

Mal lowers herself gracefully into a leather wingback chair.

Cobb approaches, pulls out a length of BLACK ROPE and kneels at Mal’s feet. She looks down at him.

MAL

Tell me…

Cobb TIES the rope around the CHAIR LEGS.

MAL

Do the children miss me?

Cobb pauses. He lets his gloved fingers lightly touch Mal’s ankle. He looks up at her.

COBB

You can’t imagine.

Mal looks away, uncomfortable. Cobb gets to his feet, letting out the rope as he moves back to the window.

MAL

What’re you doing?

Cobb tosses the rope out—

COBB

Getting some air.

He tugs on the rope, testing. The weight of the chair, with Mal on it, holds.

COBB

Stay seated. Please.

And with that, he JUMPS. Mal considers the open window.

EXT. JAPANESE CASTLE WALL — CONTINUOUS

Cobb RAPPELS down the wall, darting past windows. He stops at a particular one. Gets out a glass cutter— Suddenly he starts DROPPING—

INT. BEDROOM SUITE, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

The EMPTY CHAIR SLIDES across the floor — WEDGES under the window—

EXT. JAPANESE CASTLE WALL — CONTINUOUS

Cobb JOLTS to a stop 15 ft. lower. He looks up at the bedroom window. Shakes his head. Starts climbing back.

INT. KITCHEN, JAPANESE CASTLE — MOMENTS LATER

Cobb drops silently from the window into the darkened kitchen. He pulls a PISTOL from his belt, screwing a SILENCER onto the barrel as he GLIDES across the room.

INT. HALL, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

Cobb SLIPS through the shadows towards a GUARD stationed at the head of a GRAND STAIRCASE…

The Guard HEARS something — TURNS — PEERS into the shadows…

Cobb FLASHES out of the shadows, silenced pistol up, AIMING— PHHT— head shot— the Guard starts to drop… but Cobb is already there to CATCH him, sliding on his knees and lowering the Guard SILENTLY to the floor.

INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

Cobb moves to a PAINTING. With practiced hands he removes it from the wall, revealing a SAFE. Cobb spins the dial, pulls it OPEN, GRABS an envelope from within, stuffs it into his waistband, where there is already an IDENTICAL ENVELOPE.

LIGHTS COME ON. Cobb freezes.

SAITO (O.S.)

Turn around.

Cobb turns. At the far end of the room: Saito. Next to him is Mal, gun in hand. She smiles at Cobb.

MAL

The gun, Dom.

Cobb doesn’t move. Mal motions outside — two GUARDS drag Arthur into the room. Mal puts the gun to his head.

MAL

Please.

Cobb slowly places his gun at his end of the long table, then SLIDES it along the polished ebony. It comes to rest HALFWAY down the length or the table.

SAITO

Now the envelope, Mr. Cobb.

Cobb reaches into his waistband, removes ONE of the envelopes, SLIDES it along the table. Steps back, hands raised.

COBB

Did she tell you, or have you known all along?

SAITO

That you’re here to steal from me?

(beat)

Or that we’re actually asleep?

Arthur gives Cobb an I-told-you-so look.

SAITO

I want to know who your employer is.

Mal COCKS the gun at Arthur’s temple.

COBB

No point threatening him in a dream.

MAL

That depends on what you’re threatening. Killing him would just wake him up… but pain? Pain is in the mind…

Mal LOWERS the gun and SHOOTS Arthur in the leg — Arthur drops, SCREAMING — Mal looks at Cobb, cold.

MAL

And, judging by the decor, we’re in your mind, aren’t we, Arthur?

Cobb watches Arthur’s PAIN. Mal aims at Arthur’s other leg…

Cobb SPRINGS for the table, SKIDDING along its polished surface — he GRABS his gun — SHOOTS ARTHUR BETWEEN THE EYES — Arthur DROPS — the room starts to SHUDDER in a MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE− Cobb SPRINGS for the door- Arthur’s eyes stare at the ceiling, DEAD, and we—

CUT TO:

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — DAY

Arthur’s EYES OPEN as he WAKES IN THE ARMCHAIR — he GRABS at the tubes at his wrist, YANKING them free—

NASH

What’re you doing?! It’s too soon—

FLUID spurts from the tubes as Arthur STRUGGLES with the SILVER CASE on the bathroom floor.

ARTHUR

I know! We have to reconnect the loop before they wake up!

Arthur grabs the case and pushes through the door to the bedroom — following the tubes to where they meet Saito’s wrist — SAITO LIES ON THE BED ASLEEP. Saito STIRS and we—

CUT TO:

INT. JAPANESE CASTLE CORRIDOR — NIGHT

Cobb LURCHES towards the stairs, as all around him the building BUCKS and HEAVES—

INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

Saito and the Guards PANIC. Mal walks calmly through the destruction, picks up the envelope and turns to Saito.

MAL

He was close. Very close.

EXT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

Cobb runs up the stairs, pulling out the SECOND ENVELOPE—

INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

Saito RIPS open the envelope, pulls out sheets of paper. He looks at Mal, PANICKED. He turns to the Guards—

SAITO

Stop him!

Mal, confused, looks at the sheets of paper: THEY ARE BLANK.

Mal smiles, amused.

INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS

As Cobb runs up the stairs he reads the TYPEWRITTEN SHEETS from his envelope, and we—

CUT TO:

INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY

Arthur OPENS the silver case: a COMPLEX MECHANISM of TUBES, SYRINGES, DOSAGE CONTROLLERS. Arthur’s hands fly across the machine’s controls as he glances at Saito’s STIRRING face—

ARTHUR

I’m not going to make it! Wake Cobb!

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS

Nash turns to Cobb. Raises his hand and SMACKS him across the face, and we—

CUT TO:

INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT

Cobb is SMASHED sideways off his feet…

INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT

The CEILING CRACKS above Saito- he looks up as a TON of STONE floods down, CRUSHING HIM and we—

CUT TO:

INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY

Saito’s eyes FLICKER OPEN. AWAKE.

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS

Nash SMACKS Cobb again—

NASH

He won’t wake!

INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — CONTINUOUS

Arthur crouched by Saito, connects the second tube.

ARTHUR

Dunk him!

A CLICK: Arthur looks up to find Saito with a gun to his head and a finger to his lips, gesturing silence…

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS

Nash puts his hand on Cobb’s forehead and PUSHES HIM BACKWARDS — as Cobb starts to FALL BACKWARDS in the chair we are in SLOW MOTION, and we—

CUT TO:

INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT

Cobb, full speed, picks himself up, scrambling to read the last sheet of paper. He stares at it PUZZLED — bullets hit around him as the Guards race up the stairs and we—

CUT TO:

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — DAY

Cobb in SLOW MOTION, hits the WATER — head THRASHING as he goes under — and we—

CUT TO:

INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT

Cobb glances up from the paper as WATER EXPLODES IN THROUGH ALL THE WINDOWS, FLOODING THE ENTIRE HALL — COBB IS SWAMPED BY WATER, SPUN IN ALL DIRECTIONS AT ONCE — HE PULLS DEEPER OR FOR THE SURFACE, WE CAN’T TELL…

HE BREAKS THE SURFACE, GASPING FOR AIR IN THE BATHTUB IN THE—