Character Analysis Flashcards
1
Q
Cobb (The Extractor)
A
- ‘Cobb’ means dream in Hindi
- disturbed and stressed due to his wife’s passing
- wants to get back to his children
- constantly wears suits which connotes his power and intimidation
- forced to deal with projections of his wife
- what he did to Mal drives the narrative
2
Q
Arthur (The Point Man)
A
- Cobb’s second in command/teacher to Ariadne
- professional
- most likeable character
- logical and lethally competent
- gathers info on the heist
- does his job and gets it right
3
Q
Ariadne (The Architect)
A
- her name means ‘pure’ but also reference to greek myth: Ariadne helped Theseus escape the Minotaur in the labyrinth and got left behind.
- juxtaposes Mal’s character: 2 female characters on opposite sides of the spectrum
- dresses casually and rejects patriarchy
- asks Cobb the questions the spectator want answers to, drives the narrative.
4
Q
Eames (The Forger)
A
- skilled, outgoing, intelligent
- impulsive, doesn’t think much of what he’s doing
- comic relief: rocket launcher and ‘the kick’ scene
- easily able to take the guise of other people in dreams
5
Q
Yusuf (The Chemist)
A
- his formula to go into deeper sleep is a pivotal moment which drives the narrative
- without him the mission would not have worked
- moves narrative forward
- drives the mission in the first place
6
Q
Saito (The Tourist)
A
- powerful, wealthy, intimidating
- doesn’t have the skill set of the others
- epitome of capitalist culture
- wants his company to be more popular that Fischer’s
- wants to be richer
- can get rid of Cobb’s murder charges: restores equilibrium
7
Q
Mal (The Shade)
A
- acts as the main antagonist
- only shown as a projection of Cobb’s subconscious
- this version of her cannot be trusted as an accurate representation of what she was like in life
- a ‘femme fatale’ (opening scene), uses her beauty to manipulate Cobb further
- spends 50 years in limbo and believes reality is a dream
- her name means ‘evil’ in French
- like a virus, infects Cobb’s mind
