Over a decade has elapsed since Christopher Nolan debuted his thrilling sci-fi film “Inception.” The movie was a box-office hit, grossing almost $1 billion worldwide.
Set in a world of dreams, “Inception” followed the story of a group of heisters that specialized in infiltrating the mind of their targets to steal confidential information. It starred Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, all led by Leonardo DiCaprio, who played the role of Dom.
MEGACandidly, the film stands as one of Nolan’s standout works. Its action-packed scenes intertwined with mind-bending ideas enthralled fans who watched the film, and it remains a classic to date.
For DiCaprio, a scene in the movie left a deep impression on him. Read on to get more details.
Leonardo Dicaprio Felt Like Part Of A Singing Group In ‘Inception’
From the start of the movie, Nolan sought to take viewers on a trip to make them doubt reality. The movie featured DiCaprio and his gang going into unreached depths in the dreamscape. Each time they plummeted further, their costume changed to fit the scene they were portraying.
However, the last observable scene in the dream world happened in a fortress built by DiCaprio’s target. The part was shot in the snowy mountains of Calgary to give the intended appearance truly. In addition, the team was dressed in thick snowsuits and sophisticated toting weapons. In an interview for MovieFone back in 2010, Page and DiCaprio joked about their costumes in the final scene.
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Page asked whether Dicaprio felt like he was in a Backstreet Boys music video. “I kind of felt like we were part of a gigantic boy band, and we were on location on a snowy mountaintop,” DiCaprio laughed.
Dicaprio Described Why The Mountain Scene Was Difficult
Still, DiCaprio and Page moved on from their costume to more serious matters during the interview. They discussed the harsh weather conditions they faced when shooting the final scene at the top of the mountain.
Then, it was winter in Canada– which implied below zero temperature and shortness of breath.
“We had to do some very long dialogue sequences, and we were all getting kind of a bit queasy, and we had lightness of the head. But to fit into those suits was very locked into Chris Nolan’s imagination.” DiCaprio recalled.
He continued: “It’s something he’d been thinking about for a very long time. And I think it was very much a leap of faith on all of our parts to jump into those white snowsuits.” Ultimately, DiCaprio confided that he felt the part aided the success of the film.
The Mountain Setting
For most movies in this decade, producers use computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create any backdrop needed in a film. It eschews the need to use a physical location to shoot the movie as CGI can fabricate it.
However, for the mountain scene in “Inception,” Nolan’s director of photography; proposed the use of a physical location. They chose Calgary peaks, and the production team built the fortress near an old ski resort. It made the scenes shot on the mountain authentic and without the aid of CGI.
MEGAFans can recall the landslides that also played out. The production team used small incendiary devices to ensure that they did not grow out of proportion. The crew and cast worked in the cold and wore snowsuits. In the end, it showed the level of dedication placed into making “Inception” the success it is today.
Leonardo Dicaprio Thinks His ‘Inception’ Character Made It Back Home
After the mountain scene, DiCaprio’s character, Dom, broke out of the dream state with his team having accomplished his mission. He finally returned home after years of absence in a foreign country.
As the movie came to an end, the last scene showed Dom strolling to his kids while his trusty totem– used by him to tether himself to reality drops and spins behind him. The film ended without the totem rolling to a stop. So no one could tell if Dom was dreaming or not. However, DiCaprio assumed that his character made it back from the dream world.
“I had my own interpretation, and that was that I got back to reality,” DiCaprio said. “I had to make my own choice on that one, yeah.” Regardless of DiCaprio’s view, fans still debate the scene, as one cannot clearly state the outcome.
