MovieChat Forums > Inception (2010) Discussion > Why can't dreams in movies be like dream...

Why can't dreams in movies be like dreams?

posted 3 years ago by avortac4 (3746)
8 replies | jump to latest

Dream depictions in movies are dull and boring compared to actual dreams.

Why don't they ever at least TRY to depict what dreams are REALLY like? We all know what dreams are like, but for some reason, we are expected to believe a dull depiction of 'slightly altered physical reality' is good enough, and looks and behaves exactly like a dream would.

I have the same qualm about flashbacks, memories, etc.. They're always 100% realistic, laws of physics are the same as in 'our world', and so on. In reality, dreams, flashbacks, memories, etc. can be hazy and 'dreamy' and do usually not include DETAILED DIALOGUE THAT GOES ON FOR A LONG TIME.

Oh well, I guess moviemakers don't want to depict anything like that realistically - but then why even depict them? If you're gonna just show me 'physical reality' (no matter how you 'alter' it, it's still duller than a 'hazy dreamworld on another planet / dimension with flowing colors and cloudy spacescapes), just make movies about physical reality.

Also, to 'wake up from a dream' is possible to do just by sheer willpower, it doesn't need weird gimmicks, tricks, alarms or falling or whatnot. Let alone 'dying in a dream'.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

We all know what dreams are like, but for some reason, we are expected to believe a dull depiction of 'slightly altered physical reality' is good enough, and looks and behaves exactly like a dream would.

The dream world in inception is more interesting than 95% of my dreams.

I have the same qualm about flashbacks, memories, etc..

Most flashbacks are included in movies for narrative clarity.

Also, to 'wake up from a dream' is possible to do just by sheer willpower,

Okay buddy. Right.

it doesn't need weird gimmicks, tricks, alarms or falling or whatnot.

The dreams in inception are not normal dreams. They're sedated in a fictional drug. This is explained explicitly in the movie. Inception is sci-fi; what we see in the movie is due to technology that doesn't actually exist in real life.

Did you even watch this movie or did you make this post based off of a plot summary you read?

[–] Roguemail (1614) 3 years ago

For my money the most realistic dream depiction in a movie is Father Karras dream in The Exorcist.

It works for me not necessarily because it's scary, but because it's random and disjointed, as dreams often are. It's a series of images and scenes that are not really coherent, but at the same time it plays on images that are uppermost in Karras mind, such as his mother, religious imagery etc. And yes the shot of the demons face is very disturbing as well.

But this is the only time I have seen a dream sequence in a movie that bore any relation to dreams that I have had.

[–] tph890 (489) 3 years ago

If you want to watch a great dream movie, check out “Mulholland Drive” by David Lynch. And if you like that, go ahead and check out “Lost Highway”.
Wes Craven created an awesome dream atmosphere in his “Nightmare on Elm Street” as well.
Those suggestions aside, I really enjoy Inception, but it is more of a caper film than a dream film. The story was definitely inspired by the experience of ‘lucid dreaming’, but this doesn’t really qualify as a “dream movie”, per se. The dreams are just a plot device, and the story is more fantasy than an attempt at recreating actual dreams.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 3 years ago

Dreams are freaking crazy , one night I fell asleep without taking my medication and I felt like I was tripping balls.

[–] orangeflava (1877) 3 years ago

Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for a great take on dreams/memories.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Memories can be strange.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

Un chien andalou

[–] Seperatrix (1241) 3 years ago

One poster on this thread has already suggested Mulholland Drive (a must see), but also Lynch's Twin Peaks has an iconic dream in Episode 2 of Season 1, a scene that's been been inspiration for other film makers over the years. Might want to check that out too (if you haven't already).