Inception Kicks and Levels . .

Hey guys
Been a big fan of Inception for a while now and after quite a long period of not seeing it, there's one or two things that have confused me upon watching it again. I'm not sure whether I once worked these out and have now forgotten them or I just missed them before but anyway, its about the Kicks, levels, limbo etc . . .

For the purpose of this post . .
Level 1 - The Van Chase
Level 2 - The Hotel
Level 3 - The Fortress
Level 4 - Limbo (as I have always understood it to be)

These are also a couple of "rules" as I have always understood them, so please correct me if I'm wrong . .

1. Limbo can be entered by entering further dream states within dreams or, in a heavily sedated sleep, if you where to die. The main difference being, if you enter it by death, you generally loose all memory that you are dreaming and believe it to be the real world.

2. If you die within limbo, you wake up in the previous dream level (that still exists).

3. A "kick" must be administered on the previous level, one you are currently sleeping on. As shown when Eames tips the chair that Arthur is sleeping on, and when Cobb is pushed into the bath of water.


One more thing to point out, I originally thought that if you where to die in limbo, you wake up in reality, but I am now to assume that is not the case, and you will wake up in the previous dream level that still exists. Someone pointed out that when Mal and Cobb wake up from Limbo for the first time they are in reality, where as I am assuming that they could well still be in another dream level and that, with the realisation and the Idea in Mals head, they then rode the rest of the dreams back to reality by killing themselves (as they weren't sedated in the first place, they won't fall back into limbo).


Anyway this is what's bugging me . . .

1. What was the need for the defibrillator on Fisher Jr?
As I understand it, if Fisher Jr. was killed in Limbo, he would wake up in the previous dream state, which he did. So what purpose did the defibrillator have and why, if they died on the same level, did Saito not need it?

2. What was the need for the "kick" on the 3rd Level?
As I understand it they weren't planning on going any further than the 3rd level anyway, so how did the have the kick so well planned out? and what was the need for it? I thought the kick was to wake anyone who where dreaming in that level but conscious in the next. Fisher Jr. and Ariadne both jumped off the building, killing them selves and therefore waking up on level 3. And we assume that Cobb and Saito both kill themselves therefore waking up in reality (as they missed the kicks through the other levels so they technically don't exist any more). So was the last kick just men't to be a warning for time? Even then, if Ariadne had missed it she would have still woken up at a previous level after having killed herself. It almost seemed kind of pointless and just adds confusion for me.

Just a little puzzled by these two problems, so if anyone could help me figure them out, id be grateful.

Thanks

It's been a while since I've seen the movie, so I can't really help answer the questions you're asking. However, I think you'll find this video interesting. This guy is obviously really into the movie, it's worth a watch. Authors@Google: Kyle Johnson 'Inception and Philosophy' - YouTube

Wow, thanks for posting that, this guy is a serious enthusiast, although It didnt help to answer my questions, its filled me with a load more haha! And also opened my eyes to more areas that I missed

In Reply to dobbo049,

If Fischer would have got to Limbo without being on a sedative in reality, then yes, dying in Limbo would have brought him back to the Snow Fortress layer. But Fischer and rest of team weren't just doing normal dream sharing using Somnacin...they were using a sedative....and

In order for the team to get Fischer back to the Snow Fortress layer from Limbo, they had to give him a Kick from Limbo (free-fall off of Cobb's penthouse balcony courtesy of Ariadne) in conjunction with a Kick from the layer above in the Snow Fortress (Defibrillator Jolt to Fischer's dream self courtesy of Eames). The only way to move back a layer during heavily sedated sleep is to have a simultaneous double Kick (one from within the layer you are in and one from above). This is why Cobb had to devise a Kick that could penetrate all three layers (which there were two - the Van Breaking the Barrier of the Bridge and the Van Hitting the Water). In order for Ariadne to return to the Snow Fortress from Limbo she has to give herself a Kick in Limbo (free fall off ledge) in conjunction with the "Van Hitting the Water" penetrating Kick (which we see represented by the disintegration of the buildings in Limbo). Then, when she returns to the Snow Fortress, she rides the Snow Fortress collapse Kick (from explosives) in conjunction with the "Van Hitting the Water" penetrating Kick. When she returns to the Hotel layer, she continues to ride the "Van Hitting the Water" penetrating Kick with freefall elevator Kick (courtesy of Arthur) to get back to Yusuf's City layer. Remaining team then has to wait in the City layer for around a week until their countdown timers on the PASIV device on the plane expire. Then they automatically awake on the plane.
Back to Fischer. Once he gets back to the Snow Fortress, and after he completes inception, he rides the Kicks back to the City layer just like Ariadne.

Hope this helps clarify both of your questions. They didn't plan to go to Limbo. They still needed to devise a Kick in the Snow Fortress (Eames blowing it up and creating freefall collapse) in conjunction with the penetrating "Van breaking through the barrier of the bridge." They miss that first penetrating Kick. But Cobb said, there's another penetrating Kick - the Van Hitting the Water. After incpetion, Eames times it, setting off explosives at the same time the Van is Hitting the water.